Robert Pattinson admits it's tough going back to Gotham in The Batman 2

It would be hard to overstate how much anticipation is floating round for The Batman — Part II. After a staggering number of delays, stops and starts, and all sorts of Hollywood faffing about, the cameras are finally rolling. Robert Pattinson’s back in the Bat suit, and yes — he’s noticeably older than when he last went toe-to-toe with Gotham’s lowlifes.

The Batman — Part II is currently pencilled in for cinemas on 11 February 2028.

The six-year gap

If it feels ages since the last one, that’s because it is. The first The Batman opened March 2022, which means by the time this sequel hits the big screen, you’ll have been waiting nearly six years. For Pattinson, it’s been even stranger: he was originally brought onboard at 33, now he’s a fully-fledged 40 and, going by recent interviews, feeling every day of it when the fight scenes kick off. In fact, Pattinson broke the silence on his GQ chat about where filming stands and how it actually feels stepping back into the cowl:

Here’s Pattinson telling GQ just how physically different this round has been:

'I’m definitely feeling my age when fighting a lot. I’m literally like, "Goddamn, this is significantly harder than it used to be." But it’s really fun.'

You’d think after a gap like this, the story would jump forward by years too, but the timeline inside Gotham is comically tight. The new film basically picks up one month after the end of the last film. That’s Christmas in Gotham, decorations everywhere, with continuity ticking over straight from the end of The Batman into the goings-on of the soon-to-air HBO Max spin-off, The Penguin. For reference, The Batman starts at Halloween and ends about a week into November; The Penguin follows literally the next week and rolls on for several weeks more.

The cast: familiar faces and some intriguing new ones

The supporting cast is a proper mix of returning stalwarts and some eyebrow-raising additions. So, Pattinson’s still front and centre as Bruce Wayne. You’ll definitely recognise Jeffrey Wright (Commissioner Gordon), Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth), and Colin Farrell (looking barely human again as Oz Cobb/The Penguin).

• Sebastian Stan
• Scarlett Johansson
• Charles Dance
• Brian Tyree Henry
• Sebastian Koch

Those new names haven’t all come with clear roles attached, which, to be honest, is fuelling the rumour mill. Reports are flying everywhere but nothing has been locked down by Warner Bros., DC Studios, or director Matt Reeves. Word is Stan could be playing either Harvey Dent (that’s Two-Face, for the non-comics crowd) or perhaps serial killer Victor Zsasz, unless something swerves late. Johansson’s part is even more mysterious, but people are betting on either Gilda Dent or possibly a complete reworking of Poison Ivy. As for Dance, Henry, and Koch — at this point, your guess is as good as anyone’s, though inevitably it’ll leak as filming grinds on.

Oddly enough, Pattinson’s now actually the same age Ben Affleck was when he suited up for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Feel old yet?