Robert Pattinson says The Batman: Part II departs sharply from its predecessor, calling Matt Reeves’ sequel ambitious and dense at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Speaking to Collider, Pattinson said the first film offered a different take on Batman and the follow-up shifts again. “It’s a real left turn from the first one,” he said, adding that it still keeps something of the original’s feel. He described Reeves’ script as intricate enough that he sometimes struggled to hold all of it in his head, and praised the director for plainly having the entire story worked out already.
Audiences have waited a long time for it. Warner Bros. originally scheduled the film for October 2025, then moved it to October 2026 after the 2023 Hollywood strikes, and later to October 2027. In July, the studio pushed it again, to Feb. 18, 2028. That slot gives the film Presidents Day weekend, the same launch window Black Panther used in 2018. It lands almost six years after the first film opened in March 2022 and grossed $773 million.
Reeves marked the July announcement by releasing camera-test footage of Pattinson in costume as snow falls, which suggests a winter setting. Reports said the extra time would also allow an IMAX 70mm rollout. J.J. Abrams’ The Great Beyond took over the vacated October 2027 date.
Reeves has confirmed several returning castmembers: Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Jayme Lawson and Gil Perez-Abraham. Newcomers include Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson and Charles Dance, plus Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch. Warner Bros. has not confirmed any of their roles, and speculation about Harvey Dent and other characters remains unverified. Erik Messerschmidt has replaced Greig Fraser as cinematographer, according to industry reports, and production is reportedly underway.
The film sits under the DC Elseworlds label, separate from the shared universe James Gunn and Peter Safran oversee. A third film is planned to complete Reeves’ trilogy.
