The Batman 2's Title Breaks A 74-Year-Old Dark Knight Sequel Trend
The sequel to Matt Reeves' The Batman has an official title, and it breaks a decades-old Batman sequel trend and makes the movie more exciting.
A sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman is now confirmed to happen outside the DC Universe, and the movie’s official title was also announced, and it’s breaking a decades-old Batman sequel trend. The big screen has seen various live-action versions of Batman, some more successful than others, and while the DCU brings back Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck’s versions in The Flash, in a different universe Robert Pattinson played Bruce Wayne in the movie simply titled The Batman.
The Batman follows a younger Bruce Wayne in his second year of crime-fighting in Gotham City, and who alongside James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and the Gotham City Police Department is going after a mysterious serial killer known as The Riddler (Paul Dano). This leads Batman into Gotham’s criminal underworld, led by Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), where he also meets Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). The Batman was teased as the first entry in a new Batman trilogy, but news about the sequel were slow following the movie’s success, but it’s now confirmed to happen and has been given an official title: The Batman - Part II.
The Batman - Part II Is The First-Ever Numbered Batman Movie Sequel
The Batman - Part II marks a first in Batman’s film history as it’s the first sequel to be numbered. Batman’s first big screen adventure happened in 1943 as a 15-chapter theatrical serial, and it was simply titled Batman, and in 1949, a second serial was released titled Batman and Robin. Years later, in 1966, the now classic Batman TV series got a film adaptation with the same title and starring Adam West and Burt Ward. The Caped Crusader didn’t return to the big screen until 1989 with Tim Burton’s Batman, which got a sequel in 1992 titled Batman Returns. Though not a sequel to Batman Returns but still a continuation of Warner Bros’ Batman movie series, Joel Schumacher brought Batman Forever, followed by the sequel Batman & Robin.
The Caped Crusader got another chance in 2005 in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, the first entry in what would become his Dark Knight trilogy. Batman Begins was followed by The Dark Knight (widely regarded as one of the best superhero movies ever made) and The Dark Knight Rises, continuing the trend of giving more specific titles to Batman sequels instead of numbering them.
Why A Part II Title Makes Sense For The Batman's Sequel
The Riddler (Paul Dano) looms menacingly; Batman (Robert Pattinson) stares at something ahead; The Joker (Barry Keoghan) meets with Batman in prison
The Batman - Part II’s title is a lot more significant than being the first numbered Batman movie sequel, as it immediately shows that it’s a more grounded sequel. "Part II" could be hinting at The Batman 2 being a more direct continuation of the events in the first movie, and it’s especially exciting given the introduction of Barry Keoghan’s Joker at the end. The Batman teased a team-up between the Joker and Paul Dano’s Riddler now that they're cell neighbors in Arkham Asylum, so The Batman - Part II could see this partnership blossoming. The Batman’s ending saw the title character aiding recovery efforts after Gotham was almost destroyed and vowing to inspire hope in the city, but it surely won’t be able to shake off all the chaos he and Selina went through. Although Warner Bros. could change The Batman - Part II’s title at some point, for now it’s one that makes sense and makes the sequel a lot more exciting.
John Wick 4 Star Teases A Major Betrayal From A Dubious Ally
John Wick Chapter 4 star Ian McShane is teasing a major and heartbreaking betrayal from the dubious ally to Wick, continental manager Winston.
Ian McShane, one of the stars of John Wick: Chapter 4 is teasing a potential betrayal in the upcoming blockbuster. A skilled assassin who temporarily retired, only to return to the killing business after losing his wife and suffering the death of his beloved puppy. John Wick has been through many betrayals throughout the series, but he has always had one character to fall back on: Winston, the owner of the New York Continental Hotel, a place for killers to band together without the risk of a surprise assassination or an unwinnable fight.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is likely to feature a major Winston twist after John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum featured Winston trying to kill Wick, though he didn't actually complete the act. Yet, despite their fraught relationship that nearly ended in complete disaster, the two may still need to work together in the future, as the renowned Baba Yaga tries to find his way back to his ordinary and retired life. In an interview with Total Film, McShane hinted at a reunion with the two characters that could end in a bloody fight. Check out his quote below, via CBR:
"Of course, they’re speaking. They’re on the same side... aren’t they?"
Everything We Know About John Wick 4
Wick will return to the fight in John Wick: Chapter 4 to face off against new enemies in a new crisis that hopefully will not involve another dead dog. Though he has since walked back the franchise's bleak ending promise, director Chad Stahelski has previously promised that Wick won't find a happy ending at any point in the franchise, meaning that the character likely isn't going to experience a particularly comforting story with John Wick 5 on the way, even if it hasn't been fully guaranteed just yet.
Keanu Reeves is returning to the role, alongside McShane, Laurence Fishburne (The Bowery King), and Lance Reddick (Charon). With Donnie Yen (Ip Man) as Caine, Bill Skarsgård (It) as the Marquis de Gramont, Hiroyuki Sanada (The Last Samurai) as Shimazu, Scott Adkins (Undisputed) as Killa, Shamier Anderson (Invasion) as the Tracker, Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) as the Harbinger, Natalia Tena (Game of Thrones) as Katia, and Rina Sawayama (Turn Up Charlie) as Akira, there will be many new characters in John Wick 4. With so many new faces, Wick is in a heap of trouble.
Stahelski is returning to direct the project, while screenwriters Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum) and Michael Finch (Hitman: Agent 47) set about creating the script. With Wick taking his eternal war for retirement against the High Table, the action in the film is expected to reach never-before-seen levels that can prove to make the film a mainstay. The movie is expected to hit theaters on March 24, though it was originally set for an early 2021 release, which was delayed due to complications involving the COVID-19 pandemic. With so many locations, John Wick Chapter 4 is unleashing the franchise's universe and can really change up Wick's life.
0 Comments