21
21
The Batman Part II: Will Scarlett Johansson and Brad Pitt join Robert Pattinson?
Darker than any previous version of the superhero movie, The Batman is a gritty, grunge, and politically charged thriller led by Robert Pattinson’s magnetic presence. The announcement of the release of The Batman Part II in 2028 came out as good news, even if it will not hit theatres yet. But audiences will be delighted by the presence of Scarlett Johansson and Brad Pitt.
By Violaine Schütz.
Published on 8 August 2025. Updated on 21 July 2026.
The Batman, a powerful, dark superhero movie with Robert Pattinson
Should a superhero movie be an escape from the world’s woes or a space to reflect on our society? The latest adventures of Bruce Wayne, deep in the shadows of Gotham City, suggest the latter. With the first installment of The Batman in 2022, director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, War for the Planet of the Apes) immersed viewers in a highly political atmosphere, against the backdrop of an election.
Here, we find Batman (Robert Pattinson), the lone vigilante obsessed with vengeance, spreading fear among criminals. The hero teams up with a police lieutenant to track down a terrifying serial killer. Played by a Paul Dano at the height of his art, the killer sets out to assassinate the city’s elite. His goal is to purge society of corruption stemming from greedy, vice-ridden officials and public figures. This war against the elite gives The Batman a taste of a social manifesto. Abuse of power and deceit are being punished with staggering violence.
John Turturro and Colin Farrell in the cast
Among the sinister underworld figures portrayed in this monumental blockbuster, we can see Carmine Falcone (John Turturro, star of Severance) and Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell). But this Penguin may well be a character from an entirely different narrative than a classic Batman villain. Because even with the Batmobile and the iconic black suit, The Batman feels more like a deeply noir, metaphysical crime thriller or a serial killer film, like Zodiac (2007), rather than a standard superhero blockbuster.
Once again, the same narrative is at play… Saving a crumbling world. But the film continually spotlights philosophical themes dear to independent cinema. The power of the mask as a means of truly being oneself, justice in all its forms, the meaning of vengeance, power dynamics, despair, corruption, suicide, love (which demands hard choices), grief…
Zoë Kravitz draws all the attention The Batman
In this nearly three-hour psychological dive, Robert Pattinson stands out. Magnetic, romantic, and intense, the actor turns the caped crusader into a grunge rock star — introspective, restless, riddled with doubt, and depressed. Inspired by Kurt Cobain, with several Nirvana tracks echoing throughout the epic film, his makeup, reminiscent of Robert Smith from The Cure, also evokes the tortured main character in The Crow, another harbinger of doom. Batman becomes a kind of vampire or ghost, raising questions about good and evil, much like Joaquin Phoenix’s brilliantly unhinged portrayal of the Joker.
Despite his good intentions, he carries a heavy load of dark thoughts and self-destructive urges, which make him far more relatable than the previous versions of Batman played by Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, or George Clooney. As he questions his own moral code and the ethics of his family, he gives a hauntingly beautiful face to all the world’s rebels.
Just like the woman he loves… Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman (the formidable Zoë Kravitz), is a punk, feline avenger. Her character gives the concepts of independence and rebellion a haunting beauty that lingers long after the credits roll on this mesmerizing dark epic.
The Batman: Part II has been confirmed
Now, there is some bad news for the fans of Gotham City. The sequel to The Batman, The Batman Part II, will not hit cinemas until February 16th, 2028, despite being originally scheduled for release during fall 2027. The filming had been delayed by the writers’ strike in Hollywood in 2023. Now, a first teaser is available.
The Twilight star’s packed schedule only made things more complicated. Indeed, the latter was also on the sets of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026), out in theaters now, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, coming out on December 16th, 2026. However, the screening on IMAX 70mm has been made possible thanks to the postponed release date, which has provided additional time for the prints to be manufactured.
Scarlett Johansson will star opposite Robert Pattinson in the sequel
The cast will feature Robert Pattinson (The Drama) and Barry Keoghan as the Joker. Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) will play Alfred Penny Worth, while Jeffrey Wright will embody Jim Gordon. According to Variety, Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in advanced talks to star in the sequel. The American actress could play Gilda Dent, Harvey Dent’s wife, while Sebastian Stan may embody Harvey Dent.
Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) will also join the cast. For now, rumors surrounding Zoë Kravitz and Brad Pitt‘s possible presence as the antagonist character Dr. Arkham have not been confirmed.
The Batman (2022) by Matt Reeves, available on Netflix.
The Batman Part II by Matt Reeves, coming out in theatres on February 16th, 2028.
