Director Matt Reeves’ critically acclaimed DC outing, The Batman, tops the list of most complaints received by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in 2022. According to a report by Deadline, The Batman was met with 22 complaints, which were aimed at the movie’s 15 rating. A rating that is equivalent to an R rating in the US and meant that no one under the age of 15 could see the movie. But the complaints were not about the content of The Batman, instead they came from kids younger than 15 who were eager to see The Dark Knight once again take to the big screen.

The BBFC has since justified the rating following the complaints, putting the decision down to the subject matter of The Batman and the “consistently dark” and “less fantastical” portrayal of both Gotham city and its protector. “The Batman presents a bleak vision of Gotham City in which Batman teams up with a detective to solve a series of murders,” the statement reads. “The killer subjects his victims to sadistic devices designed to terrorize them prior to their death. The tone is consistently dark, and the film depicts its world as less fantastical than previous big-screen iterations of the Batman character.”

Released last year, The Batman introduces audiences to an early version of The Dark Knight, with Bruce Wayne just two years into his career as a crime-fighter. Venturing into Gotham City’s underworld, Batman faces off against a sadistic killer who leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. Starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, The Batman was met with rave reviews from both critics and audiences alike, and it’s understandable why younger Batman fans were a little irked that they couldn’t see it on the big screen.

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The Batman Part II Is Currently Due for Release in October 2025
Warner Bros. Pictures

A sequel to The Batman is now in development, with director Matt Reeves all set to return alongside writer Mattson Tomlin. The comic book movie follow-up is expected to see many of the main cast return, including Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman alongside Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot/Penguin.

Details of what The Batman Part II will involve remain under wraps at present, but it has been hotly rumored that a version of the supervillain Clayface, who will either be an identity-stealing bad guy or one with supernatural shape-shifting abilities, will be the main villain in the sequel.

The Batman Part II is currently scheduled to be released on October 3, 2025. However, due to the ongoing strikes being carried out by both the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGAW), and the fact that filming on The Batman Part II has now been pushed back from November 2023 and into next year, it would not be too surprising if the movie is delayed.