We have a long time to wait until Matt Reeves’ anticipated follow up to his critically acclaimed The Batman reaches theaters, giving us ample time to speculate on which classic Batman villain will be showcased in the movie. We know a good deal about the sequel already. We also know that Reeves relied on several villains in his initial movie, and I think The Batman: Part 2 could also weave multiple villains into its narrative.
Given the fact that James Gunn is hard at work on a slew of upcoming DC movies, Warner Bros. moved back the release date for The Batman: Part 2, which will find Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader continuing his efforts to clean up Gotham in the wake of the murder of Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and the devastation unleashed by Edward Nashton (Paul Dano), aka The Riddler.
So far, Matt Reeves has worked to ground his world, and avoid the overly stylized flourishes of, say, Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher’s Batman stories. It’s different than Christopher Nolan’s interpretation. But it also means that some Batman villains would have a hard time fitting into the dark universe being created by Reeves and his team. With that in mind, I’m looking ahead to the anticipated sequel to The Batman, reaching theaters in October 2026, and ranking the villains I think are most likely to appear… starting with the ones who I think are least likely to be a big part of Reeves’ vision.
12. Catwoman
On the surface, bringing Zoe Kravitz back for a sequel to The Batman makes complete sense. When a movie does as well as Matt Reeves’ The Batman, filmmakers generally try and “get the band back together,” and that would include Catwoman. Only, we watched Selina ride off at the end of The Batman, and I’m willing to bet the house that Reeves waits to bring her back.
11. Killer Croc
Batman fans got a chance to see Killer Croc in live-action for the first time in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (different than James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad… and also, not the movie that Ayer wanted to make). But like a few other villains showcased on this list, Croc falls a little too far into the fantasy and sci-fi camp of Batman baddies to pop up in Reeves’ world, in my humble opinion. The villains introduced in The Batman were closer to street-level criminal masterminds, not rare genetic monstrosities with superhuman powers.
10. Bane
Which is part of the reason why I don’t imagine that Matt Reeves would have much interest in Bane, either. The genetically enhanced Bane was comically enlarged in Joel Schumacher’s awful Batman & Robin, and then was brought back down to Earth – and portrayed by Tom Hardy – for Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. I don’t think that Bane is a big enough villain to justify using him again in yet another Batman adaptation, so I’m ranking him far down on my list.
9. Poison Ivy
From here on up, I think these villains are possible, and I’ll get closer and closer to “probable” as we climb the list. Poison Ivy is another character who appeared in the Joel Schumacher movies, and has largely been on the shelf with regard to live-action (outside of Gotham). But Ivy has become VERY popular in the DC fanbase courtesy of animation, and I could see Reeves figuring a way to translate Pamela Isley as an eco-terrorist targeting Gotham following Riddler’s flood.
8. Ra’s al Ghul and/or Talia al Ghul
Here’s another duo that I’m not willing to bet on, because they were so prominently featured in the Nolan Batman trilogy, but they’re so pervasive to the Batman myth that I can almost see Reeves trying to lay some groundwork for their appearance in either The Batman: Part 2 or a future installment. Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter Talia trade in global corruption, and Gotham’s a frequent target of theirs. This was a major theme of The Batman, which easily could be continued (and majorly expanded on) should Reeves want to bring the duo into his universe, and make them part of Bruce Wayne’s trauma.
7. The Riddler
“Gotham loves a comeback story.” Paul Dano’s Riddler was apprehended and jailed in Arkham at the end of The Batman, but that doesn’t mean that Edward’s plans aren’t still in motion. Riddler is a devious, clever antagonist, and he’s now a pawn on a much bigger board. Edward thought, the whole time, that he and Batman were working together to get back at Carmine Falcone. “You inspired me!” he claims. And I think it’s very likely that we keep seeing Riddler in Batman’s story as the sequel expands. Especially once he starts conversing with a fellow inmate, who we will get to momentarily.
6. The Penguin
As of right now, Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobb, aka The Penguin, will be the next character in the Reeves universe to get some screen time. The Penguin will land on the Max streaming service in September, and start to explain what happens to Gotham following the events of The Batman. Because of the emphasis the show will place on Cobb, it’s possible that Reeves doesn’t focus on Penguin, with the show filling in most of the narrative gaps. At the same time, if the show raises Penguin to real prominence in Gotham’s underworld, then Farrell’s villain will have to take a spot near the top of the criminal food chain.
5. The Joker
If you are making a Batman movie, you eventually need The Joker. You can get clever and sidestep the Clown Prince for a little while. But eventually, you are going to want to pit your version of The Dark Knight against his chief nemesis. The Joker (Barry Keoghan) was briefly introduced in The Batman, and also appeared in a widely circulated deleted scene. Will he continue to lurk behind the scenes for yet another movie? Or will Matt Reeves figure out how to make him the main event in The Batman: Part 2? My guess is that he doesn’t act as the main villain, but he (and the Riddler) have a lot more to do in the sequel than expected.
4. Hush
There are a handful of contemporary Batman villains who have become popular in the comics, but aren’t as well known by casual DC fans. Showcasing them in the movie both gives audiences something fresh, and expanding on the myth of Batman in theaters. Hush would be a terrific choice, a villain who has yet to appear in a major live-action Batman movie (and who might actually have been teased in The Batman). Hush … well, let’s just say he has deep connections to Bruce Wayne and his family, has deep connections to The Riddler, and is the kind of street-level criminal that would easily fit into Matt Reeves’ vision of Gotham.
3. The Court of Owls
Because Matt Reeves seems very interested in Penguin, and Carmine Falcone, and Riddler, and all of the criminals pulling strings behind the scenes in Gotham, introducing the Court of Owls for Pattinson’s Batman to combat would be a masterstroke. Do yourself a favor and go read Scott Snyder’s run on Batman: The New 52. It lays out this grand scheme where a criminal organization known as the Court of Owls has been responsible for all hardship in Gotham for centuries. They are all powerful, all knowing… and a terrific foil that Reeves absolutely should use.
2. Two-Face
Over the years, Harvey Dent has become almost as synonymous as The Joker when it comes to legendary Batman villains. Maybe it’s because Dent gives Bruce Wayne a run for his own money in terms of high-profile Gotham power brokers. Or maybe it’s because his downfall is so tragic, and the visualization of Two-Face’s scarred face is so magnificent to behold in live-action. We’ve already speculated that Harvey Dent’s appearance was teased in The Batman when The Riddler did away with the current Gotham district attorney Gil Colson (pictured above). Replacing him with Dent makes so much sense, as does bringing Two-Face into this criminal fold.
1. Mister Freeze
Justice for Victor Fries! Right now, the visualization that appears when you mention Mr. Freeze is probably Arnold Schwarzenegger’s monstrosity from Batman & Robin… a larger-than-life super villain who never met an ice pun he didn’t love. It’s time for someone else to take a more serious swing at Freeze, because his love story is truly tragic, and his unique powers could bring a bold new take on The Batman: Part 2 that would instantly separate it from its predecessor. It’ll be a challenge for Matt Reeves to find a way to ground Victor Fries in tangible modern science. But if the storyteller can crack that element, Mr. Freeze would be a glorious addition to the already colorful landscape painted by Reeves in his first movie.
There's a chance we might learn more about Matt Reeves' The Batman: Part 2 during San Diego Comic-Con 2024. At the very least, we expect to hear more (and see more) from The Penguin at that press event, so follow CinemaBlend for all of our coverage.
