5 Things We Need To See In The Batman 2

On June 27, Matt Reeves announced to comic book movie fans that he had finished the script for "The Batman II" and sent it to James Gunn, who quickly confirmed it was a "great" read without revealing too much. The details of the second chapter in Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight story remain unknown, and we can only speculate about what's to come until filming starts in 2026, with a planned release date of October 1, 2027. Despite all this secrecy, though, that isn't stopping us from predicting and, quite frankly, praying for what's next when Gotham's hero returns to action.

It's already clear that audiences are going to eat up whatever Reeves has in store after such a successful first run at the Caped Crusader and the thrilling detective story he'd put together back in 2022. Even so, that still doesn't stop a Bat fan from dreaming what could be and with that come a selection of winning elements that could not only put it further apart from the Bat-based movies that have come before, but make "The Batman II" the standout sequel that it has every chance to be, and what fans hope it has every possibility to become. It will hardly be a surprise to see the same depth and darkness swooping over the world Reeves dropped us in last time, but we hope there are a few new additions and essential improvements, beginning with the daring do-gooder that's taking up the mantle in the first place.

As one of the few fans who wasn't fully on board with Matt Reeves' initial run-in with the world's greatest detective, one thing that dampened the new take of the Bat for me was the man hidden underneath the cowl. Pattinson's Wayne was a drab, dour recluse who, if anything, highlighted the likelihood he was Batman more than anyone in Gotham City. It might be difficult, given the "Se7en"- like landscape Reeves laid out with "The Batman," but Mr. Wayne really does need to lighten up, and there are plenty of previous films that prove Pattinson is capable of doing so — like his recent turn in Bong Joon Ho's "Mickey 17." 

His performance in "Tenet" was the sweet spot of what his take on the son of Thomas and Martha Wayne could really be. Charming, perky, and upbeat in public before switching back to the character we know him to be. That kind of character combo was everything that Bruce required to throw the rest of Gotham off the scent of his true nature and go places that Batman can't. In doing so, it also opens the door to reveal the machinations to the city that have kept it in the state it's been in for so long, particularly if Reeves considers tackling certain villains that are higher up than most (more on them later). More importantly, though, after spending a whole film seeing Bruce Wayne handle two years of being the Bat, it'd be interesting to see him try and just be the man for a change, too.

It was only near the end of "The Batman" that we started seeing bridges on the verge of being rebuilt between Bruce and longtime guardian, Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), even if it took an assassination attempt to do it. For most of Reeves' movie, there was a coldness between the two that really highlighted just how isolated Bruce was choosing to be in his mission of taking down The Riddler, which thankfully he got over before the credits rolled. Now that the situation has been addressed, can we please see Bruce and Alfred on the same page to dive into what is such a key component of Batman lore and what makes him the hero we love to see?

If you think back to Nolan's trilogy, particularly, some of the greatest moments in those films are Michael Caine's Alfred providing pearls of wisdom and love for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne, which makes that final look across coffee tables so emotional. That's the kind of connection we need to see for our new Dark Knight and the dedicated butler and father figure that watches him leave every night to beat bad guys, and fearing he might never come back. You can listen to rumors of a new Boy Wonder joining the fold all you like, but that's a partnership that's not worth thinking about until this one gets sorted first.

Like the man with the pointy ears said in the film's final moments, this city is underwater, and with it comes the requirement for the Dark Knight to use a different mode of transportation to get around the partly submerged spot of land he's sworn to protect. Now, while we certainly wouldn't turn our nose up at the prospect of seeing Pattinson's Batman driving across rooftops in what is one of the best Batmobiles ever, there have been times in a variety of different mediums where our hero has had to get his cape wet and had his own extra special Batboat to do it.

It might seem a bit too extravagant for the universe that has been established in the 2022 film, but if there are still certain areas of Gotham that are still in disrepair and flooded from Riddler's actions, then it's the only sensible thing for Batman to have the correct kind of transport to get around in them. It doesn't even need to be a boat; give Bruce some fancy SCUBA gear, a Batsub, or even splash some cash on a brand new stealthy brute of a Batplane. Every Batman movie, particularly if it's a sequel, always gives our hero an upgrade to get around in, so please do it here. Just make sure it's as terrifying as Bruce's first set of wheels were when he chased down The Penguin last time around.

Since Tim Burton shook the camp off the Caped Crusader, we've had nine films that saw the Dark Knight facing off a variety of costumed foes, sometimes at the same time. We've had pairs of The Riddler, Bane, and Two-Face, as well as three different versions of both the Joker and Catwoman. Not to dunk on any of those performances, but Gotham City is a big place, and there are more villains than just cat burglars and fractured former lawyers for Bats to fight. In fact, we'd dare say that some of them have the chance to strike an equal amount of fear in audiences, if not more, and some have never had time on the big screen in live-action before.

Bring in Professor Pyg, the psychopathic surgeon who hates the rich but loves mutilating them with his "expert" transformations, or Hush, the super-smart and masked foe that would force Bruce into an even deeper dive into his family history than the one we saw him take in the first film. Alternatively, there's also Robert Pattinson's dream pick, the super mysterious and equally elusive Court of Owls. In the comics, this secret order has manipulated Batman's city since its founding, which would fit into the bleak and brutal Gotham that Reeves introduced us to last time. Ultimately, Batman has a gallery of rogues to choose from. Let's get to know more of them before they send in the clown.

Whatever plans Warner Bros might have for Barry Keoghan's Joker, no matter how big they may be, one of the bravest and boldest things they could do is hold him off for another film. Look, we know Keoghan has the acting chops to take on the Clown Prince of Crime, and that he'll deliver when he finally shares the screen with Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight properly. In the meantime, though, can we not have him battle against the other wrongdoers that Gotham has to offer before he has a rematch against the man that will forever take the top spot of the Bat's arch-nemesis?

To throw Keoghan into the next chapter feels predictable and like a by-the-book Batman movie routine that doesn't need to be implemented here. Comparisons between "The Batman 2" and "The Dark Knight" will be bad enough whenever these versions of the characters finally cross paths, without it being in the second chapter of Reeves' stories. If anything, it would be great to see The Joker as the villain observing and perhaps even operating from the inside of his cell at Arkham, watching the man that put him there struggle with whatever villain is coming at him before he manages to break free. 

The most important thing about a joke is the setup, so let's just hope this one plays out at a decent pace before we get to the punchline, right?