It’s 2022. Ben Simmons had just been traded from the 76ers, Dr. Druggan is still in his first stint as Head of School, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, has just been released. Since then, Dr. Druggan has left and returned to SCH, Ben Simmons has been left without a roster spot, and The Batman’s highly anticipated sequel? Still hasn’t started filming. 

Originally announced with a release date of October 3, 2025, the sequel was meant to arrive just 3 years after its predecessor. However, due to a series of delays, The Batman’s sequel is now not scheduled to start filming until early 2026. Some fans have heavily criticized Reeves and the production team, questioning whether the film will even be released at all.

Part of the reason fans have become so accustomed to immediate sequels in film is due to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Between the years 2008 and 2019, the MCU released 24 movies, averaging more than 2 films a year. This schedule of consistently released films conditioned fans of film to believe that they can expect seemingly immediate sequels to projects that take tremendous amounts of time, money, and planning to produce. This anticipation of near-immediate sequels, however, hasn’t always been the norm for follow-ups to blockbuster films. 

One iconic sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, is considered by many to be the greatest sequel ever made. The film furthered the story that began in the original film, brought back the main cast, and saw tremendous success both commercially and critically. What’s often forgotten, though, is that Terminator 2: Judgement Day wasn’t released until 7 years after the original. 

More recently, Toy Story 3 was released 11 years after the series’s second adaptation. In taking time to create a story that would stand the test of time and build upon the narrative of the second film, Pixar was able to recapture the magic that had made the first 2 so popular. As a result, even the most impatient of fans were left satisfied by the end of the trilogy. 

For most of cinematic history, long breaks in between the production of films were the standard. If fans throughout movie history have been able to deal with waiting nearly a decade for well-produced sequels, then fans of modern films like The Batman should have no issue waiting 5 years for a sequel to their favorite projects. By giving movie studios time in between films, fans can expect higher-quality scripts, better acting performances, and an improved theater experience.