The Batman premiered on March 4, 2022, kicking off Matt Reeves’ Batverse and introducing a new Caped Crusader to the DC movie canon. The film stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman and pits him against the Riddler (Paul Dano) to save Gotham—despite his doubts on whether the corrupt city deserves saving. It proved to be the most well-received Batman film since The Dark Knight trilogy and a sequel, The Batman – Part II, was quickly greenlit.
The Batman – Part II is set to premiere on October 5, 2024 and fans are already anticipating which villains might be featured in the film. Not only did The Batman introduce and tease some of our favorite villains (who we are anxious to see return), but Batman in DC Comics boasts one of the best and most complex rogues galleries of any comic book hero. As a result, there are so many great villains that The Batman sequel could incorporate. Here are the 10 villains we’d most like to see in The Batman – Part II.
The Joker
After Heath Ledger’s masterful performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight trilogy and Cameron Monaghan’s unique interpretation of the role in Gotham, I didn’t think I needed another live-action Joker iteration for a while. Then, The Batman included a surprise cameo of Barry Keoghan as the Joker. Keoghan as the Joker? I’m very intrigued. We don’t know when or if Keoghan will return to the role, but the casting choice was compelling enough to make us want to see him again. Hopefully, Keoghan’s Joker will pop back up in The Batman – Part II and fully show us what he can do in the role.
The Penguin
Colin Farrell was nearly unrecognizable as Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot in The Batman. While he only had a small role in the film and hasn’t quite peaked as a crime kingpin, he is already being hailed as one of the best interpretations of the iconic Batman villain. He really nails the classic gangster side of the character and has so much room to grow into the role. In fact, Farrell’s performance was so strong that he’s getting a Penguin solo series on HBO Max. As a result, we’re expecting most of his story arc to play out in the TV show. We’d still like to see him turn up in The Batman – Part II as a full-fledged threat, even if he’s not the main villain.
The Riddler
Paul Dano’s Riddler was the main villain in The Batman and proved to be one of the best interpretations of the character. His villain is a departure from the source material, but in a good way; Riddler loses the comic book campiness and becomes truly chilling, brilliant, and terrifying. Even though he’s incarcerated by the end of the film, the Riddler still landed several victories over Batman and Gotham. As a result, it felt like his story wasn’t quite over in The Batman. Similar to the Penguin, we hope to at least catch up with him in The Batman – Part II as a side villain.
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is one of Batman’s most iconic villains, but he hasn’t been on the big screen since Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed him in Batman & Robin over 25 years ago. The villain, whose real name is Victor Fries, was first introduced as Mr. Zero in 1959. He became popular as Mr. Freeze in the 1960s Batman series and Batman: The Animated Series, both of which reinvented the character. The comic books subsequently got on board, and he’s most often depicted as a brilliant cryogenics expert who morphed into a villain after an accident left him widowed and stuck in a cryo-suit. Now, he’s a beloved tragic villain and fans are anxious for a modern take on the character.
Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange has never been adapted to live-action on the big screen, and we’d like The Batman – Part II to change that. In the comics, he’s either portrayed as a mad scientist or a psychiatrist. In both iterations, he’s a deeply disturbed individual who is obsessed with Batman and experiments on humans to turn them into mutated monsters. He’s also one of the first villains to successfully determine Batman’s true identity, raising his threat level. Strange has the potential to be even more chilling and disturbing than Dano’s Riddler, making him a good candidate for the sequel’s new primary villain.
Clayface
Clayface is a name that keeps surfacing amid The Batman – Part II rumors, and it’s not hard to see why. Basil Karlo (a.k.a. Clayface) is a character fans have never seen on the big screen in live-action. In the comics, he is a failing actor who becomes unhinged and goes on a killing spree. He later transforms into Clayface, with a clay-like body that can shapeshift, melt, and mold itself. While the Harley Quinn animated series has made him an endearingly neurotic aspiring thespian, he’s pure nightmare fuel and could be so terrifying in live-action if done right.
The Court of Owls
In the comics, the Court of Owls is one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Gotham. They’re mysterious with enough wealth and influence to secretly infiltrate nearly all aspects of the city. If you get on their bad side, they’ll send the Talon after you for a grisly assassination. Given their aura of mystery, they’d fit perfectly in The Batman film series, with its emphasis on Batman’s detective side. They would provide the perfect mystery for the hero. Plus, they’ve never appeared on the big screen in live-action before, making us even more anxious to see them in a film.
Hush
Hush is a unique villain because of his personal connection to Batman. His real name is Thomas Elliot, and he was a childhood friend of Bruce and the Wayne family. Unfortunately, he developed a grudge against Bruce after Bruce’s father foiled Elliot’s first attempt to murder his parents by saving his mother. When he later discovered that Bruce was Batman, Elliot devoted his life to trying to kill the hero. He would frequently disorient Batman by quoting Aristotle, and would even drive other villains out of Gotham or brutally attack them in hopes of saving Batman for himself. Hush is one of Batman’s most chilling, obsessive, and personal victims, and the dark tone of The Batman film series would be a perfect fit for his live-action film debut.
Two-Face
Harvey Dent (a.k.a. Two-Face) is one of Batman’s most iconic villains from the comic books. He’s also one of the most interesting characters given his obsession with duality, constant internal conflict, personal connection to Batman, and dissociative identity disorder (DID). Two-Face was the persona he initially took on after his disfigurement caused him to go mad, but the story was later expanded to explain that Dent’s alter ego was actually another identity that formed due to childhood trauma. With The Batman‘s focus on Wayne’s detective work and the corrupt GCPD, Dent could seamlessly make his way into The Batman – Part II as a personal and formidable enemy.
Poison Ivy
Since The Batman did such a good job authentically portraying Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), we’re hoping The Batman – Part II could also do justice to Pamela Lillian Isley, a.k.a. Poison Ivy. Despite being arguably one of the most powerful characters in the DCU, Poison Ivy is also one of the most sexualized women in comic books. Most adaptations of the character have failed to evoke her commanding presence and the fact that she is powerful enough to control every plant and human on Earth. Considering the last time she appeared on the big screen was about 25 years ago, she’s overdue for a revisit, and we think we can trust The Batman – Part II to get her right.
(featured image: DC Comics)
