James Gunn Defends Robert Pattinson's Batman 2 Release Decision

DC Studios CEO James Gunn defended the release date for Robert Pattinson's The Batman Part 2.

After years of anticipation, Matt Reeves' The Batman proved to be an instant hit with audiences, quickly leading to plans for sequels and spin-offs. But when James Gunn and Peter Safran entered the fray to shake up DC and plan out a new slate, many were concerned about what that meant for Pattinson's Batman.

The Batman universe is now officially placed to co-exist separately from the new DCU as one of the few Elseworlds projects moving forward. Part 2 is set to begin filming later this year ahead of a theatrical release in October 2025, just three months after Gunn's own Superman: Legacy.

DCU Boss Defends The Batman 2 Release

DC Studios CEO James Gunn responded to a fan on Twitter who shared their concern that he could end up becoming overly involved in Matt Reeves' The Batman 2 along with inaccurate information about how the sequel's production plan is pushing its release further away than necessary.

Gunn questioned the accuracy of their information before explaining The Batman sequel is "coming out as early as it possibly can" while allowing Reeves proper time to "make it as great as possible:"

"I'm not sure where you're getting your production dates, but Batman 2 is coming out as early as it possibly can, with enough time for Matt to do what he needs to do to make it as great as possible."

Previously, both Gunn and co-CEO of DC Studios, Peter Safran expressed their excitement for The Batman Part II, as well as their hopes for the movie to succeed. Gunn told DC.com that Reeves has "amazing stuff" in store for the sequel:

"Matt is working on The Batman – Part II, which he thinks of as a Batman crime saga that also includes the Penguin TV series. The Batman is its own thing. Matt’s hard at work on it. He came in and pitched us some amazing stuff the other day, so our plan is for that to continue."

Safran chimed in by mentioning that they are "fully invested in the success of The Batman just like we are everything else" under DC Studios.

Gunn also acknowledged the release timetable of The Batman Part II, noting that it will release in a manner that will not interfere with the DCU's own Batman-centric film, The Brave and the Bold:

"Everything’s going to be balanced so The Brave and the Bold is not going to be coming out in the same six month period as The Batman."

According to executive producer Michael Uslan, The Batman 2 is planned to begin production this November, just under two years ahead of its October 2025 release.

The first entry in The Batman franchise filmed from January 2020 to March 2021, having been forced to contend with multiple shutdowns due to COVID-19. This gave the team around a year to complete the post-production and conduct reshoots in July 2021 ahead of its March 2022 release.

Reeves and company have seemingly laid out a similar plan for the sequel, allowing around two years to shoot the movie and complete post-production, although this time there shouldn't be a global pandemic to contend with.

Why James Gunn Won’t Interfere With the Batman 2

With Gunn and Safran leading DC Studios, they obviously have purview over any and all DC adaptations. But that doesn't mean they will be looking to get involved in things that are already working like The Batman and Joker franchises, their job is primarily to fix what's broken, and right now, that is the main DCEU.

As HBO Max's The Penguin and The Batman 2 are pushing ahead, Reeves is clearly still being allowed to continue with his plans for Robert Pattinson's Gotham. In October, just weeks before Gunn and Safran's takeover, that plan seemed to include three Batman villain spin-off movies and two HBO Max series.

Nonetheless, that doesn't mean both Gunn and Reeves won't end up having some influence over each other's Batman plans. After all, Brave and the Bold could release as soon as 2026, under a year after The Batman 2, and it's of no benefit to either party if the two movies have the same villains or overlapping plot points.

Many are worried that Gunn will end up taking over Reeves' franchise and taint what the filmmaker intended to build. However, if that truly was his goal, then he would probably be taking Pattinson as the DCU's Batman and building out his universe within the same world that Reeves started with The Batman.

Early on in the DC Studios era, a report claimed Pattinson's Batman was being eyed for the new Justice League. Although, just as he always is with fake news, Gunn was quick to shut down those reports as bogus.

Obviously, some fans are disappointed they have to wait until October 2025 to see The Batman's story continue, especially as the first movie has already turned one year old this month. But next year will bring the seemingly R-rated Penguin spin-off to fill the void while Reeves works to ensure The Batman 2 lives up to the original.

The Batman Part 2 hits theaters on October 3, 2025.