Potential Villains For The Batman Part 2

Key Takeaways

• The Batman
  sequel in 2026 promises a more realistic tone, hinting at major villain tweaks to keep fans engaged and surprised.
• Characters like The Joker, Bane, and Mr. Freeze could make intriguing appearances in
  The Batman 2
  , each bringing unique challenges.
• Two-Face stands out as a villain with a tragic backstory, offering a blend of darkness and depth for Batman to face in upcoming films.

In 2022, the world was given The Batman as part of Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga universe, starring Robert Pattinson in the lead role. This version of the Caped Crusader exists in a darker version of Gotham, and he is more reliant on his detective skills than ever before, providing fans with a fresh yet accurate take on the Batman mythos, which fans are eager to see again for The Batman Part 2.

With the sequel arriving on October 2, 2026, little is known about the plot of Batman’s next adventure. However, the world that Matt Reeves has built up has the potential to introduce one or several villains to join The Batman Epic Crime Saga, ranging from mercenaries to other twisted serial killers from the comics.

Updated on November 13th, 2024, by Melody MacReady: Now that The Penguin series has come and gone, it not only tells a praise-worthy story about a vile criminal rising in Gotham City, but it sets up storylines and characters like the Penguin to play a role in The Batman Part 2. It also establishes the possibility of other characters through its lore and themes that fit the overall style of Matt Reeves’ world. Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga features a strong balance of grounded realism and comic book elements, similar to what Matt Reeves brought to Batman: Caped Crusader on Amazon Prime, and that series could be a hint at what he has in mind for villains in his cinematic Batman universe, and in particular, his sequel to The Batman.

15 Julian Rush

This Underused Character Could Be A Secret Villain

• First Appearance: The Penguin
• Real Name: Julian Rush
• Known For: Obsessed with helping Sofia Gigante for unknown reasons

In The Penguin series, audiences are introduced to Julian Rush, a mysterious doctor working at Arkham Asylum who sides with Sofia Gigante in her fight against her family. He is also partially responsible for the drug Bliss, as it was what was used to keep the patients at Arkham in a drug-induced happiness.

This has led to fan theories that Julian Rush is not who he seems, but rather an alias for a more famous villain. A drug like Bliss being the experiment of an Arkham doctor could be a hint at Jonathan Crane, AKA Scarecrow, who is all about drugs that alter the mind. However, Hugo Strange is another famous villain, a mad scientist obsessed with controlling the minds of his patients.

14 The Phantasm

Fits The Themes Of The Batman Epic Crime Saga

• First Appearance: Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm
• Real Name: Andrea Beaumont
• Known For: Twisting Batman’s methods and framing him

With The Batman, Riddler: Year One comic, and The Penguin series, there is a common theme of hate against the upper classes throughout the stories, especially with Riddler trying to kill all of Gotham City’s elite. If The Batman Part 2 continues this, The Phantasm would be an ideal villain to use, as they are a villain who goes after the corrupt officials and gangsters of Gotham.

Originally introduced in Batman: Mask Of The Phantasminstead of the comic books, the titular villain from this animated movie is a grim reaper-inspired villain who uses similar methods as Batman, but brutally murders their victims. The Phantasm is Andrea Beaumont, a love interest of Bruce Wayne’s, and is also descended from the elite. She is trying to rid the city of the powerful people involved in her father’s death, a cause that fits with Reeves’ Batman universe and could also tie back to The Penguin.

13 Black Mask

The Scariest Gotham City Crime Lord

• First Appearance: Batman #386
• Real Name: Roman Sionis
• Known For: Crime lord with a black skull-shaped mask

With a universe called The Batman Epic Crime Saga, that name suggests that crime and corruption are going to be a recurring theme in Matt Reeves’ stories. After Carmine Falcone’s death, Penguin wouldn’t be the only one trying to fill the void and take control of Gotham City, and Black Mask would be an ideal threat to Batman.

Roman Sionis and Bruce Wayne feature many similarities: they come from wealthy families, inherited major Gotham City corporations, and dress up to unleash who they truly are. They are both sons of Gotham, but Black Mask uses his mask to hurt the innocent and sieze control of the city, which would make for an ideal rivalry with Batman.

12 Killer Croc

There Could Be More Than Batman Lurking Under Gotham

• First Appearance: Batman #357
• Real Name: Waylon Jones
• Known For: A former wrestler turned sewer-dwelling supercriminal

Even though Matt Reeves is sticking to a more grounded take on Batman’s lore, Waylon Jones is a character who could still fit. He is an unfortunate man born with an extreme case of atavism, a skin condition that gives him scale-like skin and earns him the name Killer Croc after which he becomes a wrestler and criminal enforcer.

