With news that The Batman 2 is delayed to October 2027, speculation is in overdrive on the internet regarding the future of the Matt Reeves interpretation of this crime-fighter. Even given how long Reeves took on crafting the first The Batman, the endless delays to The Batman 2 are very odd. The peculiarity is only exacerbated with the burgeoning DC Universe which, thanks to September 2026’s Clayface, now has its own vision of Gotham City and its inhabitants in the pipeline. Clearly, there are a lot of problems on the horizon for this 2020s take on Batman.
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Given the endless turmoil plaguing The Batman 2 and the increasingly prominent DC Universe, one can’t help but ask an inevitable question: Is this it? Is James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios preparing to quietly end Reeves’ Batman saga? Are ceaseless delays a precursor to just outright canning Robert Pattinson’s Batman? Even though it’s a loaded query, it’s also a worthwhile one considering the unique circumstances currently surrounding Batman and all live-action movie adaptations of DC Comics characters.
Where Will DC Studios Be In 2027?
The Batman 2 is currently penciled in for an October 2027 release date. By that point, DC Studios will have put out at least three DC Universe movies into theaters. There will also have been multiple seasons of television in this shared universe. The critical and financial response to Superman will determine everything about the DC Universe’s longevity. However, ideally, this saga will be rocking and rolling by 2027. That status quo will include a theatrical feature, Clayface, firmly rooted in Batman lore. By then, how will The Batman 2 register in this marketplace? Will audiences be confused by a project firmly divorced from the DC Universe?
There could be inevitable confusion over The Batman 2’s continuity standing once 2027 hits and audiences have grown accustomed to DC Studios projects sharing the same silver screen landscape. Avoiding that chaos alone could be enough to get DC Studios to put the Matt Reeves version of Batman on a shelf. Preceding that devastating development with ceaseless delays, meanwhile, could dilute the sting of The Batman 2 eventually fizzling out. The news won’t be as surprising as it would’ve been in, say, summer 2022.
Plus, this postponement allows DC Studios and Warner Bros. executives alike a chance to assess how Superman does in July 2025. The Batman 2 can be a backup option for how to adapt DC characters on the big screen if the inaugural DC Universe movie flops. If Superman excels, meanwhile, there’s plenty of time now (thanks to the 2027 delay) to shelve The Batman 2 before cameras start rolling. These are all compelling concepts even before getting into the Elseworlds of it all.
Gunn has previously openly said that future theatrical movie adaptations of DC characters outside of the DC Universe (like Joker or The Batman) could still happen. They’ll just exist under the Elseworlds label. As of this writing, though, Constantine 2 and The Batman 2 are the only upcoming theatrical Elseworlds projects in development. DC Studios isn’t making these disconnected productions a priority for the time being. This general disinterest doesn’t bode well for The Batman 2’s long-term chances for survival.
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Only Time Will Tell How DC Studios Handles The Batman
There is one key problem, though, with the idea that DC Studios is plotting a long-term plan to quietly end The Batman 2 and further follow-ups. That problem is, simply put, everything related to DC Comics adaptations changes on a day-to-day basis. Clayface wasn’t part of the DC Universe’s ambitions until it suddenly was. Dwayne Johnson was all set to “change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe forever” until audiences actually saw Black Adam. Solo Batman movie The Brave and the Bold was a critical part of the initial wave of DC Universe features, but was recently announced as being postponed.
Perhaps DC Studios is concocting an elaborate plan to quietly phase out The Batman in favor of just DC Universe motion pictures. However, the erratic unpredictability of what DC projects are a priority (not to mention recent news about a second Penguin season looking more likely) dilutes the probability of this prospect. James Gunn publicly defending The Batman 2’s delay and constantly emphasizing his correspondence with Reeves also suggests he and Safran aren’t hostile to the concept of this Batman saga existing simultaneously with the DC Universe.
The tortured development path of The Batman 2 is a microcosm of 2020s DC Comics cinema. Both have been plagued by endless uncertainty, delays, and constant creative changes. Trying to predict the future on either one has proven to be a fool’s errand up to this point. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon. There are certainly elements at play with DC Studios that suggest this entity could be quietly phasing out The Batman. However, everything related to DC media has been so unreliable as of late. It’d be foolhardy to fully predict how DC Studios does or doesn’t feel about the long-term viability of The Batman at this juncture.
