Matt Reeves confirmed to SFX magazine that “we’re finishing up the script now” for “ The Batman Part II” and “the plan is to shoot next year.” Warner Bros. announced earlier this year that the release for the Robert Pattinson-starring sequel was being delayed an entire year from Oct. 3, 2025 to Oct. 2, 2026.

“Colin [Farrell] will be a part of the movie,” Reeves said about the Penguin’s return. “We’ve shared [the script] as we’ve been progressing with DC and the studio and they’re super enthusiastic.”

“The Batman” universe is expanding with the upcoming Farrell-centric television series “The Penguin,” which Reeves said will be the “entry point” into “The Batman 2″ and added: “There are details that actually connect right into the way the next movie begins, and the way that Oz enters that world as we hand the baton back to Batman, and Batman is on another case.”

As for “The Batman” sequel, the director said it’s “going to delve into the epic narrative about deeper corruption, and it goes to places he couldn’t foresee in the first one. The seeds of where this goes are all in the first movie. It expands in a way that will unveil aspects of the character you never got to witness.”

“Batman is constantly battling these forces. But those forces can’t be entirely eradicated. So the next movie explores that in greater depth,” he added.

The Penguin is set to make a return in the upcoming film, but whether other Batman villains will join him remains uncertain. Fans have been calling for Reeves to introduce the supernatural antagonist Gentleman Ghost in the sequel, but he clarified to SFX that this won't happen because it doesn't align with his grounded approach to the comics.

“My priority was to find a way to take these iconic figures, these legendary characters everyone knows, and make them feel real in the context of Gotham, like a place that exists in our world,” Reeves explained. “We might venture into the fantastical, but we won't fully embrace it. We aim for a grounded feel.”

Reeves continued, “That doesn't mean we won't include beloved characters. In fact, that's exactly what we want to do. Gentleman Ghost is probably too outlandish for us to find a way to integrate, but it's interesting to consider how we might adapt characters that verge on the fantastical and make them believable.”

“The Batman” was a commercial success, grossing $772 million globally, so Warner Bros. is undoubtedly hoping for another hit with the sequel. It's currently unknown if the original cast members Zoe Kravitz (Catwoman) or Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth) will reprise their roles.

The “The Penguin” television series, meanwhile, will debut on Max on Sept. 19.