With filming on The Batman Part II underway, actor Jeffrey Wright, who will be returning as Jim Gordon, is offering up some insight into the tone for the highly anticipated sequel while also praising director Matt Reeves.
According to Wright, fans shouldn't expect a typical, paint-by-numbers superhero flick as Reeves is aiming for something closer to the gritty crime dramas of the character-driven '70s classics.
On The Batman Part 2 and Reeves, Wright commented, "I think [director] Matt Reeves’ interpretation of the franchise is really fresh, and rich in terms of the narrative, but also rich cinematically. I don’t think he views this as frivolous comic book stuff, but he views it as an opportunity to explore contemporary themes through a really dynamic medium that is the Batman franchise. He’s also a massive fan of the franchise, hugely enthusiastic about it, and it’s deeply meaningful for him."
He went on to add, "These films, the first one and now working on this one, are films from an era that he and I, because we’re of a certain age, just revere, and those are films of the American cinema of the ’70s – Sidney Lumet films and films that Dustin Hoffman would have been a part of, [Francis Ford] Coppola and [Martin] Scorsese. He’s trying to use all of those as touchstones in these films that might, in other hands, not have anything to do, cinematically, with that type of filmmaking."
Production on The Batman: Part II is officially underway, with director Matt Reeves taking to social media to confirm that principal photography began in London on June 12, 2026.
The sequel serves as the next chapter in Reeves's Batman Epic Crime Saga, which includes the 2022 film and the heavily lauded HBO Max spin-off series The Penguin. The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on October 1, 2027.
Returning cast members include Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as The Penguin.
The highly anticipated sequel has enlisted newcomers Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch. The sequel is expected to feature Two-Face, but the internet is currently split as to whether Stan or Tyree Henry is portraying the character.
For his part, director Matt Reeves is keeping his cards close to his chest as he's confirmed that these actors are on board, but has opted to keep their exact roles entirely under wraps.
The sequel will reportedly pick up right where the first film ended, with a now flooded Gotham City. The follow-up will also see Bruce Wayne grappling with the concept of whether he can do more good for Gotham as Bruce Wayne or Batman.