Warner Bros. has announced that filming for Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated The Batman Part II will begin in the spring of 2026, with the goal of releasing the film in October 2027.

Robert Pattinson, who this year stars in both Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne.

In a letter to shareholders, Warner Bros. Discovery also praised the success of James Gunn’s Superman, the debut film of the new DC cinematic and television universe, which has grossed nearly $550 million worldwide. The company stated:

“The DC character universe is not only one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s most valuable assets but also one of the most valuable pieces of intellectual property in the entertainment industry.”

Next steps for the DCU under Gunn’s leadership include titles such as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Clayface (both set for 2026), along with the upcoming Wonder Woman film. Among them is The Batman II, which is nearing production start, as well as TV productions like The Penguin, the new season of Peacemaker, and the premiere of Lanterns, all expected in 2026.

Fans have eagerly awaited a sequel since The Batman premiered in March 2022, grossing $772 million globally. Though initially slated for October 2, 2026, the sequel was delayed and is now scheduled for release on October 1, 2027. As Warner Bros. confirmed to Variety on June 27, Matt Reeves has finally completed the script.

Despite the five-year delay, James Gunn has publicly defended the timeline, stating:

“To be fair, a five-year or longer gap between sequels is common. Seven years between Alien and Aliens, 14 for The Incredibles, seven between the first two Terminator films, 13 for Avatar, 36 for Top Gun, and six for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Vol. 3.”

In a separate post, Gunn added:

“Matt is committed to making the best film he can, and no one can predict how long it takes to write a script. Once it’s done, big productions need about two years for pre-production, filming, and post-production.”

He also clarified that under the new DC Studios model, no film enters pre-production or production without a completed script — unlike the Marvel Studios approach, where filming sometimes begins with the script still in progress.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly earlier this summer, Gunn addressed fan impatience over the sequel:

“People need to leave Matt alone. Let him take the time he needs to write the script. He doesn’t owe anyone anything just because you liked his film. You liked it because it was his. So let him work his way.”

He concluded:

“The sense of entitlement annoys me. There’s no need for aggressive anticipation. It’ll be released when Matt feels good about the script. And Matt won’t hand me that script unless he feels good about it.”