New The Batman Part II prop hints fans nailed the sequel’s villain

Well, The Batman Part II is still a fair way off, but that hasn't stopped fans from trying to sniff out who Robert Pattinson's next big baddie might be. No shortage of internet speculation lately, especially after a certain production designer put something a bit odd out there on social media — and that set folks' theories right back on fire.

The Batman Part II is currently set for release on 18 February 2028.

Clues from the Crew

On 1 August, Luke Hull — yes, the bloke in charge of production design for The Batman Part II — dropped a photo on Instagram that got fans in a real state. The image showed an elaborate labyrinth prop, which didn’t come with any description or context (cheers for that, mate).

If you’ve been keeping up with Scott Snyder’s comics, you might clock that it looks a lot like the maze from Batman’s infamous run-in with the Court of Owls. That’s the shadowy bunch who’ve been secretly pulling Gotham’s strings for generations. No surprise then that his comments were absolutely rammed with shout-outs and wild theories about the Court of Owls being next in line for Batman’s rogues gallery.

Theories and ‘Insider’ Intel

This isn’t the first time this idea’s been floated. Entertainment journo Jeff Sneider previously claimed on the record that the Court of Owls are set to appear in the new film. As he put it in his own newsletter:

‘Meanwhile, I’m also told that the Court of Owls is indeed involved in The Batman Part II. The group is an ancient secret society of criminals that includes some of Gotham City’s oldest and wealthiest families, who have controlled Gotham from the shadows for centuries, and enforce their will using a group of deadly assassins known as Talons.’

Now, while that’s a juicy nugget, it’s only added more fuel to an already crackling rumour mill. Let’s be clear: as of now, Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. themselves have still said absolutely nothing about who the big villain is supposed to be this time round. It could turn out to be someone completely different, or maybe the Court are just a neat bit of misdirection.

What We Actually Know

• The Batman Part II is scheduled for cinemas 18 February 2028, after yet another delay.
• The maze prop shared by Luke Hull strongly resembles the one linked to the Court of Owls from the comics.
• Loads of fans (and at least one entertainment insider) are convinced these secret society types are finally getting their cinematic due.
• Officially, the studio and director haven’t confirmed a thing about the villain, so don’t put money on your favourite theory just yet.

Until the people actually making the film say otherwise, we’ll have to keep trawling social media for cryptic props and winking non-statements. Typical, really.