The idea of Killer Croc is not all that much more ridiculous than a green-clad domestic terrorist or a man dressing up as a bat to fight crime. Plus, there is such a focus on Gotham’s underground between the Batcave and Penguin’s lair, which opens up an opportunity to introduce Killer Croc as a threat to both Batman and criminals alike.

11 The Joker

The Opposite of Batman, The Perfect Nemesis

• First Appearance: Batman #1
• Real Name: Unknown
• Known For: Creating chaos with colorful clown-inspired acts

Batman and The Joker are two sides of the same coin; justice and chaos are embodied as iconic rivals since the Joker commits some of the worst atrocities. The two characters are so intertwined that The Joker even appeared again in live-action in The Batman at the end to talk with The Riddler in Arkham Asylum and, in a deleted scene, being questioned by Batman.

It is clear that these two characters have shared a history in this universe already, but it does not look like Matt Reeves is ready to commit to making him a main villain. Therefore, it is highly likely that The Joker will appear in The Batman Part 2, playing a Hannibal Lecter-esque role helping Batman catch villains such as in the deleted scene, yet won’t be a major threat until later in the franchise.

10 Clayface

A Shape-Shifting Murderer Continues A Trend Of Killings

• First Appearance: Detective Comics #40
• Real Name: Basil Karlo
• Known For: Shape-shifting and Thespian gimmicks

In the Batman comics, Clayface is a shapeshifting pile of clay that can transform into anyone at will. As a result, he can pose a physical and mental threat to Batman. Matt Reeves recently brought the character to life in Batman: Caped Crusader with a portrayal that fused his Golden Age and modern-day origins for the best of both worlds.

Originally an actor named Basil Karlo, an unfortunate accident leaves the former Thespian with the ability to change form, an ability he uses to commit murders. Having a character able to change his identity would make for a great mystery and action. Thus, an adapted version of Clayface would make for a villain unlike any other seen in previous Batman films.

9 Victor Zsasz

The Most Believable Serial Killer In Gotham City

• First Appearance: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1
• Real Name: Victor Zsasz
• Known For: Tally marking his skin for every kill

Few villains are as terrifying as Victor Zsasz when it comes to Gotham City, nor are they as evil. Matt Reeves has already shown that he is willing to push the limits with some of the twisted murders The Riddler committed in The Batman and Zsasz would fight right into The Batman Epic Crime Saga.

Victor Zsasz is a character that, sadly, is not that hard to see happening in the real world. He’s a nihilistic sadist who murders his victims, poses them to his liking, and then carves tally marks into his skin to mark the occasion. Such a disturbing character would make a perfect side or main villain in a new Batman movie.

8 Bane

A Challenge For Batman Both Physically & Mentally

• First Appearance: Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1
• Real Name: Unknown
• Known For: Breaking Batman’s back

The Riddler was a great villain to use to test this version of Batman and his intellectual skills. As such, many fans believe that the sequel will continue this trend. However, Matt Reeves could always go in another direction by testing this Batman through strength, pitting him against Bane. The two have become fierce rivals in the comics, almost as much as Batman and Joker.

A towering mass of muscles, Bane is a powerful and evil mercenary trained in all manners of combat, and his mind is almost as sharp as the Caped Crusader’s. However, Bane uses a special chemical, Venom, to increase his strength, making him a dangerous adversary for Batman, something that was missing from the previous cinematic take on Bane.

7 Man-Bat

A Monstrous Villain Straight Out Of A Horror Movie

• First Appearance: Detective Comics #400
• Real Name: Kirk Langstrom (or Francine Langstrom)
• Known For: Transforming into a giant bat monster

An anthropomorphic bat monster like Man-Bat may seem a bit too much, but Matt Reeves has accomplished such creatures with Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes and its sequel. One of the most praised elements of The Batman was that it tip-toed into horror territory with not only The Riddler but also with the titular superhero being feared by Gotham’s criminal element.

The inclusion of Man-Bat could continue that horror side of his universe, since such a creature would give anyone nightmares, as shown by having a terrifying introduction in Batman: Arkham Knight. On top of that, the story could be rather tragic since it originates from Kirk Langstrom trying to cure deafness.

6 Deathstroke

So Different, Yet So Similar To Batman

• First Appearance: The New Teen Titans #2
• Real Name: Slade Wilson
• Known For: Being a major threat to the Teen Titans

A common trope in comic book movies is having a hero fight a villain who is a dark equivalent and Deathstroke fits that. With contingencies for every scenario, mastery of all forms of martial arts, and a plethora of gadgets, Slade Wilson is uncannily similar to Batman and one of the DC universe’s most dangerous assassins.

