It’s tough to get a read on DC’s plans for Batman. James Gunn has made it clear that the hero will be a major part of the DC Universe moving forward, even going as far as to give him a cameo in the animated series Creature Commandos. However, the development of the DCU’s Batman movie, The Brave and the Bold, is progressing slowly. There also appears to be no rush to cast an actor in what’s sure to be a highly coveted role. All that to say, when it comes to live-action Batman, the ball is squarely in Matt Reeves’ court.
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The script for The Batman Part II is finally in the hands of executives at DC Studios, and by all accounts, it’s fantastic. All that’s left to do is get the actors on set and start rolling the cameras. Unfortunately, there’s a dark cloud hanging over the situation as the reality sets in that another Batman movie has taken its original spot on the release schedule.
Another New Batman Movie Is Releasing in 2025
Unlike the live-action world, the possibilities are endless in animation. DC loves to explore different scenarios with its animated projects, and the Dark Knight finds himself in the middle of many of them. Earlier this year, Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League was released, telling the story of the titular hero facing off against alternate versions of the Justice League members that are yakuza bosses. While the movie didn’t blow anyone away, earning a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, it took the iconic character in a new direction, which is easier said than done these days.
DC will look to keep the ball rolling with Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires, a collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation, Ánima, and Chatrone. Unlike Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, which follows Bruce Wayne in the modern age, Aztec Batman turns back the clock to the post-classic period as Spanish conquistadors attack the Aztecs. When a young boy watches his father die at the hands of the invaders, he vows to free his home from tyranny by becoming a hero. Aztec Batman has all the makings of an animated classic, and it will get a nice boost by dropping in Mexican theaters on September 18th. However, even if the movie is great, it will be hard to think about anything but the other Batman movie that should’ve come out near the end of 2025.
The Batman Part II‘s Delay Better Be Worth It
The Batman‘s run in theaters was successful, to say the least. It brought in well over $700 million at the box office and confirmed to audiences that the character was done messing around in the DC Extended Universe. A sequel was greenlit in an instant and set its release date for October 2025, hoping to benefit from the spooky vibes around Halloween. Unfortunately, the Hollywood labor disputes in 2023 pushed the project back to 2026. That wasn’t the end of the world, but another blow was delivered when 2027 became the new target year. The October 1st, 2027, release date is sticking, which is great, but five years is a long time to wait for a second appearance from Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader.
What The Batman Part II has that other movies that deal with delays don’t, though, is Reeves, whose track record is phenomenal. It’s fine to be frustrated by the wait between films, but if the sequel that comes out is even better than the first, all should be forgiven. After all, there’s plenty of Batman content to hold everyone over, including a new movie that completely reimagines the character in a way not even Reeves could imagine.
Are you going to check out Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires? How do you feel about all the delays to The Batman Part II? Let us know in the comments below!
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