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Millionaire-by-day, villain-puncher by night. It might seem like not to bad a life, but for Robert Pattinson's Batman it's a struggle - and one that will be even more pronounced in 2026's The Batman Part II.

In an interview promoting the movie franchise's TV spinoff The Penguin, director and Penguin producer Matt Reeves directly said why Gotham's hero wouldn't step in for when Gotham's criminal underworld is making big moves - especially just one week after the finale of The Batman, which is when the Penguin is set.

"This was a time of great turmoil in the city, it's literally the week after what happened," Reeves told Digital Spy. "Much of the city is in desperation, so police can't get everywhere, there's crime everywhere, it's a very, very dangerous time."

According to Reeves, Robert Pattinson's Batman is consumed with what happened during the events of the Batman film - and the part he played in it.

"He's out there trying to grapple with the aftermath of everything that happened, which to some degree he blames himself for," says the director/co-writer. 

And it's not just the fighting he is guilt-ridden about, but also about creating the persona of the Batman. As Paul Dano's Riddler said in the movie, he was inspired by the Batman's mission to combat the corrupt, leading to his own mission to combat (who he believed) was corrupt. That ended up in bombs going off and Gotham City being flooded - which affects all of Gotham, even outside of those who might be corrupt.

In Reeves' own words this month, Robert Pattinson's Batman is finding it "very hard to be Batman".

That seems to be the one, true explanation in-story why Batman didn't intervene during the criminal machinations of HBO's The Penguin - he had his own problems to deal with.

The Batman - Part II is scheduled to open in theaters October 2, 2026.

Call us your Oracle, because we have a guide to how to watch the Batman movies & TV shows in order.