The inclusion of Deathstroke would also be a nice full circle for The Batman since Matt Reeves’ movie originally began as the Ben Affleck Batman movie for the DC Extended Universe and Deathstroke was going to be the villain. With Batman causing such a major blow to Gotham’s underworld, someone like the Penguin could hire Deathstroke to eliminate Batman.

5 Catwoman

Selina Is Always Going To Come Back To Gotham

• First Appearance: Batman #1
• Real Name: Selina Kyle
• Known For: A sultry cat burglar and frenemy to Batman

Selina Kyle leaves Gotham City at the end of The Batman, which is understandable given what she endured. However, The Penguin series teases her return in the final episode when Sofia Gigante, her half-sister, is locked up in Arkham Asylum, and she receives a black letter from Selina. It could be a tease that Selina Kyle will be breaking Sofia out of Arkham using her skills as Catwoman.

Catwoman and Batman are also like magnets, they always attract each other and, given their relationship in The Batman, it wouldn’t be surprising if she turned up in Gotham once again to either help or fight Batman, depending on the storyline. Or, the scene in The Penguin series is possibly meant to be a tease for a Catwoman spin-off in this universe.

4 Two-Face

A Good Man, Corrupted By Indecent Times

• First Appearance: Detective Comics #66
• Real Name: Harvey Dent
• Known For: Diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder that requires a coin flip to make essential choices

Two-Face is a rare type of Batman villain who fits in all types of media. As a former lawyer called Harvey Dent, this man was turned to villainy when he was scarred by acid in court. Now, Two-Face commits crimes by using a coin to make all of his decisions for him, making him just as scary, and he is heartbreaking as a villain.

The introduction of Two-Face seems inevitable after The Batman featured the corrupt District Attorney’s brutal death because of The Riddler. Even if he doesn’t become Two-Face, Harvey Dent would be the ideal character to replace Gil Colson, setting him up to eventually fall from grace as Bruce Wayne’s best friend to one of Batman’s greatest enemies as a crime lord.

3 Hugo Strange

The First Batman Villain In Comic History

• First Appearance: Detective Comics #36
• Real Name: Professor Hugo Strange
• Known For: An obsession with Batman and twisted experimentation.

As iconic as The Joker or the Penguin may be, they wouldn’t exist as they do today without Hugo Strange. The deranged psychologist Professor Hugo Strange was the first true supervillain Batman encountered in the comics and, as such, deserves the chance to shine on the big screen as he did in the Batman: Arkham games as the main antagonist of Batman: Arkham City.

Hugo Strange is obsessed with Batman, always determined to not only discover his true identity but also replace him as Gotham’s savior. He uses physical and psychological torture not only to make others subservient to him but to destroy anyone in his way, which could make him another example of a mental challenge for Batman in The Batman Part 2.

2 Sofia Gigante

The Breakout Star Of The Penguin Series

• First Appearance: Batman #121
• Real Name: Sofia Falcone
• Known For: Being a secret serial killer known as The Hangman in the comics

While Colin Farrell is the star of The Penguin, Cristin Milioti stole the entire series with her performance as Sofia Gigante, who is set to become an iconic live-action Batman villain. Sofia was born a Falcone, but her hatred for her father and family led to her taking her mother’s name upon destroying the Falcone crime family and starting a new one in its stead.

Sofia Gigante was as scary as she was endearing, creating a villain who was far from a typical one. She is shown to be a very smart, powerful, and cunning woman, and it would be a shame to waste her in this Batman universe. It is already said that The Penguin is meant to tease things for The Batman Part 2, so it’s logical to assume that Cristin Milioti will join the cast.

1 Mr. Freeze

A Scientist With A Tragic Backstory

• First Appearance: Batman #121
• Real Name: Victor Fries
• Known For: Cryogenic condition and weapons mixed with a tragic origin story.

There have been very few Batman villains in history who fans have taken to as Mr. Freeze. This icy killer is a former scientist who uses cryogenic weapons to commit crimes to save his dying wife from a terminal illness. His sympathetic backstory has been shown perfectly in episodes of Batman: The Animated Series .

It was rather quickly after The Batman was released that fans asked for Mr. Freeze online, as this complex character is the perfect way to provide Batman with a new mystery to solve, while also testing his moral compass. Plus, the wintry state of Gotham City in which The Penguin left off and The Batman Part 2 takes place would be ideal for a villain like Mr. Freeze.