WATCH: Matt Reeves confirms The Batman sequel in early development and discusses big and small screen plans

With The Batman finally only a week away here in the UK, director Matt Reeves and the cast are over in England for the UK premiere and are talking about the movie and the future of their corner of the DC Universe and it seems the future for Batman is, ironically, very bright,

In an interview (bottom of the page), Reeves discusses the upcoming HBO Max shows set in The Batman universe and teases that a sequel movie is already in early development: “You don’t make [movie] number one as if there’s going to be number two. You have to make number one as if you are swinging for the fences and it has to be a movie that stands and lives on its own.

“But I really believe in what we’ve done, and I’d be excited to tell more stories and we are already telling other stories in the screening space. We’re doing stuff on HBO Max, we’re doing a Penguin show with Colin [Farrell] which is going to be super cool, and we’re doing some other stuff too, but we have started talking about another movie. But right now, we’ll just put it out in the world. I’ll try to enjoy this.”

Reeves has previously discussed a potential sequel with Collider and has said that he would love to do Mr Freeze and bring him into this world, this Gotham and against this Batman: “In my view, I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything. So to me, it would be a challenge in an interesting way to try and figure out how that could happen, even the idea of something like Mr Freeze, that such a great story, right?

“I think there’s actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great. So, I love the fantastical side of Batman, but this iteration, obviously, while being, to me, I think it is very comics faithful, but I don’t think that this one is necessarily, it doesn’t lean as hard into the fantastical, I guess.

“But I think to me what would be interesting would be to try and unwind the fantastical and see, well, how could that make sense here? And so that’s kind of my view, how I see it.”

On returning for a sequel, Pattinson seems keen and has confirmed that yes, a trilogy is planned: “It was so fun doing it… I mean I’m down to do it as many times as people want to see me, really. We’ve got to get this one out first. I’ve talked to Matt about the idea of doing a trilogy, and that would be wonderful. I really, really enjoyed the process. It’s such a fun character to play. It would be lovely.”

With rumours being that this movie, much like Batman Begins, will set up Joker for a sequel with Eternals star Barry Keoghan playing him (here), it looks like Warner Bros/DC are set on building a full Gotham here and in the main DCEU.

But are they planning on going bigger than Gotham? Could they be looking at establishing a whole other DC Universe? It certainly seems like something that has been discussed: “We’ve talked a little bit about Superman in this world. Me and Matt, yeah, we think it’d be fun. I read some of the Earth-2 comics, like the new ones, and I really like the Val-Zod character.”

Val-zod, left, is the DC Universe’s black Superman and is currently being developed as a HBO Max series by Michael B Jordan (who may also star) but could they be linked?

Well, maybe not as Pattinson doesn’t seem to believe that Superman’s power should exist in this version of the DC Universe: “I love the idea of trying to figure out how make… We’ve been talking about how to get the fantastical elements because Matt’s world, his take on it is so grounded, and I’m thinking like, ‘How can you add…?’ Like, we were talking the other day, like, ‘Can you add Superman into it but he just doesn’t have any powers? He’s just a guy in a cape?'” Pattinson said.

“He’s just like, ‘I’m Superman!’ And they’re like, ‘So?'”

Let’s not forget that the official prequel novel, Before The Batman, we find out that Lex Luthor does exist in this world and where there’s a Lex, there’s a Superman.

There also were rumours a while back that Pattinson wanted a Batman and Superman – not a versus movie – and that we may actually see the long-rumoured Superfriends movie we’ve heard about for years… is this true? Who knows, but with Pattinson being a younger Batman and with a planned trilogy and spin-off shows coming, there’s no question that we could well see another, massive DC universe in the very near future.

On this incarnation of Batman, Pattinson said: “There is this rule with Batman: he must not kill. It can be interpreted in two ways. Either he only wants to inflict the appropriate punishment, or he wants to kill and his self-control prevents him from doing so.

“I imagined it that way from the rehearsal of the first fight, I thought it was funnier: something in him just wanted to slit the guy’s throat! I told myself that if he spends his nights chasing criminals, it is impossible that he doesn’t take pleasure in it.”

The no killing rule has been loosely played with in previous Batman movies, so it’ll be interesting to see if Reeves and Pattinson’s Batman sticks to the oath Bruce Wayne made his parents on the night he decided to become the Dark Knight… I sure hope he does.

Check out Reeves’ comments on a possible sequel and the spin-offs here:

So Matt is already planning out the sequel for #TheBatman pic.twitter.com/22pkbxh89p

— VENGEANCE🦇 (@Bat_Source) February 23, 2022

Check out Micheal Giacchino’s awesome theme for the movie while you’re here:

Checkout the full (so far) playlist here.

​From Warner Bros. Pictures comes the biggest film of the year: Director/Co-writer/Producer Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City.  With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.

When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano).  As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City. 

Starring alongside Robert Pattinson (“Tenet,” “The Lighthouse”) as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (“Big Little Lies,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”); Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy,” “12 Years a Slave”); Jeffrey Wright (“No Time to Die,” “Westworld”); John Turturro (the “Transformers” films, “The Plot Against America”); Peter Sarsgaard (“The Magnificent Seven,” “Interrogation”) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson (“Farewell Amor”) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the “Planet of the Apes” films, “Black Panther”); and Colin Farrell (“The Gentlemen,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”).

Reeves (“The Planet of the Apes” franchise) directed from a screenplay by Reeves & Peter Craig, based on characters from DC.  Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger.  Dylan Clark (the “Planet of the Apes” films) and Reeves produced the film, with Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo and Simon Emanuel serving as executive producers.  

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Dune,” “Lion”); Reeves’ “Planet of the Apes” production designer, James Chinlund, and editor, William Hoy; editor Tyler Nelson (“Rememory”); and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“1917,” “Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”).  The music is by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (the current “Spider-Man,” “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars” films, “Up”).

A Matt Reeves Film, watch “The Batman” In Cinemas March 4.