Credit: DC StudiosThe WGA strike has finally lifted, and plenty of projects are now prioritized by plenty of studios. One studio is Warner Bros., which is eyeing big money from The Batman 2 to keep the film from facing a length delay.
Related: DC Is Reviving the Most Important ‘Batman’ Story
Delays have become commonplace for many studios, and fans are not often too forgiving about that fact. Sometimes, a studio can get lucky like Sony did with the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film, which was delayed by an entire year. Instead of rushing an unfinished product, the film delivered another emotional and artistic story that should land the franchise another Academy Award nod.
Though Warner Bros. presumably has plenty to work with in terms of upcoming releases, they expect the next Matt Reeves Batman film to do well, much like the first film did. DC is also in flux, as James Gunn is currently resetting the DC Universe as the DCU. The hope is that Gunn’s Superman: Legacy can breathe some life back into the failing DC Films universe, though Warner Bros. likely wants to bank on a sure thing.
That sure thing would be The Batman 2, which is almost guaranteed success. The Batman was released in 2022 and introduced Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. Performances from him, Zoe Kravitz as Selena Kyle, and Paul Dano as The Riddler provided a dark and gritty neo-noir that brought in $771 million worldwide.
With the promise of more Batman’s Rogues Gallery incoming, fans have placed their complete faith in Matt Reeves’s vision, but he must finish the script.
‘The Batman 2’ Will Be Fast-Tracked
Variety revealed a huge report that indicated the projects that would be fast-tracked, and Reeves’ Dark Knight sequel is among them. According to Variety’s report:
“And Warner Bros. would dearly love to see Matt Reeves hunched over his computer, diving back into Gotham’s underworld with his planned “The Batman” sequel.”
While we don’t imagine that Warner Bros. will be overworking Matt Reeves, we do expect them to want to apply some pressure to the new Batman creator. The Batman 2 currently has a release date of October 3, 2025. Production for the sequel was also reportedly supposed to begin in November of this year, but the WGA strike prevented Reeves from being able to finish the script.
Though he may resume his work, there is also the SAG-AFTRA strike that is ongoing. The writers may have found their fair deal, but the actors in Hollywood are still on the picket lines attempting to land the same thing. SAG and the producer’s union are supposed to begin talks on Monday, but no one knows if those talks will be successful.
The writer’s and producer’s unions met several times during the 148-day strike until a deal was finally reached a mere few days ago. With most actors being part of SAG, they cannot start production on anything.
The good news is that Reeves can start to finish the script for the film, but even if he happens to finish the script in time for production to take place in November, the actors might still be striking. That is not the hope, of course, but the 148-day strike the WGA enacted is a telltale sign that the producers might not want to work with the actors immediately.
Related: ‘The Batman 2’: 7 Comic Storylines Matt Reeves Should Adapt Next
The Batman 2 is one of the most anticipated titles that fans are clamoring to see, and we imagine Warner Bros. will find a way to ensure that it is released per the scheduled release date. Some productions have also gone around the overall producer’s union and accepted SAG demands independently, which is an avenue we can see happening here.
What do you think of The Batman 2 potentially being delayed? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!