You don’t have to be a movie buff or comic book fan to have heard that studio heads have already green-lit a sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Even though The Batman has only been out since March, the American superhero film is so far the highest-grossing box office film of 2022, winning over critics with its cinematography, direction, narrative arc, and action sequences.
This news has sparked global online discussions about which characters and villains are likely to appear in the sequel, as The Batman featured everyone from Riddler and Penguin to Catwoman.
Of course, we expected these three characters to feature in the film since they are some of the most popular villains in the Batman universe, famous in the mainstream for their iconic criminal costumes and intense relationships with the Caped Crusader. However, there are several other villains with split personalities from Gotham that would make a great addition to Reeves’ sequel. We’re going to explore a few of them today.
Hush
There’s quite a bit of speculation that Hush will feature in the sequel, thanks to some eager-eyed fans who spotted easter eggs in The Batman hinting at the possibility. Hush not only sports an eerie look where his face is wrapped in bandages to conceal surgical alterations that made him look like Bruce Wayne, but many consider the villain to be the yin to Batman’s yang.
They are both intellectual, cunning strategists who have faced a lifetime of trauma and have used that hurt to seek vengeance. Hush was also one of Batman’s closest friends growing up, opening the possibility for flashback sequences.
Black Mask
Considering Reeves’ The Batman is one of the more psychologically disturbing takes on the Batman franchise, drawing inspiration from directors like Alfred Hitchcock, it would make sense to see Black Mask feature in the sequel. Black Mask, whose real name is Roman Sionis, brings that human side to the villain arc. He doesn’t become evil by falling into a vat of chemicals like Harley Quinn; he gives in to his own demons by removing his parents from the equation to inherit the family fortune.
After killing his parents, Sionis forges a new identity by making a black mask from his father’s casket and becomes a leader of Gotham’s crime world. Removing that supernatural side of a villain can be even scarier, and that’s one of the great things about Black Mask — he could be anyone.
The Court of Owls
Impressively, Robert Pattinson said he wants The Court of Owls in the sequel. What’s impressive is that the English actor clearly did his homework before going into his role as Bruce Wayne since not many people know who The Court of Owls are. This group of bad guys is relatively new, first appearing in the DC New 52, but they have the potential to offer a lot of onscreen drama.
The Court of Owls is a group of millionaires and billionaires who run Gotham from their underground club and employ dangerous assassins called Talons. This storyline would bode well with fans of Netflix’s Squid Game, which featured a similar group of wealthy individuals taking the lives of others into their own hands.
There isn’t much information available about the sequel to The Batman, but we do know fans can’t wait to find out which villains will appear. Since The Batman relied less on supernatural elements and played out more like a psychological thriller, it may be best to choose villains for the sequel that represent the dark side of human nature.
