The Batman 2 Officially Breaks a 35-Year DC Release Rule

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The second installment of The Batman, currently scheduled for October 2027, will break a 35-year pattern for Batman sequel releases. The first film, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, premiered on March 4, 2022, and also featured Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon and Colin Farrell as the Penguin. Because of difficulties writing the script – though one actor says the final version is excellent – the sequel is taking longer to arrive, creating the longest gap ever between The Batman and its follow-up.

Okay, so I just read that The Batman – Part 2 is finally hitting theaters on October 1, 2027. That’s a seriously long wait – over five and a half years after the first one! Apparently, this is a big deal because DC usually doesn’t make us wait more than four years between Batman movies. It’s going to be the longest gap ever between back-to-back theatrical Batman films, which is kind of wild to think about!

Development on The Batman – Part 2 began in April 2022, but the film ran into some problems, pushing its release date back to October 2027. Even with the delay, fans are still excited to see Robert Pattinson return as Batman.

Previous Batman movies weren’t released very close together, with gaps ranging from two to four years. For example, there was a three-year wait between Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns, and only two years between Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.

  • Batman (1989) – Batman Returns (1992) – 3 years 
  • Batman Returns (1992) – Batman Forever (1995) – 3 years
  • Batman Forever (1995) – Batman & Robin (1997) – 2 years

There was a three-year wait between Christopher Nolan’s first Batman film, Batman Begins, and its sequel, The Dark Knight. It took another four years for the final movie in the series, The Dark Knight Rises, to come out in theaters.

  • Batman Begins (2005) – The Dark Knight (2008) – 3 years 
  • The Dark Knight (2008) – The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – 4 years 

I always thought it was interesting how only a year passed between Ben Affleck’s first outing as Batman in Batman v Superman and when he showed up in Joss Whedon’s Justice League. It felt like a really quick turnaround for that character!

While there have been significant gaps between different Batman films—like the eight years between Batman & Robin (1997) and Batman Begins (2005)—those gaps always occurred between completely separate series. This new five-year gap is unusual because it’s the longest break ever within a single, ongoing Batman movie series, and it breaks DC’s established 35-year rule for the character.

Every Other Release Gap of Confirmed Upcoming DC Sequels 

Superman (2025) – Man of Tomorrow (2027)

  • Superman: July 11, 2025 
  • Man of Tomorrow: July 9, 2027

“Man of Tomorrow” continues the story of Superman, coming after the recent release of the Supergirl series starring Milly Alcock.

With only two years between Man of Tomorrow (2027) and Superman (2025), the sequel is coming out relatively quickly, especially considering how well the first film did. This is great news for DC Studios, as releasing the next installment soon will likely keep fans engaged and build on the success of the hero, and James Gunn appears to be taking advantage of that positive energy.

The Penguin Season 1 (2024) – Season 2 (TBD)

When The Penguin premiered on HBO Max on September 19, 2024, it quickly became a hit with fans and critics alike. The show’s success was recognized with awards from the Emmys and Golden Globes, solidifying its place as a fan favorite. Though initially planned as a limited series, HBO is now considering developing a second season of this spin-off from The Batman.

Since discussions about a second season are just beginning, we don’t know when it will be released. It will likely come out after The Batman – Part 2, as Matt Reeves is currently focused on that film with Robert Pattinson. This means The Penguin Season 2 might not arrive until 2028 or even later.

Creature Commandos Season 1 (2024) – Season 2 (TBD) 

As a huge DC fan, I was really excited when Creature Commandos kicked off James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC Universe on HBO Max back on December 5th, 2024. Thankfully, it did well enough that they’ve already greenlit a second season! We’re all eagerly awaiting news on when we can expect it, though – there’s no release date set just yet.

Frank Grillo, who played Rick Flag Sr. in Season 1, revealed in September 2025 that the writers were still developing the story and writing scripts, indicating the season was in its early stages. Script work had actually begun as early as February 2025. Based on this, Season 2 is likely to premiere in either 2027 or 2028.

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2026-01-18 11:06