The Batman: Part 2 director Matt Reeves confirmed 12 villains that the Dark Knight won't face in the sequel, shutting down many theories and rumors. Fans have already been impatiently waiting over three years for The Batman 2, but they will have to wait two more years until the sequel arrives on October 1, 2027. Reeves only recently completed the script alongside co-writer Mattson Tomlin, and production is set to begin in April 2026. Throughout the journey to production, there have been many rumors about The Batman 2, not least of which surrounding its main villain, with theories ranging from Joker to Hush.
In The Batman, the focus was firmly on Robert Pattinson's Batman and a serial killer mystery from Paul Dano's Edward Nashton, aka The Riddler. As Matt Reeves built his new world of Gotham, fans met other members of the Dark Knight's rogues' gallery, such as Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman, Barry Keoghan's Joker, and Colin Farrell's Penguin, who starred in his own HBO series in 2024.
During an interview with Happy Sad Confused, The Batman 2 director Matt Reeves played coy on the 2027 sequel's villain, but similtaneously offered one tease that ruled out 12 possible villains.
First, the director noted that he and co-writer Mattson Tomlin "had a lot of ideas" for where to take the sequel and took a "deep dive into the comics" as well as watching "a lot of movies" to decide where to go:
“I had a lot of ideas. And then Mattson Tomlin, who’s my writing partner, we began the process of this by doing another deep dive into the comics, exploring the ideas that I had, and he gave me ideas that he had. We sat together and watched a lot of movies, and not all from the realm of Gotham."
Reeves went on to tease that one of the logical "explorations" for him after The Batman and The Penguin was to dive "even further into the character of Bruce Wayne," after focusing so much on his superhero persona before:
"The way ['The Batman'] ended was leaving us on the precipice, and also the way events happen within ['The Penguin'], 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 of Bruce Wayne, because the first story is so much about The Batman.
Reeves was clear that, even as he explores Batman's rogues' gallery, he "never wanted to lose [Robert Pattinson] at the center of these stories."
Having hinted that The Batman 2's villain will dig further into billionaire Bruce Wayne than his Dark Knight persona, Reeves ended by stating that the movie's villain of choice has "never really been done in a movie before:"
"So picking the right villain that digs into what that does, that sort of goes into his past and his life, is what drove that discussion, and I won’t tell you where we ended up, but we're super excited about it. And I will say, it’s never really been done in a movie before.”
In confirming that the 2027 sequel's villain will be a first for Batman movies, the DC director ruled out 10 antagonists who have been adapted before...
Joker
To get the obvious out of the way, this, of course, means that fans shouldn't expect a Joker-centric story in The Batman 2. While Saltburn actor Barry Keoghan was introduced as the ReevesVerse's Joker in The Batman's iconic deleted scene, it seems that wasn't intended to set up a starring role going forward.
That said, Keoghan has been reported to appear in The Batman 2, meaning he could be limited to another Arkham Asylum cameo.
Penguin
After a staggering performance in The Batman, Colin Farrell just received an Emmy-winning HBO spin-off series in The Penguin. Having been the main villain for Batman Returns, The Penguin is ruled out as the sequel's antagonist.
This was further emphasized when Farrell told Deadline that he "[hasn’t ] got much to do on [The Batman 2], just a little bit," indicating that, just like the 2022 original, he will play a small supporting role after his HBO show.
Catwoman
Fans have already seen Catwoman adapted in most Batman franchises, including the ReevesVerse, played by Zoe Kravitz. Selina Kyle, the illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone, appeared in The Batman and struck up a romance with the Caped Crusader, only to leave Gotham for Bludhaven.
Reportedly, Catwoman may be left out of The Batman 2 altogether, and it would be safe to say she wouldn't be the main villain regardless
Riddler
Having just antagonized Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader in The Batman, it should come as no surprise that Paul Dano's Gotham serial killer Edward Nashton won't be the main villain again in the 2027 sequel.
Currently, Riddler is locked up with the Joker and other villains in Arkham Asylum, but Dano will reportedly be back for the sequel. One has to wonder what plans the newfound villain friends may be making that could plague The Batman 3.
Two Face
Despite previous rumors that Two-Face could appear in The Batman 2, he looks unlikely to be the main villain after featuring in Batman Forever and The Dark Knight, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Aaron Eckhart, respectively.
Even though Two-Face won't be The Batman 2's villain, Harvey Dent could still be introduced as Gotham's district attorney. As Reeves dives further into Gotham's corruption, Dent could have a supporting role, offering a new lens to the city's deeper goings-on while setting up Two-Face for the future.
