The Batman doesn’t take place in the DC Comics Extended Universe (DCEU) and is, therefore, the first chapter of what is increasingly becoming known as the Reeves-verse named after director Matt Reeves. Spin-offs have already been confirmed and with the new Dark Knight solo outing on track to take home over $100 million for its opening weekend, chances are high for a fast-tracked sequel.
When the filmmaker was promoting the film, he spoke to The Independent about its future as a burgeoning series and directly referenced the sequel.
He said: “You don’t make number one as if there’s going to be a number two. You have to make number one as if you’re swinging for the fences and it has to be a story that stands and lives on its own. But I really believe in what we’ve done and I’d be excited to tell more stories… We are already telling other stories in the streaming space, we’re doing stuff on HBO Max, we’re doing a Penguin show with Colin, which is gonna be super cool. And we’re working on some other stuff too but we have started talking about another movie.”
It comes after producer, Dylan Clark, even gave fans a timeframe on when they could expect it.
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Speaking to Comicbook.com, Clark said: “I will go on record and say that it will be less than five years.” It may be a ludicrously vague statement, but it is the reassurance fans were hoping for.
Optimism about the sequels is high among the team, as the Caped Crusader himself, Robert Pattinson, similarly has a “kind of map” for where his character could go in parts two and even three. He added: “I would love to do it,” when speaking to Empire.
Planning on the sequel could be further ahead than some audiences might expect too, as Reeves has even teased the villain that the Gotham Knight might face off against.
Reeves confirmed that he wants to continue exploring the more “grounded” aspects of the DC hero’s coterie of villains. That may keep some of his more out-there nemeses out of bounds, such as Killer Croc and Clayface, but it could also mean some could be re-interpreted. The director is particularly keen on one.
Speaking to Collider, he said: “In my view, I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything. So to me it would be a challenge in an interesting way to try and figure out how that could happen, even the idea of something like Mr. Freeze, that such a great story, right? I think there’s actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great.”
However, he didn’t completely rule out aspects of the supernatural coming into play later down the road.
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He added: “So, I love the fantastical side of Batman, but this iteration, obviously, while being, to me, I think it is very comics faithful, but I don’t think that this one is necessarily, it doesn’t lean as hard into the fantastical, I guess. But I think to me what would be interesting would be to try and unwind the fantastical and see, well, how could that make sense here? And so that’s kind of my view, how I see it.”
For now, the spin-offs are the next focus of Reeves’ and they are shaping up to flesh out the Bat-universe like never before on the big screen. It is already known that Colin Farrell’s The Penguin is getting a HBO Max show, which was recently teased to be R-rated, but now a new series has been hinted at.
Speaking to the Toronto Sun, the director confirmed: “We’re doing [The Penguin series] and we’re doing another series that connects to Arkham [Asylum].”
Arkham is the famous prison/mental asylum for Gotham’s criminally insane, most of whom happen to be there thanks to Batman. The location has been the centre of many famous stories, with Dave McKean’s graphic novel, simply titled Arkham Asylum being the most iconic.
It reveals the twisted history of the establishment, including the history of Amadeus Arkham, the founder and increasingly insane original warden.
There is also the absolutely brilliant Batman: Arkham Asylum that was released on PS3 and Xbox 360. It follows the hero as he gets trapped in the hospital along with all his old villains including the Joker, Scarecrow, Bane, Harley Quinn and so many more.
A show focused on the legendary location is fertile ground for thrilling and horrifying tales. As The Batman takes place in “Year Two” of Bruce Wayne’s vigilantism, there could already be plenty of bad guys locked away in those haunting hallways.
The Batman will premiere in cinemas on March 4
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