The Batman 2 Gets Disappointing Development Update

A new report notes that Matt Reeves' The Batman 2 does not yet have a greenlight from Warner Bros. Discovery. The Batman was directed by Reeves and starred Robert Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Penguin, and Paul Dano as The Riddler, pulling in more than $760 million at the global box office. The film takes place in an alternate reality outside the DCEU, making it a standalone film similar to Todd Phillips' Joker (and its upcoming sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux)

During the Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon in April 2022, then-WB head Toby Emmerich announced that The Batman 2 would be happening and brought Reeves out to the stage. Reeves thanked theater owners for supporting The Batman, saying he was "excited to jump back into this world for the next chapter." Since that time, however, Emmerich has resigned from WB, which has become Warner Bros. Discovery after a massive merger. New CEO David Zaslav is shaking things up for the DC corner of the company, canceling films like Batgirl and The Wonder Twins while aiming to push forward bigger and better theatrical features while protecting the DC brand.

In a new report from Variety, the future of The Batman 2 may be even more uncertain, as the film is apparently listed as "in development" and has not yet been given an official greenlight from WB Discovery. While Reeves and Pattinson are both attached to the project, the development status implies that the sequel would be years away. The Batman 2 joins the growing chorus of films that are listed as "in development" with no clear picture forward, including Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 3, Ta-Nehisi Coates' Superman, Zatanna, Static Shock, and Black Canary with Jurnee Smollett, all of which are in development limbo.

While there has been an outcry over the sudden wave of cancellations from Warner Bros. Discovery, there's still much that hasn't been revealed about what projects will be pursued. With Warner Bros. Discovery's ambition to create a 10-year plan for their DC properties and hire a Kevin Feige-esque lead for the IP, there are certainly many announcements left to be made in terms of what lies ahead. There's also still potential for a DC FanDome, which typically takes place in October, where the new brass can outline their plans for DC and help alleviate (and excite) anxious fans who are curious as to where things are going in the DCEU.

In development and greenlight are often conflated, but it's important to note that in development means that the project is being prepared for a greenlight, not that they already have one. Surely, Reeves and his team will put something together for The Batman 2 that will get it approved and on the way to production, but as of now it doesn't appear to be on the fast track. Reeves has said before that he doesn't want to rush a sequel to The Batman anyway, so this is not likely to be something that affects his development of the film. It is likely still in the scripting stage and will see some progress soon enough. Still, the fact that the film is not currently on the books and guaranteed may make some fans nervous, and the only thing to alleviate that is for Warner Bros. Discovery to let their plans be known sooner than later.