Everything we know about 'The Batman 2,' so far

• Matt Reeves has already started developing "The Batman 2."

• Robert Pattinson will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman for the sequel.

• The series is reportedly unaffected by the reshuffle at Warner Bros. and DC Studios.

"The Batman 2" will build on Robert Pattinson's first turn as the Caped Crusader.

It's been a while since Matt Reeves threw audiences into his grim and intimidating version of Gotham City with "The Batman," starring Robert Pattinson as the titular Caped Crusader.

In the first gloomy, David Fincher-inspired comic book movie, the famous vigilante goes up against the Riddler (Paul Dano), who targets corrupt members of the city council and the authorities in a brutal killing spree.

While the Bat cements himself as a hero to Gotham's citizens, he doesn't necessarily save the day, as the city is forever changed as a result of Riddler's explosive reign of terror by the end of the film. Thankfully, this isn't the last that fans have seen of Pattinson's Batman, since Warner Bros. announced "The Batman 2" at CinemaCon, according to Deadline.

The movie hasn't been affected by James Gunn and Peter Safran shaking things up at Warner Bros.

Although it doesn't have an official title yet, "The Batman 2" hasn't been affected by the recent leadership change at DC Studios — at least, so far.

As fans might already know, "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Suicide Squad" director James Gunn has joined the company as co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran.

There was plenty of debate over what their plans are for the DC Universe, and many were disappointed by the recent news that Henry Cavill won't return to play Clark Kent in a new "Superman" movie and Patty Jenkins' "Wonder Woman 3" isn't moving forward either.

Gunn later clarified that although they're starting fresh with the DC Universe, they're not going to recast every single character.

Thankfully, Reeves' "The Batman" universe will seemingly be allowed to exist on its own, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gunn even took to Twitter to debunk a report that the studio would try to fold Pattinson's hero into a shared universe with other DC characters.

This means that "The Batman 2" and the Penguin spin-off TV series (which will air on HBO Max) are their own separate franchise.

It's not expected to arrive until 2025.

The bad news is that fans still have a pretty long wait until the next chapter in the Battinson/R-Batz saga arrives on the big screen.

The sequel isn't due for release "until 2025 at the earliest," per Variety. The report also notes that Reeves hasn't completed the script yet, but it's worth pointing out that he has also been working on the untitled Penguin series, which will see Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oswald Cobblepot.

The film doesn't have a specific date pegged for 2025, although it's possible that Warner Bros. could aim for a prized summer slot since the first film proved successful in its March release in 2022, earning $770 million (via Box Office Mojo).

Robert Pattinson will return, but the rest of the cast is unconfirmed.

Leading man Robert Pattinson is the only star currently signed on for "The Batman 2," according to Deadline, but it's probable that many of his co-stars will reprise their roles.

While Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) left the dreary city behind at the end of the first film, she could come back for the sequel considering the palpable chemistry she had with Pattinson's Caped Crusader.

And fans can surely expect to see Jeffrey Wright as Lt. James Gordon — since Batman works closely with him on criminal investigations — as well as Andy Serkis' version of Bruce's faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

But who will Bats be up against?

Matt Reeves previously said he'd like to see a "grounded" version of Mr. Freeze.

Matt Reeves hasn't confirmed who Batman will battle in the sequel, although it's probable that Colin Farrell will return as the Penguin since he's also getting his own TV series.

But the director previously told Collider that he'd love to see how Mr. Freeze would work in a realistic setting.

"In my view, I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything," he said. "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?"

The "War for the Planet of the Apes" director explained that he thinks there's a grounded way to bring Mr. Freeze to the big screen.

"I think there's actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great," Reeves added, saying he loves "the fantastical side of Batman."

The director went on to say that it would be "interesting" to "unwind the fantastical and see, well, how could that make sense here?"

It's also not clear if Barry Keoghan will reprise his role as the Joker after his brief cameo alongside the Riddler in Arkham Asylum. But the Irish star told GQ Magazine that he's interested in coming back.

"As soon as that call comes, I'm there man, I'm there," he said.

Robert Pattinson also wants to introduce Robin.

It's hard to imagine a young teenager fighting crime in Reeves' Gotham while wearing a bright red and green outfit, but that's exactly what Robert Pattinson wants to see in the franchise's future.

He previously told the press, including Insider, at a Q&A: "He has to be 13. That's the only way I'll accept it."

Pattinson added that he'd love to see Jim Starlin's "Death in the Family" storyline on the big screen. The 1988 series sees the Joker kill the second Robin by beating him with a crowbar and leaving him to die in an explosion.

"I love 'Death in the Family' and stuff, but I think it'd be so cool," Pattinson said. "People are so scared of it, but it's kind of exciting. I think it would be a really fun addition."

Matt Reeves is also keen on the storyline and explained that he's excited by the idea of adapting classic stories with a "grounded" approach.

"I also like 'Death in the Family,'" Reeves said at the same Q&A. "And I think the idea of being able to approach some of those stories and think how can we do this in a way that feels fresh and ground it in a way like, 'Look at the scary thing' and see if there's a way to do it."

He added: "The question is, will we be too scared? But, I think we should try."

Read the original article on Insider