Who will be the villain of “The Batman Part II“? That’s the main question fans of the Caped Crusader have now that Matt Reeves is done with the sequel’s script, with plans to shoot the blockbuster next spring. So, who will it be: a familiar face from Gotham’s rogues’ gallery, or someone that may surprise even the most diehard of Batman fans?
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Reeves didn’t disclose a specific villain to Happy Sad Confused on the Emmys red carpet earlier this week, but he did drop a significant hint on who Batman will face off with in the new film. After explaining that “The Batman Part II” will focus on the psychology of Bruce Wayne and less on the origins of his cowl-clad alter-ego, the director confirmed that his Batman’s next foe has “never really been done in a movie before.” “I won’t tell you where we ended up, but we’re super excited about it,” he told host Josh Horowitz, also hinting that the new villain will “dig into…[Wayne’s] past and his life.”
So who does that sound like when it comes to Batman’s enemies? There’s two easy answers there, and they’re both relatively new additions to the rogues’ gallery: Hush and the Court Of Owls. Both have deep links to Bruce Wayne’s personal and family history and, given their recent introductions in the comics (2003 for Hush and 2012 for the Court Of Owrls), neither have appeared on the big screen yet. However, neither option would really surprise Batman fans. Fans have speculated about Hush due to easter eggs in “The Batman” and the Max series “The Penguin” alluding to the character. Meanwhile, the Court Of Owls, a secret society that controls Gotham, would fit neatly into the corrupt, conspiratorial elements of Reeves’ first film.
Still, either choice would be a pivot away from another rogues’ gallery retreat. How many times may a director bring Joker, Riddler, or Two-Face back to face off against Batman before they feel stale? Paul Dano‘s rendition of Riddler was fresh enough, but, ironically, his Zodiac Killer-like get-up faintly alludes to Hush’s bandaged mask, as well as the character’s peripheral relation to the Wayne family. And, spoiler alert for those who haven’t read the original “Batman: Hush” storyline by Jeff Loeb, The Riddler plays a major factor in how Hush carries out his vendetta against Wayne/Batman. Of course, if Reeves does use Hush in his sequel, he could do his own spin on Hush’s look and motives to make them more distinct from Dano’s villain and the original comics.
But other villain options fit the parameters Reeves revealed to Happy Sad Confused: Dr. Hugo Strange, for instance. Or Reeves could update a classic comic book villain to have deep ties to Robert Pattinson‘s Bruce Wyane. Until production begins on the film, or at least cast announcements start, feel free to speculate on who The Batman will face off against next.
“The Batman Part II” hits theaters on October 1, 2027.
