Matt Reeves’ Batman Trilogy Already Has It’s Final Villain For Part III, And No One Is Surprised

The Batman has been confirmed by creator Matt Reeves to be the first of a full trilogy of films starring the legendary Caped Crusader, and a new rumor suggests that he’ll be facing off against his most impactful foe at the end of the line.

The Batman had just as much doubt as it did hype behind it when it hit theaters in 2022, with the project touted as more grounded than even the best prior live-action Batman films while being led by Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, a choice that many felt was pretty controversial at the time. However, fans and critics alike were pleasantly surprised by what Reeves, Pattinson and the rest of the cast and crew were able to achieve there, delivering a truly gritty, well-grounded, and ofttimes heavy box office hit despite a PG13 rating and an inexperienced Batman just two years into his crime fighting career. Following the film’s success, it was confirmed by Reeves that it would be the first entry in a planned trilogy that would also see more world building in spin-off shows.

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While things didn’t go as planned with the majority of those spin-off shows that were planned, Reeves confirmed The Batman trilogy itself would still be moving forward. Now, a new rumor suggests that the main antagonist set to face off against the latest live-action Batman might be his most iconic foe in DC comics: Barry Keoghan’s Joker. According to Derek Faraci on the Marvelvision podcast, Keoghan’s Joker will be absent from The Batman: Part II but will be the final villain of the trilogy that the Dark Knight will go up against in the still gestating The Batman: Part III. The report also alleges that the character will be properly introduced in a spin-off series akin to The Penguin but doesn’t specify whether or not the Joker will be in the lead role or simply make an appearance.

Keoghan’s Joker was notably absent from the first film in the series, only being revealed to fans via a short off-screen cameo and a now-released deleted scene showing the character for the first time, but that rendition of the character was enough to make an impression on the fans. Since Reeves confirmed his identity, fans have wondered whether the character would come to feature more prominently in future installments, and the recent rumor certainly provides an answer. The Joker’s rumored absence negates potential storylines for The Batman: Part II but opens up even more possibilities for where the film could go before returning to focus on him for the final installment of the trilogy. As for the talk of a TV spinoff, the nature of the Joker’s mystique and madness would make for poor sport in that medium, making it very likely that the project in question will focus on someone else and only tangentially or sparingly evoke the Joker’s presence in the leadup to the final film.

While this is all still speculation, it would be good news for the franchise and the aspirations behind it if this all pans out as outlined. Reeves’ Batman film series has a solid shot at going down as one of the best superhero movie trilogies ever, but there’s a long way to go still, and nailing the Joker really is as much of a make-or-break metric for any live-action Batman franchise as the Dark Knight himself. No one knows just how Reeves plans to leverage the rumored spin-off appearance to build towards the finale, but fans can be fairly confident that it’s all in good hands and wait for the projects to hit screens near them.

The Batman is available to stream on Max, with The Batman: Part II set to release theatrically on October 2, 2026.

Directed by the visionary Matt Reeves, Robert Pattinson plays a dark, gritty and tormented caped crusader, looking to save his home from the corruption that eats at it, and the criminals looking to destroy it. With a stellar cast of Andy Serkis, Zoe Kravitz, Collin Farrell and Jeffrey Wright, The Batman takes a new approach to Gotham’s protector, one not seen since the Nolan trilogy. 

Release Date

March 4, 2022

Director

Matt Reeves

Cast

Robert Pattinson , Zoë Kravitz , Jeffrey Wright , Colin Farrell , Paul Dano , John Turturro , Andy Serkis , Peter Sarsgaard , Barry Keoghan , Jayme Lawson , Gil Perez-Abraham , Peter McDonald , Con O’Neill , Alex Ferns , Rupert Penry-Jones , Kosha Engler , Archie Barnes , Janine Harouni , Hana Hrzic , Joseph Walker , Luke Roberts , Oscar Novak , Stella Stocker , Sandra Dickinson , Jack Bennett , Andre Nightingale , Richard James-Neale , Lorraine Tai , Joseph Balderrama , James Eeles

Runtime

176 minutes

Writers

Matt Reeves , Peter Craig , Bob Kane , Bill Finger

Budget

$200 million

Sequel(s)

The Batman Part II

Character(s)

Bruce Wayne / The Batman , Selina Kyle , Lt. James Gordon , Oz / The Penguin , The Riddler , Carmine Falcone , Alfred , District Attorney Gil Colson , Unseen Arkham Prisoner , Bella Reál , Officer Martinez , Kenzie , Chief Mackenzie Bock , Commissioner Pete Savage , Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. , Mrs. Mitchell , Mitchell’s Son , Carla , Annika , Young Riddler , Thomas Wayne , Young Bruce Wayne , Martha Wayne , Dory , Travis , Ritchie , Glen , Cheri , Lead Detective , Another Officer

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