Matt Reeves promises a focus on 'corruption' in The Batman: Part II

It's been a big week for DC fans. Joker: Folie à Deux premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and Matt Reeves, the director of The Batman, revealed some of his plans for the upcoming sequel.

Reeves gave fans one of the most grounded and gritty depictions of the Dark Knight to date, and it sounds like he plans on maintaining this tone for The Batman: Part II. He shed light on what fans can expect during a new interview with SFX Magazine. He also ruled out the possibility of seeing certain villains.

Reeves promises to deepen the themes of the first film

Fans who loved Reeves' first Batman film no doubt responded to its themes of corruption and societal delay. The film dove headfirst into the problems of Gotham, and the ways in which Batman must alter his approach if he is to affect true change. The Batman: Part II will honor this thread:

" The seeds of where this goes are all in the first movie. It expands in a way that will show you aspects of the character you never got to see."

Matt Reeves also told SFX that he will not featuring the villain Gentleman Ghost, despite the fact that fans have pushed for his inclusion. The director's rationale is that Ghost is too supernatural an entity to exist within the Gotham that he has created. It simply would clash with his vision.

Colin Farrell's Penguin will return in Part II

A villain who will be appearing, though is Oz Cobblepot aka the Penguin. The character was played memorably by Colin Farrell in the first film, but his role will expand greatly in The Batman: Part II. He will also have the benefit of having been the focus of the HBO series The Penguin in between the release of both films.

"Colin will be part of the movie," Reeves confirmed. "We’ve shared [the script] as we’ve been going along with DC and the studio and they’re super excited." The Batman: Part II may have a completed script, but it's going to be a while before fans to get to see the final product. The film is slated for release on October 2, 2026. It does, admittedly, sound worth the wait.