Following critical acclaim and box office success forThe Batmanin 2022, director Matt Reeves has embarked on the quest to find talent for the film’s sequel. ThoughBatman Part IIis still in its early stages of production, Robert Pattinson’s Batman might be on the verge of finding his newest rival.
Reeves’The Batmanfollowed the titular character two years after he started fighting crime in Gotham City, where he uncovered corruption while fightingPaul Dano’s The Riddler— a serial killer who targets the elite. Earlier this year, co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn, confirmed the film’s sequel and revealed it would be released in October 2025. This version of The Dark Knight is not part of the new DC Universe. Instead, it is part of what Gunn calls “DC Elseworlds,” a series of projects that deviates from the published standard DC Comics.

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AsThe Batman 2heads into its pre-production stages, more cast details are slowly being revealed. The latest is a potential lead on who will face The Dark Knight. There’s no confirmation yet on whom the villain will be, but according toThe Hot Mic, rumors suggest bothClayface and Two-Face could fulfill that position. Such rumors come after the first installment ofThe Batmanwas supposed to have two villains, The Riddler and Joker. While it remains to be seen, actors Josh Hartnett and Joel Edgerton are reportedly in the running to play Two-Face inThe Batman 2. According to John Rocha, Gotham’s new District Attorney “may become Two-Face by the end of the film.”
Hartnett has been known to turn down the opportunity to play Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man before the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes were conceived. Recently, he starred inGuy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune: Russe de Guerreand will be soon seen as American Physicist Ernest Lawrencein Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimer. Meanwhile, Edgerton appeared in theStar Warslimited seriesObi-Wan Kenobias the young version of Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen.
Reeves' Batman reimagining serves as a breath of fresh air for DC Studios, a company whose main cinematic universe, the DCEU, has been constantly involved in numerous controversies and ravaged by negative critics. Most recently, the upcomingFlashfilm has battled negative press amid the problematic history of its main star, Ezra Miller. Nonetheless, James Gunn’s increased involvement in the studio— which has resulted in better-received content from fans,as seen withThe Suicide Squad— coupled with the already established fandom ofThe Batman, could result in a major win and comeback for the film adaptations of the emblematic comics.
The Batman Part IIwill debut in theaters on July 05, 2025.
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Source:The Hot Mic With Jeff Snider and John Rocha