Matt Reeves Says THE BATMAN II Is A Bruce Wayne Story; Will Feature A Villain That's "Never Really Been Done"

Matt Reeves Says THE BATMAN II Is A Bruce Wayne Story; Will Feature A Villain That's "Never Really Been Done"

Filmmaker Matt Reeves has revealed new details about his plans for The Batman Part II, teasing a very personal Bruce Wayne story and a villain who hasn't been seen on screen before. Read on for details...

By JoshWilding - Sep 18, 2025 05:09 AM EST
Filed Under: The Batman

The Batman Part II is slated to begin production next April, and writer/director Matt Reeves has now shed new light on his and co-writer Mattson Tomlin's plans for Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader.

Talking to Josh Horowitz at the Emmys last Sunday, Reeves revealed that The Batman sequel will be a Bruce Wayne story. As for the villain, it seems they'll have close ties to the billionaire, with the filmmaker strongly hinting they will be connected to Bruce's past. 

Interestingly, Reeves also said that the villain is one that's "never really been done in a movie before" (lending a lot of weight to those Hush theories). 

"Well, it's funny, because I had a lot of ideas, and then Mattson Tomlin, who is my writing partner, we began the process of this by doing another deep dive into the comics, exploring the ideas that I'd had, and he gave me some of the ideas he'd had," he shared. "We sat together and watched a lot of movies, honestly. Not all movies are from the realm of Gotham."

"Just to explore where this story...I knew with the way [The Batman] ended, it was leaving us on the precipice. Also, the way events happen in [The Penguin]," Reeves continued. "There is an exploration to be had, and one of the explorations for me was to do something that pushes even further into the character of Bruce Wayne."

"The first story is so much about The Batman. I always wanted in the movies, and let's say we get to make three—I have no idea—that I always wanted the movies to be focused on his character. A lot of the other films, which I love, once you get past the origin tale, then you start telling the rogues' gallery story and that character's arc.

I never wanted to lose Rob at the centre of these stories, so that is what we really set our aim on." he added, "Picking the right villain that digs into what that does and goes into his past and his life, that was what drove that discussion. We're super excited about it, and I will say, it's never really been done in a movie before."

There were Easter Eggs in The Batman pointing to Hush being Part II's villain, though The Court of Owls also fit the bill. It's about time we see someone other than The Joker, Two-Face, or The Riddler on screen, so Reeves' plans to shake things up will be welcomed. 

While production isn't set to begin on The Batman Part II until next year, chances are we'll start getting casting news in the coming months. Whether that will reveal who is playing who is another matter, of course, as we're still over two years away from seeing this movie in theaters.

The Batman Part II is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2027.

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HumanRubiksCube
HumanRubiksCube - 9/18/2025, 5:36 AM
gotta be hush
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 9/18/2025, 5:38 AM
Gunn made them do Condiment King.

/s
Deadinside
Deadinside - 9/18/2025, 8:57 AM
@UltimaRex -
Ooh, I relish the idea...! ☮️😉
RolandD
RolandD - 9/18/2025, 2:00 PM
@Deadinside - I’m not sure he could cut the mustard with that villain, especially with how long this process has been. Reeves has to catchup.
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 9/18/2025, 2:40 PM
@RolandD - Whats the big dill? With all the thyme Reeves has put into this movie, this villain will surely be seasoned for the sequel.
CaptainFlapjaks
CaptainFlapjaks - 9/18/2025, 4:37 PM
@UltimaRex - i wouldnt put it past gunn to put him in thr dcu. Its a gunn character through and through. But with reeves, he has an opportunity to really make him terrifying. Like with how he turned riddler into the zodiac killer, he could have condiment king be a chemical terrorist. Mustard gas, a ketchup like acid that causes burns. Relish like compound for explosives.
RolandD
RolandD - 9/18/2025, 8:50 PM
@Lucasberg - That’s a pretty saucy comment. Who knows if this movie is going to be a bomb or successful. If it’s the former Reeves might find his career peppered with insults. If it’s the ladder, he’s going to be in the gravy.
RolandD
RolandD - 9/18/2025, 8:52 PM
@Lucasberg - User Comment Image
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 9/18/2025, 11:02 PM
@RolandD - lolololol
MisterBones
MisterBones - 9/18/2025, 5:42 AM
Court of Owls or Hush. Reeves could make Hush work by virtue of being a better writer than Loeb.
Batarangtosser
Batarangtosser - 9/18/2025, 5:45 AM
Since it’s a Bruce Wayne story I’m hoping for Hugo Strange. Hush would be cool too. Hell, both would be nice.
RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 9/18/2025, 5:53 AM
Hush and Hugo Strange, just like we had The Riddler and The Penguin in the first one.
Now it seem some personal and mental situation, so those two fits.
Spike101
Spike101 - 9/18/2025, 6:09 AM
Hugo Strange or the Court of Owls but only if done correctly and not like the weirdo version of the Riddler he gave us.
SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 9/18/2025, 6:11 AM
Just please don't make it another nearly 3-hour long slog like the first BATMAN.

