In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt Reeves revealed that after the original film explores the titular character maturing into a hero, The Batman 2 would dive deeper into Bruce Wayne’s past, forcing him to confront his own history and identity through a villain with deeper ties to the man behind the cowl.
Without revealing anything that could jeopardize the integrity and secrecy of the plot, Reeves did, however, make one major revelation about the villain: “It has never really been done in a movie before.”
With the script finally complete, updates on The Batman 2 are circulating in every corner of Hollywood. Meanwhile, Matt Reeves is supplying enough information to keep the suspense alive and the conversations flowing around the delayed and highly anticipated sequel to his 2022 film.
How Court of Owls and Hush Can Tie Into The Batman: Part II
From the little that Matt Reeves divulged, it can be gathered that The Batman: Part II is either preparing for the Court of Owls or Hush to take over the mantle from the Riddler as Bruce Wayne’s latest adversary.
The Court of Owls has long been pulling the threads from behind the scenes and running Gotham City as its oldest, most secretive, and dangerous crime syndicate. The organization, made up of Gotham’s richest and most elite, has been subtly manipulating and altering the course of history to make sure they always end up on top.
In the comics, the Court’s elite connections have led them to cross paths with the Wayne family, even once joining hands with Alan Wayne to help fund their hideouts all over the city. With The Batman hinting at the Wayne family’s dark and sordid past, Part II
Hush, on the other hand, has a more direct link to Gotham’s dark protector. As Bruce’s childhood best friend, Tommy Elliot became jealous and resentful of the Wayne heir. With age, those feelings turned to hatred, which manifested in an extreme form when he learned about Batman’s true identity from the Riddler. [DC Comics]
The Riddler’s involvement in the story will not only serve as a bridge between the two films but will also feed into his mania and further his revenge arc after the villain is left feeling betrayed during his final confrontation with the hero.
The first film already explored the Riddler’s obsession with Batman, while multiple clues throughout the film hint at him knowing about the latter’s real identity. The stage is now perfectly set for Hush’s arrival in the sequel. And though it might be too campy to see a bandaged maniac prancing around Gotham, Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin’s vision could temper the villain’s mummified look, retain his iconic attire, and also make him utterly terrifying.
The Batman 2 Risks Being Too Similar to the Original Film in 1 Aspect
Matt Reeves’ vision for the Robert Pattinson-helmed sequel is at a little risk of running stale. The director is adamant about rooting Part II‘s villain in Bruce Wayne’s past and having the Dark Knight confront his own history and examine the legacy he was born into.
The first film already did that with Paul Dano‘s Riddler unraveling the truth behind the Wayne Foundation and the Gotham Renewal Fund. The sequel (and the third film, if it gets greenlit, according to Reeves) will also center around a villain with ties to Bruce Wayne’s past. After a certain point, one might want some flavor in the monotonous gruel of family-dealt trauma.
Reeves further revealed his motive behind focusing solely on Bruce and his alter-ego as opposed to the more popular and culturally iconic Rogues Gallery villains like the Joker, Scarecrow, or even Two-Face in the sequel. He said to Horowitz,
The way [The Batman] ended, it was leaving us on the precipice… [hinting] that there is an exploration to be had. One of the explorations for me was to do something that pushes even further into the character, Bruce Wayne… I always wanted the movies to be focused on his character.
A lot of the other films, once you get past the origin tale, then you start telling the Rogues Gallery story… I never wanted to lose [Robert Pattinson] at the center of these stories. So that is really what we set our aim on. Picking the right villain that goes into his past and his life sort of drove that discussion and I won’t tell you where we ended up.
With so many Batman films already out there, it is surprising to see how little the films diverge and explore when it comes to the library of villains. At the end of the day, one can never have too much of the Joker’s psychotic mania or the Riddler’s endless puzzles, or Two-Face’s predictable turn to villainy.
With The Batman: Part II, the DC icon may finally find some redemption by breaking new ground with the hero and pitting him against an adversary that has never been explored in live-action before.
Below is a table listing all the key characters from The Batman who could reprise their role or make a cameo in the sequel:
Which Batman villain do you think is the most likely to make an appearance in the sequel? Share your theories in the comments below.
The Batman: Part II will premiere worldwide on October 1, 2027.
