MOVIE NEWS – Warner Bros. and Matt Reeves have now been cleared of plagiarism charges for the 2022 Batman script.

The delay in making the sequel isn’t the only conflict surrounding the latest Batman movie. The film 2022, directed by Matt Reeves, was recently accused of plagiarism. But a judge has now ruled in favour of the director and Warner Bros. Entertainment. The film starring Robert Pattinson was one of DC’s biggest hits on the cinema screen in recent years. So much so that it managed to survive the reboot, which James Gunn is now carrying out.

The film, which pays homage to classic thrillers such as The Seventh and The Zodiac, was a hit with fans as it explored the Dark Knight’s detective skills.

However, the story, or at least its supposed originality, was not well received by everyone. A few months after its theatrical debut, Christopher Wozniak, a DC comic book artist and writer, accused the studio of plagiarism. According to him, Reeves and Warner copied his “The Ultimate Riddle” verbatim. Fortunately for the studio and the director, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer has now ruled in their favour and dismissed Wozniak’s charges.

According to the judge, the two stories have no alarming similarities. The film is just another adaptation of the character’s adventures (after Reuters) and that the plot of the detectives chasing a killer/criminal who is always one step ahead of them is too generic to warrant any accusations.

Moreover, the judge even accused Wozniak himself of infringing DC/WB’s copyrights:

“The story’s use of the Batman character and the surrounding protected elements is an act of clear and blatant copyright infringement.”

What can we expect from Matt Reeves’ Batman Part Two?

The Batman Part Two is one of the films affected by the 2023 Hollywood strike. The film was initially scheduled to hit theatres in October 2025. But now it has slipped a whole year. This will give Reeves time to work on the script and better connect it with The Penguin miniseries, which will premiere this year on Max.

The plot details of the sequel are therefore hard to guess, although we do know that Barry Keoghan will return as the Joker, although this does not mean that he will be the main villain.

There will surely be a new enemy for Batman to face. In the first film, we saw Bruce Wayne take his first steps towards becoming the hero of Gotham City. Thus, in the second part, we can see a more mature character who has learned important lessons. We’ll undoubtedly spend more time outside his castle as he continues to fight crime in the shadows.

The Penguin has dropped several hints about what Reeves will deliver in The Batman 2. It’s even possible that Robert Pattinson will make a surprise appearance in the series, even if it’s just for an episode or a short scene.

Source: Reuters