Matt Reeves’ The Batman received praise from both critics and audiences when it was released in 2022, and the film has continued to expand its fanbase and impact in the years since. The long-awaited sequel will arrive in 2028 with The Batman Part II, and when Batman returns to the big screen, there will be some new elements at play. Robert Pattinson has now teased them, including one major change from the original film.
The Batman Part II will feature Pattinson’s return as the Dark Knight, picking up in the winter as the city is still dealing with the destruction and chaos caused by the Riddler. While the story once again takes place in Gotham City, Pattinson revealed to Radio Times that the sequel features a much different look from the 2022 original.
“Even when I’m just looking at the playback on certain things, it looks different from the first one. It’s just amazing.”
If the entire film takes place during the winter, that will already change up the visual palette quite a bit. That doesn’t seem to be the only major change, as Pattinson describes the sequel’s script as a “radical retelling,” and the studio seems to be completely behind it.
“It’s a quite radical change with the script, and it’s cool. Warners are behind it and DC. I mean, it’s just crazy. It’s a really radical retelling… I think people are going to be excited by it.”
The first film already took some big swings in terms of storytelling and characters, especially with villains like Penguin and The Riddler. Going by Pattinson’s descriptions, The Batman Part II seems to be leaving the original film in the dust regarding those big swings, and adding to all that intrigue is the mystery around its cast.
A few roles are locked in, including Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as Penguin, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon. Other actors still have a level of uncertainty attached to their roles, including Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson. Stan is now expected to play Harvey Dent, who eventually becomes Two-Face, but he has also been rumored to play Victor Zsasz. Meanwhile, Johansson is currently expected to play Gilda Dent, but her role was previously rumored to be Andrea Beaumont or Poison Ivy.
The film experienced an unexpected setback when Reeves had to step away for personal reasons, but, thankfully, Steven Soderbergh stepped in to finish principal photography. That should keep the project on pace for its current release date, which is positive news given the film’s previous delays.
