James Gunn Shuts Down the Batman: Part II Rumor Fans Wanted to Be True

The Batman fans just got a disappointing update from DC Studios co-head James Gunn. Of course, that doesn’t mean Matt Reeves’ next venture through Gotham City is any further away.

Per a recent confirmation on Threads, James Gunn has officially shut down the rumor that The Batman: Part II was being produced alongside and filmed back-to-back with The Batman: Part III. In response to the rumor, Gunn simply stated, “I can deny.”

Why Fans Are So Excited About Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II

The Batman with Batmobile — Robert Pattinson as Batman with the Batmobile in 2022’s *The Batman*

The long-awaited follow-up to The Batman, which was released back in 2022, The Batman: Part II will mark the return of Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne alongside fellow original stars Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, better known as the Penguin. The Batman: Part II will also feature the debuts of Sebastian Stan as Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, and Scarlett Johansson, reportedly as Gilda Dent, Harvey’s loving wife who just so happens to also be the brazen serial killer known as Holiday.

Like the first film in the series, The Batman: Part II will be directed by Matt Reeves, this time from a screenplay co-written alongside Mattson Tomlin. After numerous delays, The Batman: Part II has officially cemented a Feb. 18, 2028 release date, with principal photography on the sequel currently underway.

A recently revealed set photo gave fans their best glimpse yet of the Batmobile from The Batman: Part II, although it appears largely unchanged from its appearance in The Batman. Like the Batmobile from the previous film, the version of the iconic vehicle seen on the set of The Batman: Part II looks to have been constructed from a Dodge Charger base, though there aren’t many details to be seen in the shadowy image in question.

What’s Next for Gotham City on the Silver Screen?

While The Batman: Part II is still more than a year-and-a-half away, audiences won’t have to wait that long before they can see another of Gotham City’s most iconic, or rather infamous, figures on the big screen. On October 23, Mike Flanagan’s hotly-anticipated Clayface story will finally make its way into theaters.

Directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Flanagan and Hossein Amini, which itself was based on a story Flanagan pitched years prior, Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen, a rising star actor whose career is cut short when he is disfigured in a brutal mob attack. When Hagen turns to fringe scientist Doctor Caitlin Corr (portrayed by Naomie Ackie) for help, he discovers that reclaiming his former self comes at a cost he could never possibly imagine.

Alongside Harries and Ackie, Clayface stars Max Minghella as Gotham City Police Detective John Borelli, who just so happens to be romantically involved with Doctor Corr. Clayface also features appearances from Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll, Joshua James, David Dencik, Wil Coban, Ruby Sear, and Francesca Corney, as well as Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul in what has been described as a “brief and minor role.”

The Batman: Part II is currently slated to arrive in theaters on Feb. 18, 2028.