By the time the credits finally rolled on that one, I felt like I had just binge-watched an entire mini-series. 🙄
Thing94
Thing94 - 9/18/2025, 6:58 AM
Hush who was basically the Riddler in the first one, ugh
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/18/2025, 10:30 AM
@Thing94 - would be extremely disappointing if he goes Hush
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2025, 7:09 AM
Given the comments about the villain going into Bruce’s past & life while also never really being done on screen , it makes go to either Hush or Hugo Strange (I guess Court of Owls could work too but it seems to be a person rather then group unless he uses Lincoln March).

I honestly hope it’s the latter moreso then the former because elements of Hush I felt were already in Reeve’s Riddler unless he really reimagines the character while someone like Hugo Strange could give a cool psychological edge to the film…

Have Bruce try to look more into his mothers mental illness and whether it’s been passed down to him or not which puts him in the doctor’s crosshairs which could be fun imo!!.

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Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 9/18/2025, 7:10 AM
I hope its not Hush
BruceWayng
BruceWayng - 9/18/2025, 7:33 AM
I know I’m in the minority but I really hope it’s not Hush or Court of Owls. Both storylines are OK but a bit more overhyped imo. Plus they would feel too similar to the first film(mysterious masked man in a long coat who is tied to Bruce’s past, running around Gotham exposing this secret underground world of elites who are pulling the strings behind the scenes).

He does kept mentioning that Bruce will feature more in this story so hopefully we get to see the “playboy billionaire” persona in this one and maybe even see how Bruce first develops that character to help in his “Gotham Project”
IronDean2099
IronDean2099 - 9/18/2025, 7:35 AM
They kinda half burned the Hush story already with how they handled the Riddler. Court of Owls would be a better bet.
J0HNS0N
J0HNS0N - 9/18/2025, 10:44 AM
@IronDean2099 - Yeah, they could do a bigger version of that story with Hush and Riddler that brings everything full circle, but not as the movie immediately following the first.
MaximusTheMad
MaximusTheMad - 9/18/2025, 7:51 AM
Either Hugo Strange or Mr Freeze.

I think it might be an employee at Wayne Enterprises.

Nolanite
Nolanite - 9/18/2025, 8:24 AM
Plot twist, Alfred is going to be the new villain.

Nolanite out
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 9/18/2025, 6:25 PM
@Nolanite - The Outsider.
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User Comment Image
Joker666
Joker666 - 9/18/2025, 8:32 AM
Clearly it’s going to be Kiteman!
Deadinside
Deadinside - 9/18/2025, 11:07 AM
@Joker666 -

👍 HELL, YEAH...! ☮️😉
RolandD
RolandD - 9/18/2025, 2:02 PM
@Deadinside - That idea’s not going to fly.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 9/18/2025, 8:51 AM
Hush
Court of Owls
Dr. Strange
Alfred

It'll be one of these 4 options.
SATW42
SATW42 - 9/18/2025, 9:00 AM
You guys aren't thinking creatively enough.

The court of owls is a possibility but if they go that root they could go Lincoln Marsh who claims to be Bruce's brother.

A Bruce story with ties to his past? Calendar man? Fits into the world and the name is simply given by the press not by the man himself like a cartoonish villain.

The architect could tie into Bruce's past by once again exploring the gross underbelly of Gotham.

There was even a 3 issue crossover run in the 90s that was very much a detective story (and coincedentally the first time I got into comics because I was more of a baseball card kid) The Destroyer. The story focuses on gotham's archtecture and the destroyer goes after buildings that have historical meaning to gotham, most of them built by the waynes. Similar to the architect.



TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2025, 9:34 AM
@SATW42 - the Architect?

Gates of Gotham was a fun story so I wouldn’t mind that even though it seems unlikely.

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SATW42
SATW42 - 9/18/2025, 9:10 AM
I feel like I bring up the Destroyer at least once a year. Ya'll should look into it if you aren't familiar. It's not the easiest to get because it was never rereleased or collected, but it's cheap

Batman #474

Detective Comics #641

Legends of the Dark Knight #27
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 9/18/2025, 9:47 AM
It’s a weird way to say it. Either it has been done in a movie before or it hasn’t
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2025, 9:53 AM
@CerealKiller1 - it could be that others have used elements of that character but never the character themselves?.

Anyway yeah it’s kind of a weird way to say it because it also makes it seem he’s not really talking about the villain but the story they are telling has not really been done in a movie before so we’ll see.
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 9/18/2025, 9:56 AM
@TheVisionary25 - Quite possibly, although I’m struggling to think of which movie villains we’ve had that aren’t more or less what the character is supposed to be
MrDandy
MrDandy - 9/18/2025, 10:23 AM
@CerealKiller1 - Victor Zsasz was in Batman Begin but was never a focus.
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 9/18/2025, 11:53 AM
@MrDandy - That’s actually a really good shout
PatchesOhulihan
PatchesOhulihan - 9/18/2025, 2:05 PM
@CerealKiller1 - Maybe the Villain was featured in one of the DC Animated movies?
RolandD
RolandD - 9/18/2025, 2:05 PM
@MrDandy - It would be easy to not even know that was who he was.
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 9/18/2025, 2:10 PM
@PatchesOhulihan - Another good shout, definitely could see his wording fitting with the animated movies not being theatrical/not always Batman centric
J0HNS0N
J0HNS0N - 9/18/2025, 10:36 AM
I think the wording, never REALLY been done implies it's likely an older character that hasn't been fully realized in a movie. If it was Hush, Court of Owls, or any other newish character like that he would have just said 'never been done'.
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