I'm Reading Your Stuff: General News and Discussion Thread

[DeadlyWest]

Am I the only one who NEVER expected the sequel toThe Batman to come out in, 2025?

I thought latter quarter of 2025 was possible but unlikely

At the same time I didn't expect it to be delayed by 16 months, though

 

[BatLobster]

One thing I’m genuinely curious about in terms of the writer’s strike is, like…if you were in the middle of writing a project when the strike started…what happens if you still have ideas flowing? Can you not still take notes? I understand that you’re not supposed to be actively delivering pages, but there’s no way you just automatically can stop *thinking* about it, especially if you were deeply immersed in writing when the strike began.

I guess maybe it’s kind of like an honor system sort of thing? It’s just hard for me to think that for 5 whole months, Reeves just completely abandoned developing any and all Batman-related ideas.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

One thing I’m genuinely curious about in terms of the writer’s strike is, like…if you were in the middle of writing a project when the strike started…what happens if you still have ideas flowing? Can you not still take notes? I understand that you’re not supposed to be actively delivering pages, but there’s no way you just automatically can stop *thinking* about it, especially if you were deeply immersed in writing when the strike began.

I guess maybe it’s kind of like an honor system sort of thing? It’s just hard for me to think that for 5 whole months, Reeves just completely abandoned developing any and all Batman-related ideas.

Reeves clearly took the strike incredibly seriously. I don’t find it all that hard to imagine tbh, I’m sure he had ideas but I’m also sure he was living his life and viewing it as a professional/ethical obligation to let the project sit. I’m getting the vibe he wasn’t writing during the SAG strike either.

But all that’s just guesswork. Obviously none of us can actually know.

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

Does WB have a big tentpole scheduled for the summer of 2026? July worked for Nolan's batman movies. Nothing is written in stone yet.

Everything is fluid. Nature of the beast.

Total hunch on my part but I suspect there's going to be a compromise on The Batman Part II.

I thought March would be the date if it moved to 2026. Which it did - something that was a foregone conclusion based on the cagey non-answers from Jeffrey Wright, Barry Keoghan and especially Greig Frasier in recent weeks.

But October is certainly on the "long in the tooth" side, and the release date on The Batman moved multiple times. COVID related, to be fair.

Bet you they go to July. It's well-documented how religious Warner Bros has been about that mid/late July slot ever since The Dark Knight. Which we just saw with Barbie and are going to see with Twisters - a co-production with Universal that they have internal distribution rights - and Superman, of course.

Whenever they put a film there... it's a winner. Or at the very least, they strongly suspect that.

We shall see.

 

[Boom]

For whatever it's worth, both Jett and Sneider have said that this delay is mostly due to scheduling conflicts with sound stages as a result of the strikes.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

For whatever it's worth, both Jett and Sneider have said that this delay is mostly due to scheduling conflicts with sound stages as a result of the strikes.

Yeah, I bet a lot of the reasoning behind the delay is wildly more mundane and undramatic than people are thinking.

As an aside I know we're all obligated to pay a little attention to Jett because we all know he has some legit insider knowledge at times but I tried listening to his podcast the other day for any tidbits and... yeeeesh...

 

[Boom]

He's really pissy about the DCU.

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

Jett's a good guy.

I just... wouldn't listen to him for intel is all.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

He's really pissy about the DCU.

Him and his cronies have been making the same jokes about it for so long lmao, even pre-DCU. I have made no secret that I think the DCU is an awful, doomed concept but no one makes me root for it harder than Jett lol

 

[BatLobster]

For whatever it's worth, both Jett and Sneider have said that this delay is mostly due to scheduling conflicts with sound stages as a result of the strikes.

The only thing that seems a bit weird to me with that is... shouldn't a BATMAN movie win out in those types of conflicts? Why would WB give the shaft to its most prized franchise and not let something else get delayed?

Obviously there's a ton we don't know here. I'm just approaching it from the standpoint of...if WB really felt it was a priority to have the movie out next year, I have to believe they'd move mountains to make it happen. And I think it's a little odd that they wouldn't consider a priority to make sure they don't miss the ideal window for a sequel.

Or, maybe it's a little of both logistics/script and Reeves opted not to fight the scheduling battle because he liked the idea of getting extra time to work on the script.

