Summary
- Batman's mission will be reshaped in The Batman Part II based on revelations from the first film and changes to Gotham's status quo.
- The Batman franchise will be a full trilogy, with spin-off shows helping to expand the new version of Gotham.
- The sequel, The Batman Part II, is expected to be bigger and better, with a more hopeful Batman, a more experienced Dark Knight, and a bigger rogues gallery.
Based on The Batman's ending and a handful of new insights, there are a few ways in which Robert Pattinson will be a different Dark Knight in The Batman Part II. Coming from director Matt Reeves, 2022's The Batman debuted as a new version of the Caped Crusader who's still in the early stages of his career as Gotham's protector. Now, it's expected that The Batman Part II will continue Bruce Wayne's evolution, reshaping his mission based on revelations made at the end of the first film along with significant changes to Gotham's status quo.
It's been confirmed that The Batman franchise will be a full trilogy. Likewise, spin-off shows such as the upcoming Penguin series starring Colin Farrell and an Arkham Asylum show in development will help flesh out this new version of Gotham as envisioned by Reeves. Existing as a separate "Elseworlds" universe isolated from the greater DCU, the franchise will have plenty of room for Batman and his city to evolve. Here are 10 ways in which Pattinson's Batman is expected to be different in The Batman Part II.
10 Pattinson's Batman Will Be A More Hopeful Symbol In The Batman 2
2022's The Batman was all about Bruce Wayne cementing himself in the eyes of Gotham's criminals as vengeance incarnate. Several characters like The Penguin even call him "Vengeance" as a means of showing they aren't afraid, mocking Pattinson's first line as Batman in the movie as that's what he called himself while beating a group of muggers. However, the ending of The Batman sees Bruce Wayne's realization that he has to become more for the people of Gotham. As a result, it's expected that Batman will be working to temper his vengeance against criminals by also being a symbol of hope for Gotham's innocents.
9 The Batman 2 Will Feature A More Experienced Dark Knight
While it's unknown if there will be a significant time jump or not for The Batman Part II, Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight will be more experienced nonetheless. If only by learning from his mistakes made in the first movie one would expect that Batman will have grown, working to improve his crusade and hone his skills. Likewise, perhaps Batman will start using more of the advantages that come from being Bruce Wayne in the next chapter.
8 Matt Reeves Confirms The Batman 2 Will Go Further
Matt Reeves has already made the claims in interviews that he wants to push further with the upcoming sequel to The Batman. This is a great sign, showing that the ambition to go beyond what's already been seen is quite present within Reeves's vision for his trilogy, something that's quite evident in his Planet of the Apes movies as well. As a result, it should be expected that The Batman Part II will be bigger and better than the first.
7 Falcone's Death Will Force Batman To Adapt His Crusade
Just like in the original comics, it was teased at the end of The Batman that the death of major crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) will change the very landscape of Gotham's criminal ecosystem. The established infrastructures of corruption and order Falcone maintained largely for the sake of his own power will likely be no more. It's also possible that Falcone's death will serve as the linchpin, opening the floodgates for more unhinged and chaotic criminals to debut in Gotham, many of whom belong to Batman's classic rogue gallery in the comics. As a result, Batman will likely have to develop new tactics.
6 Colin Farrell's Penguin Will Be A Much Bigger Threat To Batman
The biggest confirmed change to Gotham in the fallout of Falcone's demise will be the rise of Oswald Cobblepot. Having been Falcone's right-hand man, it was teased at the end of The Batman that the Penguin now sees an opportunity to take advantage of Gotham's new power vacuum. Penguin's rise will undoubtedly be covered in The Penguin series coming to HBO Max, but the teaser trailer has shown it won't be easy. Penguin will be contenting with Falcone's equally ambitious children, along with rumors that Pattinson's Batman will be making an appearance, having to deal with Cobblepot as a much bigger threat than he was in 2022's The Batman.
5 Pattinson's Batman Will Have A Bigger Rogues Gallery In The Batman 2
Another key expectation is that more villains will be added to the rogues' gallery of Pattinson's Batman. 2022's The Batman debuted the Riddler, Penguin, Carmine Falcone, Catwoman, and a brief cameo from the Joker. Aside from Falcone, all of these foes will likely still be around in The Batman. Penguin will be making his claim in Gotham's underworld, while Riddler (Paul Dano) and Joker (Barry Keoghan) seemingly became friends in Arkham by the movie's end. Although Zoë Kravitz's Catwoman left Gotham, one would assume that she'll be back for The Batman Part II, not to mention any new villains who will likely debut in the sequel.
4 The Batman 2 Will Likely Have An Upgraded Costume
Many of Bruce Wayne's resources in 2022's The Batman have the appearance of prototypes, fitting with the timeline as it's only his second year as Batman. As such, it's expected that Pattinson's Batman will likely have a new costume in The Batman Part II, one that's improved and perhaps with a new style. It would certainly be the most logical way to visually show the Gotham vigilante's growth over time.
3 Pattinson's Batman Will Get New Tech In The Batman 2
In that same vein, upgrades to Batman's tech and vehicles are likely as well for The Batman Part II. As it stands, it's clear that Batman's gliding capabilities need some work (he at least needs more practice considering his fumble in The Batman with his wingsuit). Likewise, it would be exciting to see some improvements made to both his bike and the Batmobile. The car in particular looks to be one Bruce Wayne is always looking to improve and fine-tune.
2 Matt Reeves Wants To Avoid A Key Dark Knight Mistake With The Batman 2
Although multiple villains were introduced in 2022's The Batman, this is something Reeves has retroactively viewed as a potential mistake, one he wants to correct in The Batman Part II. Believing that too many villains run the risk of overshadowing Pattinson's Batman and his journey, audiences should not expect an equal amount of new villains debuting in the sequel as were introduced in the first film. As such, it's quite likely that The Batman Part II may only get one or two new foes (though that doesn't seem to be a bad thing based on Reeves' logic).
1 Pattinson's Batman Will Likely Have More Allies In The Batman 2
Conversely, Pattinson's Batman may find himself having more allies in The Batman Part II. If he indeed becomes a greater symbol of hope, he'll hopefully have more support from the GCPD beyond Jim Gordon (at least). Beyond that, there are plenty of secondary Gotham vigilantes Batman could join forces with were they to debut in The Batman Part II. While it feels too early and perhaps out of place for members of the Bat Family to be introduced such as any of the Robins or Batgirls, allies like Renee Montoya, Leslie Thompkins, or Lucis Fox would be great additions for the upcoming sequel.
