Although The Batman 2 seemed like the most certain sequel heading to cinemas in the near future, the uncertainty about everything at Warner Bros. Discovery right now has fans questioning everything about what may or may not happen around their DC output in the coming years. According to a new report from Variety, the success of The Batman means that a sequel is in active development, but due to the current turbulence at the studio, fans will have quite a while to wait to see Robert Pattinson’s take on the Bat return to screens again.

The latest reports on the status of The Batman sequel have suggested that the film is yet to get an official green light from Warner Bros. Discovery, even though writer/director Matt Reeves is currently working on developing the story for the return of this newer, grittier version of the Dark Knight. The movie was originally said to be confirmed in April, but since the recent shifting of Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategy, which is said to now include a 10-year plan for the future of the DC franchise, the movie still appears to be waiting for the final go ahead.

During the recent Warner Bros. Discovery Earnings call, new CEO David Zaslav discussed how the company strategy for the DCEU and beyond is very much about protecting the franchise and setting up a long-term future. He explained:

"We have done a reset. We’ve structured the business. There will be a team with a 10-year plan focusing just on DC. It’s very similar to the structure that Alan Horne and Bob Iger put together very effectively with Kevin Feige at Disney. We think we could build a long-term, much more sustainable growth business out of DC, and as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality. We’re not going to release any film before it’s ready… The focus is going to be, how do we make each of these films, in general, as good as possible? DC is something we can make better, and we’re focused on it now."

The Batman Was Not A Regular Superhero Movie

Jeffrey Wright as Gordon next to Robert Pattinson as The Batman
Warner Bros. 

While previous Batman movies have depicted the character on screen as a fantastical crime-fighter, swooping around Gotham with an endless array of technologically advanced weapons and a rogues gallery of colorful and frequently over-the-top villains to contend with. Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson defied the usual Batman tropes and instead delivered a very dark and brooding story that took Gotham’s protector back to his roots as a masked detective attempting to piece together clues to stop the Riddler from carrying out a deadly plot.

The movie grossed over $750 million before it began streaming on HBO Max, proving that although many were not expecting the kind of dark noir movie that The Batman delivered, there were plenty of Batman fans who turned up to experience the film in theaters, and the interest in the new world created by the movie also instigated two HBO Max spin-offs cantering on Colin Farrell’s Penguin and Arkham Asylum. However, like the sequel there has been only limited information available about their future since the big shake-up at Warner Bros. Discovery, meaning that it really is a waiting game to see when and if the next chapter of The Batman makes it or not.