I also agree that July would be ideal. Call it nostalgia but to me there is something about a Batman movie in the middle of the summer.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I also wonder if they just are married to an October date for whatever reason.

 

[C Prometheus]

I also wonder if they just are married to an October date for whatever reason.

'Sup.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I have been saying they'd probably keep the release date within an October/November/December time frame because WB and DC seem to want to market The Batman in a similar manner as Joker as a prestige series targeted towards the Awards season. Especially since Gunn wants the DCU to succeed and have its films function more as the traditional Spring and Summer blockbuster entries.

Moreover, if we consider that the main holdup for this delay apparently had more to do with scheduling for sets and filming locations than because of the script being not quite done yet, that suggests to me that they absolutely could have gone for a Spring or Summer 2026 release here and are choosing instead for a longer delay to keep the film locked into that awards season timeframe.

 

[flickchick85]

At the same time I didn't expect it to be delayed by 16 months, though

16 months? It went from October 2025 to October 2026, no?

 

[DeadlyWest]

16 months? It went from October 2025 to October 2026, no?

I thought it was June-July for some reason *shrug*

Even a year tbf I wasn't expecting, really. I was thinking like 6 months

 

[Smit84]

Hi, everyone. Posting on the forums for the first time in a very long time to share my speculation on the delay. Might not be popular, but I wanted to throw this out there and get some opinions.

Is it possible that Matt Reeves' heart isn't in it? When the first film opened, I remember him saying "stand alone" a lot to describe it and that he didn't plan sequels. I've read reports about a trilogy, but no quotes from Reeves about it. It took him a long time to finish the first movie's script and he admitted in one interview that he almost walked away. He also started doing screenings after the movie opened where he said he really just wanted to do a '70s-style film noir, but those don't get a greenlight unless it's a comic book movie.

I'm not saying that i think Reeves isn't trying with the script, and when he tweeted "epic crime saga" in response to The Batman Part II's release date, I think he was legit enthusiastic. But if he can't get a script he's satisfied with, I could see the enthusiasm wane.

To me, The Batman is Reeves' baby, the same way the Dark Knight trilogy Christopher Nolan's or Superman Returns was Bryan Singer's. To this day, I still believe that if Singer had wanted to do a Returns sequel, we would have gotten one.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Hi, everyone. Posting on the forums for the first time in a very long time to share my speculation on the delay. Might not be popular, but I wanted to throw this out there and get some opinions.

Is it possible that Matt Reeves' heart isn't in it? When the first film opened, I remember him using saying "stand alone" a lot to describe it and that he didn't plan sequels. I've read reports about a trilogy, but no quotes from Reeves about it. It took him a long time to finish the first movie's script and he admitted in one interview that he almost walked away. He also started doing screenings after the movie opened where he said he really just wanted to do a '70s-style film noir, but those don't get a greenlight unless it's a comic book movie.

I'm not saying that i think Reeves isn't trying with the script, and when he tweeted "epic crime saga" in response to The Batman Part II's release date, I think he was legit enthusiastic. But if he can't get a script he's satisfied with, I could see the enthusiasm wane.

To me, The Batman is Reeves' baby, the same way the Dark Knight trilogy Christopher Nolan's or Superman Returns was Bryan Singer's. To this day, I still believe that if Singer had wanted to do a Returns sequel, we would have gotten one.

I mean, none of us know what is in the heart of Matt Reeves but I am really unsure why "The entire film industry shot down for half a year, completely altering the landscape and schedule of every project" is insufficient explanation for people.

 

[Smit84]

I mean, none of us know what is in the heart of Matt Reeves but I am really unsure why "The entire film industry shot down for half a year, completely altering the landscape and schedule of every project" is insufficient explanation for people.

I'd agree with you except that this has been announced with a co-writer attached long before the strike.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I'd agree with you except that this has been announced with a co-writer attached long before the strike.

Announced to be being developed by a filmmaker with a very notably slow pace of working, yes. With several other possible more mundane scheduling issues we're already hearing about as additional factors in the delay. I am really unsure why this delay has plunged everyone into such conspiratorial thinking. Like, yeah, it could be one of several super negative ultra specific scenarios! Or it could be the extremely obvious, factual events we know about.

