“batman” (CC BY 2.0) by Slideshow Bruce
It was one of the year’s most keenly anticipated movies, so when it was finally released on 4th March 2022, there was a lot riding on the success of The Batman, not least for Robert Pattinson taking on his biggest role since the Twilight saga and Matt Reeves hoping to prove his vision of the superhero would strike a chord with fans.
Undoubtedly, it was a big relief all around when critics from acclaimed publications like Empire magazine broadly gave it a thumbs-up. In particular, the blockbuster was praised for the way that Reeves took a deep dive into the psychology of our tortured hero.
The box office was also far better than even Warner Brothers’ most optimistic hopes had been. With a worldwide total now approaching $770 million, it’s almost certain to bring in four times its estimated $200 million budget when all’s said and done.
In Hollywood, it’s all about profits and performance. The good news that fans of the Caped Crusader will be delighted to hear is that the studio has already green-lit the sequel. Even at this very early stage, there’s a great deal of speculation about what the follow-up will feature and, as in all Batman movies, it’s the choice of adversaries that generates a great deal of debate.
Paul Dano is a good bet to reprise his role as the Riddler, after all, there is unfinished business to attend to. Plus Colin Farrell’s Penguin was arguably under-used in the first movie. In addition, with a power vacuum left in the crime hierarchy of Gotham City, following the death of Carmine Falcone, this could be time to step up.
However, there are plenty more hoodlums and villains waiting in the wings ready to reveal the double identities so well expressed by this infographic from ExpressVPN. From Catwoman to Mr Freeze and from the Joker to Harley Quinn, it’s the perfect place to catch up on their backstories as well as their modus operandi.
Having proved himself so conclusively with the movie, both in the director’s chair and as co-writer with Peter Craig, Matt Reeves is almost certain to repeat both roles. And, in the meantime, he’ll be honing his skills and adding to his Batman know-how thanks to his involvement with the HBO Max series, which will focus on the Penguin’s rise to power, again played by Colin Farrell.
Because The Batman takes place only around two years into the vigilante’s crime-fighting career, there is plenty of scope to place the sequel at almost any point in the future, perhaps after a decade or so’s duelling with the Riddler. The sequel could also be very good news for the British film industry if it returns to just some of the locations used in the first movie. Scenes were filmed across the country including in London, Liverpool and Scotland.
All in all, the rumours are in full swing as to the Batman blockbusters in the pipelines. It may be worth holding your horses, though, as other commitments mean that the sequel is not slated for release until 2027.