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Credit: DC / Warner Bros.There’s a lot happening in the world of DC lately. Recently, Warner Bros. announced that it had “shelved” Batgirl (2022), which would have seen both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman, alongside Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon/Batgirl.
What’s even more shocking is that the film is pretty much complete. Now, the future of many DC projects looks uncertain, with The Flash (TBA), which will see Ezra Miller reprise his role as Barry Allen/The Flash, alongside Keaton and Affleck, looking particularly troublesome.
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So, as the Ezra Miller controversy continues to grow, it becomes increasingly likely that Warner Bros. will also pull the plug on this project as they re-structure the entire DC Extended Universe. But this is something that remains to be seen.
Fortunately, Warner Bros.’ DC projects aren’t all bound to the DCEU. Not only is Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) in the works, but there’s also an upcoming sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), which took the global box office by storm earlier this year.
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The film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman during his second year prowling the streets of Gotham looking to deliver vengeance upon his enemies. As per the Warner Bros. website, here’s the official synopsis for The Batman:
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
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The film wasn’t just a huge box office success, as it also impressed fans and critics alike. However, while a sequel was recently confirmed, things are suddenly looking a little ambiguous, as Variety has reported that, while the sequel is indeed in the early stages of development, it is actually yet to be green-lit.
Here’s what it says in the article:
“Writer-director Matt Reeves is on track for a sequel with star Robert Pattinson, but the project remains in development and does not yet have a greenlight — any future film is years away. Several other DC properties have been in development as feature films, some for years.”
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The Batman 2 was announced at CinemaCon in April 2022, and Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves are set to return. Meanwhile, a live-action HBO Max series is also in development, which is said to focus entirely on The Penguin. Colin Farrell has expressed an interest in reprising his role.
The Batman grossed over $770 million worldwide, so it’s very unlikely that Warner Bros. intends to pull the plug on this franchise-to-be too. After all, like Joker it is unburdened by the DCEU movies, which even at their best have failed to impress audiences over the years.
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Either way, while Warner Bros. revises its DC plans, it would be wise not to expect The Batman 2 anytime soon. Not much is known about the project, however, Barry Keoghan is expected to reprise his role as The Joker, having had a small role in The Batman, as well as a deleted scene that Warner Bros. released following the film’s theatrical release.
Speaking of the Clown Prince of Gotham, Joker: Folie à Deux, which is confirmed to be a musical of some sort, has a release date of October 4, 2024. Lady Gaga will be playing Harley Quinn in the movie, and while plot details are not known, it will reportedly take place in Arkham Asylum.
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The Batman stars Robert Pattinson (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Selena Kyle/Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Colin Farrell), and Edward Nashton/The Riddler (Paul Dano).
Joker: Folie à Deux releases on October 4, 2024.
Are you concerned about the future of The Batman? Let us know in the comments down below!