Every Major Unused Batman Villain Matt Reeves Could Use In Sequel
Matt Reeves' The Batman is set to feature several major villains, and while there are many famously theatrical villains waiting to be used in sequels, there are previously unseen rogues who deserve big screen debuts. Although the film does not premiere until 2022, it’s safe to assume Matt Reeves will likely be presented with the opportunity to direct a trilogy, following tradition with other directors. The more movies he is able to do, the more villains are able to be explored. While Reeves may choose to re-examine villains from past films as he is doing in The Batman, the more exciting prospect would be to use villains which have yet to be seen in live-action films.
This is not to say Reeve’s reinvention of Riddler as Gotham’s Zodiac Killer isn’t inspired or that he should avoid reinventing other previously seen villains. It’s only to say it may be more interesting to see a director of Reeves’ caliber bring to life characters who cannot be compared to prior adaptations. It’s important to clarify that television appearances, for the sake of this topic, will not be taken into account. This clarification is needed because shows like Gotham and Batwoman burn through villains faster than they can introduce them.
Moreover, villains like Joker, Poison Ivy, and Mister Freeze may not be appropriate for the Gotham City Reeves seems to have created in this film. His Batman and Gotham rely heavily on realism and therefore, these more theatrical villains may not work in this environment. Batman’s gallery of rogues is filled with flashy villains, and these are the ones who always get the attention in films. However, there are plenty of relatively grounded villains from which Reeves can select just a few. Each of these particular villains is uniquely suited to face off against Matt Reeves’ take on Batman, posing interesting challenges to Robert Pattinson’s young Dark Knight.
The Court of Owls, created by Scott Snyder during his 2011 run on Batman, is a secret order of Gotham elites that has existed for centuries. They ruled Gotham from the shadows and manipulated the city for their own benefit until Bruce Wayne got in their way. This secretive organization would be a perfect addition to Reeves’ film universe. In fact, some have speculated the Court of Owls may make an appearance in The Batman. However, this remains unconfirmed as of yet. The speculation stems from Matt Reeves’ own comments at DC FanDome 2020 that the film dives deep into Gotham’s corruption, as well as the owl on the front of Riddler’s card to Batman as seen in the trailer.
If the Court is introduced in the upcoming film, they will hopefully only play a minor role as this secret organization deserves more than a single film. In fact, the Court could easily be woven into an entire trilogy. Each film could follow Batman slowly uncovering the truth behind the organization and how deep their grip on Gotham goes. This would also present an interesting opportunity for a dual-natured Bruce Wayne to lead part of the investigation as a spy infiltrating the ranks of the court. Nonetheless, Gotham is already a living breathing character when done right, and incorporating the Court of Owls would definitely strengthen that role.
Professor Hugo Strange is a brilliant psychologist and scientist best known for his association with Arkham Asylum and his obsession with the Dark Knight. In the comic books, Strange is one of few people to ever deduce Batman’s identity on his own and has been considered by Batman to be the most dangerous man in the world. This sort of villain would be perfect to take on Pattinson’s Batman in a future film as he is highly intelligent, driven, and dangerous. This is a combination Batman has rarely had to face onscreen before.
Strange is a character who could easily be introduced in The Batman as a doctor at Arkham Asylum, where Riddler could wind up at the end of the film. Introducing the character in this way would subtly position the character for a bigger role in the next film as he develops an obsession with Batman and works to uncover his identity. Moreover, Strange, as a talented psychologist, would be able to toy with Batman in dark and twisted ways. This sort of psychological story seems as if it would be a perfect follow-up to Reeves’ detective-driven thriller.
Perhaps the most “theatrical” villain on this list, Jervis Tetch, a.k.a. The Mad Hatter, potentially poses a serious threat to Batman and Gotham City. Tetch, like many of Batman’s rogues, is a deranged scientist with a specialty in neuroscience. In the comics, the character has been largely associated with various sorts of robberies and kidnappings, as well as a desire to retrieve Batman’s cowl for his hat collection. Nonetheless, while his understanding of the mind and hypnotism is unmatched, his obsession with Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland betrays him, as does his fetish for hats.
Obviously, this sort of delusional character may not seem appropriate for Reeves’ Gotham City, given his focus on realism. However, Mad Hatter is a character who could easily be tamed and made more realistic for this setting. Much like Reeves seems to have done with the movie's main villain Riddler, Mad Hatter could be reinvented in a much more sadistic way. Given his affinity for mind control and desire to find his “Alice”, it is not hard to imagine Tetch as a dangerous adversary. Even if Mad Hatter wasn’t the primary antagonist, he would definitely pose a significant challenge for Batman to overcome in order to get to the real threat.
Lady Shiva is an assassin-for-hire often associated with the League of Assassins, and someone who is widely considered one of the deadliest assassins in the DC Universe. In fact, she is one of the few people to ever best Batman in hand-to-hand combat. Shiva’s appearance in a sequel to The Batman would not only open the door for further exploration of the League of Assassins and Ra’s al Ghul, but it would also be one of the few times Batman would have to face an equal in one-on-one combat. Surprisingly, many of Batman’s enemies simply do not possess the skills to be a threat on their own.
While Reeves has chosen to finally highlight Batman’s detective skills in his upcoming film, the film’s first trailer made it clear that Pattinson’s Batman will also be a brutally skilled fighter. Therefore, it only makes sense that a sequel would explore the extent of these skills. Shiva would be the perfect choice to test this young Caped Crusader in combat as well as pose a unique challenge in tracking thanks to her League of Assassins training. Whether Shiva comes to Gotham to kill Batman or someone else, not featuring DC’s deadliest assassin would be a missed opportunity for Reeves’ possible trilogy.
Since his debut in 2003, Hush has been one of Batman’s ultimate villains, as well as an antagonist to Bruce Wayne. For those unfamiliar with the character, Hush is the identity taken on by Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend, Thomas Elliot. However, their friendship was never meant to last as Thomas developed an unhealthy jealousy of his friend Bruce, wanting everything he had. This obsession only grew worse with time and eventually, Thomas set out to destroy Bruce’s life and take it for his own. Thomas Elliot is the antithesis of Bruce Wayne. They are both exceptionally rich and driven orphans, but only one has chosen to be a hero, with the other pursuing a villainous path.
Consequently, an adapted Hush could be an incredibly interesting movie villain if done well in a live-action film. He would be an exceptional villain for Reeves to include in a future film and provide another opportunity to craft a psychologically-driven caper that becomes incredibly personal for Bruce Wayne. In many ways, Hush, through his vast resources, cunning, and advanced fighting skills, provides the ultimate challenge to Batman. For this reason, Reeves would be remiss not to include Hush in a potential sequel.
These major villains that have yet to be utilized in a live-action Batman film are all viable options for Matt Reeves to choose from for his possible follow-up films after The Batman. Each of these villains could be adapted in interesting ways to create suspenseful and riveting storylines for the Dark Knight. Still, Reeves may choose to use Batman’s more notable rogues such as Joker or Two-Face. However, there is the possibility that the retreading of these characters may not be best for Reeves’ new Gotham City. Instead, the characters presented here may be more fitting for his gritty and grounded take on the characters.