Like everyone else, Andy Serkis is eagerly awaiting what's next from Matt Reeves's The Batman universe. After creating a dark, refreshing take on the Caped Crusader that soared at the box office, Reeves is set up for a sequel with The Batman: Part II in 2025 with Serkis set to reprise his role as Batman's iconic butler Alfred. Cameras aren't slated to start rolling until November, however, meaning it'll be some time before anything meaningful comes out on the film. During an interview for Luther: The Fallen Sun, Collider's own Christina Radish asked Serkis for anything he could offer on the sequel and what his Alfred might be up to in the near future.

Serkis played a caring Alfred who raised the young Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), taught him to fight, and aided in his hunt for The Riddler (Paul Dano) after the murder of Gotham City's mayor, all while handling business at Wayne Enterprises. His role was a bit more complex, however, as he was never fully on board with Bruce's crusade as Batman yet continued to be loyal to him through thick and thin, even though he worried he was responsible for sending Bruce down the path of vigilantism. His love for Bruce and the Waynes was enough that he was even willing to hide their corruption for years until finally revealing the truth to Bruce. Any sequel plans could see Alfred back as the guiding figure in Bruce's life while trying to earn back the trust he violated by keeping the Waynes' secrets hidden.

Serkis, however, has no idea exactly in which direction he's going in the sequel. He told Radish that he's still waiting on Reeves, though he's thrilled to work with the team once again:

"I know he’s writing, at the moment. I’ve not had many discussions with him about it. I loved working with him on it. It was amazing to go from doing the Apes movies into that world. I think he just did such an incredible job. Like you say, it was a very fresh version. And working with Rob Pattinson was amazing. So, I know that the second one is being written, but that’s as far as I know. I don’t know how Alfred plays into that, at all. It’ll be exciting to find out, which I think I will do soon."

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Image via WB

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Some of the direction for The Batman: Part II will come from The Penguin, the HBO Max spinoff show documenting Carmine Falcone's titular right-hand man (Colin Farrell) as he rises to power as the top crime lord in Gotham in the wake of his boss's death. It's the first part of Reeves' extended Bat-verse which will run outside the larger DCU under the control of James Gunn and Peter Safran and the series is constructing a strong cast with Clancy Brown the latest to join. Until more is shaken out with the series and a script is in his hands though, Serkis is content to wait for more direction ahead of filming.

Serkis Is Eagerly Tracking The Lord of the Rings' Big Screen Future

Elsewhere, Serkis is continuing to put together a string of excellent roles across both television and film. 2022 was a strong year for the actor including not only The Batman, but also one of the best Star Wars shows to date—Andor. With the recent news of more The Lord of the Rings films coming from Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema, however, Radish brought the Gollum actor back to Middle Earth, asking him how he felt about the direction of the franchise. He's intrigued to see what stories from the franchise's extensive catalog could be adapted next, adding.

"Absolutely. I literally found out through a journalist, actually. I thought he was talking about The Rings of Power, but then, I went back and started looking at what was going on. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, that team, really created something extraordinary, with their relationship with Warner Bros. It makes total sense. There are so many other great Middle-earth stories. Having recently done audio book recordings of The Hobbit, and then The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and just recently The Silmarillion, I’m aware that there are such great further stories that can be told, and I wait with bated breath to see what they’re gonna come up with."

The Batman: Part II isn't expected until October 3, 2025, and the new The Lord of the Rings films are a ways off as well. In the meantime, check out our interview with Serkis for The Batman.