Robert Pattinson's The Batman 2 Rumored to Bring Back Major Villains

By Richard Nebens Updated:
The Batman, Robert Pattinson

As Robert Pattinson prepares for his second run as Bruce Wayne in The Batman - Part 2, two of the villains from his first movie are set for a comeback in the DC Elseworlds sequel.

As DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran continue to develop their Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters slate for the new DCU, The Batman 2 will serve as one of the Elseworlds-style stories that will continue outside of the DCU canon.

Bringing back director Matt Reeves and Alfred Pennyworth star Andy Serkis, this sequel has a number of different storylines it can tackle after the three-hour behemoth of a journey that was laid out in 2022's The Batman

And while the cast for this movie is still coming together, especially with Barry Keoghan's Joker lurking in the wings, a couple of the original movie's villains appear set for an exciting return to come in 2025.

The Batman's Original Villains Reportedly Back for Sequel

Penguin and The Riddler in The Batman movie
DC

Insider Daniel Richtman reported on his Patreon page that Paul Dano and Colin Farrell are set to reprise their roles as the Riddler and the Penguin, respectively, for Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part 2.

Should this rumor prove to be true, they'll be the fourth confirmed members of the cast after Robert Pattinson's Batman and Andy Serkis' Alfred Pennyworth.

How Will The Batman - Part 2 Continue Villains' Stories?

Seeing the Penguin and the Riddler come back for The Batman 2 is certainly an exciting prospect, especially since both of them were left alive and well(ish) at the end of the original movie.

While Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot watched Gotham flood as a free man, the Riddler is currently stuck in Arkham Asylum, with his cellmate being none other than Barry Keoghan's Joker.

In October 2022, Paul Dano noted that he would "probably be there" if he were asked to reprise his role in the sequel, which should make for some exciting prospects for his character as Edward Nashton seeks revenge on Bruce Wayne.

Farrell is also already busy working on his own HBO Max show, The Penguin, which will reveal more of his rise to power before he moves into his return to glory for the next Batman solo movie.

Now, the big question that remains is how big both of their roles will be in Matt Reeves' highly-anticipated sequel, especially with Gotham now in complete chaos thanks to the flood that has the city underwater.

And with almost a dozen potential new villains that could take the spotlight against the Caped Crusader, Robert Pattinson's hero appears to be in for a hell of a ride once more.

The Batman - Part 2 will begin production in November ahead of its October 5, 2025 release date.

- In This Article: The Batman - Part ||
Release Date
October 03, 2025
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.