 

[flickchick85]

I'd agree with you except that this has been announced with a co-writer attached long before the strike.

And when the strike happened, they stopped work. Reeves and Tomlin took their time on the script for the first one, it should be even longer for this one considering the 8-month halt in work. Factor in the backlog of studio space and crew availability with productions that had to also be put on hold for the strike, and the delay makes all the sense in the world imo.

 

[Smit84]

And when the strike happened, they stopped work. Reeves and Tomlin took their time on the script for the first one, it should be even longer for this one considering the 8-month halt in work. Factor in the backlog of studio space and crew availability with productions that had to also be put on hold for the strike, and the delay makes all the sense in the world imo.

Fair enough.

 

[Black Narcissus]

What an astute analysis. You should go tell deadline, Batman on film, and Robert Pattinson himself with his 3 film contract that your flawless speculation has triumphed over their industry contacts

Just because he has a three-film contract doesn't mean WBD has to exercise it. If they want to be done at Part 2, they're done at Part 2. Simple as that.

 

[BatLobster]

Once again: there is every chance in the world the DCU won’t even exist in 2026. At the moment you’re all shadow boxing a franchise that doesn’t even exist yet that has a ton working against it.

I think that really all depends on Superman. I just see no reason to count that one out at this point. It’s got a pretty banging cast and like him or not, Gunn is one of the more successful directors in the comic book movie genre in recent years, plus he’s clearly got a passion for the material. I think it’s got a lot going in its favor potentially. In terms of it catching the zeitgeist, things have been so bleak in the world lately that I really think it could be the perfect timing for a bright and optimistic Superman film (which fans have been clamoring for) to connect with a mass audience in the right way.

That said, it could also turn out horrible, we’ll just have to wait and see. I think it’s going to be a real “pulse check” moment for the genre either way.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

I think that really all depends on Superman. I just see no reason to count that one out at this point. It’s got a pretty banging cast and like him or not, Gunn is one of the more successful directors in the comic book movie genre in recent years, plus he’s clearly got a passion for the material. I think it’s got a lot going in its favor potentially. In terms of it catching the zeitgeist, things have been so bleak in the world lately that I really think it could be the perfect timing for a bright and optimistic Superman film (which fans have been clamoring for) to connect with a mass audience in the right way.

That said, it could also turn out horrible, we’ll just have to wait and see. I think it’s going to be a real “pulse check” moment for the genre either way.

I've been a broken record about this on the Superman board but: It's a DC movie, which no one in the GA cares about outside of Batman. It's a Superman movie specifically, a character the audience has struggled massively to connect in the modern era (for a variety of reasons but there is still a bias against the character himself). A cast with zero star power to big up the fact its a property the GA doesn't care about, people say star power is dead and while it isn't how it used to be if you look at most of the recent successful, big blockbusters that aren't Avatar and you'll notice they're bursting at the seams with popular actors - that isn't a values judgment of the Superman cast, Corenswet/Brosnahan/Hoult are all super charismatic and will be great in marketing, but I do think it is a factor working against it simply because "Superman" is a near meaningless hook for marketing so it needs all the help it can possibly get.

I also think it'll depend on how much it feels like a big, cool, exciting Special Thing like the blockbusters that have been connecting lately or if it winds up having too much of a sense that it is, ultimately, a pilot episode for a shared universe. If it is too obviously a project that exists to chase MCU glory way too late in the genre's life cycle.

 

[whoknows]

Superman movies have a tradition of being led by an unknown actor in the title role though, it'll be down to the trailers whether the audience shows up, superman returns and man of steel had great trailers and respectable opening weekend box office as a result, but word of mouth got around that they weren't that great and the box office went down sharply.
if gunn makes a great superhero movie they will flock to it, word of mouth, great trailers and reviews will all play their part.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Superman movies have a tradition of being led by an unknown actor in the title role though, it'll be down to the trailers whether the audience shows up, superman returns and man of steel had great trailers and respectable opening weekend box office as a result, but word of mouth got around that they weren't that great and the box office went down sharply.
if gunn makes a great superhero movie they will flock to it, word of mouth, great trailers and reviews will all play their part.

Look at the rest of the cast of Man of Steel. Sure, if the trailers are amazing and the movie gets rave reviews it'll probably do well!