James Gunn Officially Shuts Down a Major ‘The Batman’ Sequel Rumor
DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has denied rumours that "The Batman Part II" and its planned third instalment will be filmed back-to-back, ending speculation about how director Matt Reeves' trilogy with star Robert Pattinson might close the gap between sequels. The clarification matters because "The Batman Part II" has already been pushed back significantly, and fans had hoped a combined shoot might prevent another lengthy wait before the trilogy's finale.
"The Batman Part II" was recently delayed from its original 2027 slot, where it would have competed with "Avengers: Secret Wars" and Gunn's own "Man of Tomorrow", to a new release date of 18 February 2028. Amid concern that the gap to a third film could stretch towards six years, a social media rumour suggested the next two films would shoot consecutively, similar to the approach used for "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" or the two recent "Wicked" films. Responding on Threads, Gunn simply wrote "I can deny," closing off the speculation.
- James Gunn denies Batman sequels will film back-to-back.
- "The Batman Part II" is now delayed to 18 February 2028.
- Fans feared a long wait before the trilogy's third film.
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Matt Reeves' "The Batman" series, starring Robert Pattinson, is a planned trilogy set apart from the wider DC film universe. The first film was released in 2022, and a sequel, "The Batman Part II," has been in development since, though its release date has shifted more than once. James Gunn now leads DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, overseeing the wider DC film and television slate, which puts him in a position to speak publicly on the franchise's plans.
The sequel's most recent delay, to February 2028, raised concerns among fans about how long they might then have to wait for a third and final film to close out the trilogy, given how much time separates the two so far. This led to online speculation that the second and third films might be shot together, one after another, a method other franchises have used to shorten the gap between releases.