Mr. Freeze
Matt Reeves once said that a "grounded version" of Mr. Freeze could be "really powerful," and some speculated Gotham's flooding after The Batman could be the perfect in for Victor Fries to be the sequel's main villain.
However, unless Reeves has been lucky enough to avoid Batman & Robin his whole life and was unaware that it saw Arnold Schwarzenegger play Mr. Freeze, then the "never really been done in a movie before" rule disqualifies him.
Poison Ivy
Similarly, while Poison Ivy is still to be done justice after Uma Thurman's take on the plant-obsessed villain, she seems unlikely to appear in The Batman 2.
Due to her fantastical plant-controlling powers, Ivy may be a better fit for James Gunn's DCU and the new Batman that is expected to accompany it.
Scarecrow
Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow, was famously the villain for Christopher Nolan's first DC movie, Batman Begins, where he was played by Cillian Murphy and unleashed fear toxin across Gotham City.
At the same time that rumors of a Clayface movie first swirled, before DC Studios was even formed, Scarecrow was one of three villains reportedly in line for a The Batman spin-off. Unfortunately, there has been no movement on that spin-off ever since, and Clayface was ultimately shifted to the new DCU.
Ra’s al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul, aka the Head of the Demon, leader of the League of Assassins, has become one of Batman's most famous adversaries, thanks in part to being the father of Talia al Ghul. That said, his nigh-immortality and more magical elements may not fit well with Reeves' gritty "Crime Saga."
While Liam Neeson in Batman Begins eliminates Ra's al Ghul from The Batman 2 villain contention, he may be back on screens soon. As The Brave and the Bold will debut with Damian Wayne in the DCU, his grandfather, Ra's, and mother, Talia, may not be far behind, although the Batman reboot might not arrive anytime soon.
Bane
The man who broke the bat featured in The Dark Knight Rises and Batman & Robin, ruling him out for The Batman 2. However, few were expecting to see Bane appear in this universe, due to the crazily unrealistic nature of his strength.
The Venom-infused villain probably won't appear in The Batman 2, but his DCU debut is reportedly already in the works. An unlikely team-up movie between Deathstroke and Bane is being written by Moon Knight's Matthew Orton.
Harley Quinn
In more recent years, DC has portrayed Harley Quinn as more of an anti-hero, but her origins were as Joker's girlfriend and a true villain to Batman.
Technically, Harley Quinn could arguably bypass Reeves' promise of a new villain, as she has never faced Batman in live-action outside a Suicide Squad cameo. That said, with Joker off the table for The Batman 2 and Harley Quinn's fate in the DCU still unclear, it seems doubtful she is coming soon.
Sofia Falcone
How I Met Your Mother actress Cristin Milioti debuted as Sofia Falcone, daughter of Sarmine Falcone and therefore sister to Selina Kyle, in The Penguin. After her incarceration in Arkham Asylum, the HBO series teased a team-up between Sofia and Catwoman, and Milioti hinted they could "really tear s*** up" united.
But alas, Reeves confirmed Falcone won't be back in the sequel, telling Horowitz in the same interview that "Cristin's not in [the sequel]" because they were "so deep into the script" by the time The Penguin came around.
The Batman 2's Villain Might Have Been Revealed
Of course, Batman has one of the biggest rogues' galleries in comics, and many are still waiting for a proper adaptation. As such, Matt Reeves' latest confirmation that the Dark Knight will face someone new in his sequel ought to excite fans.
Given Reeves' promise that the sequel's villain will push "even further into the character of Bruce Wayne" than Batman, the obvious answer is Hush.
Thomas Elliot grew up wealthy and was a friend of Bruce Wayne; however, unlike the superhero-to-be, he had an unpleasant upbringing. He tried to kill his parents by severing the brake lines of his father's car to inherit their fortune, leading them to crash, only for their lives to be saved by Thomas Wayne.
Having had his plans thwarted, the young Elliot later saw his childhood friend lose his parents and inherit their fortune. This led to his lifelong resentment toward Wayne, bandaging his face and becoming Hush as he masterminded a plot to destroy his archrival physically and psychologically.
The director already hinted at Hush's future in The Batman franchise, hinting that he is a "really interesting one to do" and is a character he would "love to see done," but wouldn't outright confirm that he was in his plans.
Hush was one of the villains teased in The Batman, as it was revealed that Thomas Wayne had a reporter called Edward Elliot killed to cover up his wife, Martha's, mental illness. As the Riddler delivered the revelation, the word "Hush" even appeared on the projector screen, potentially teasing the sequel villain.
This could make for a rather different adaptation of Hush to suit the ReevesVerse that would better match the "epic story about deeper corruption" that has been promised for The Batman 2, continuing the themes of the first movie.
Many are convinced this is all heading toward the Court of Owls being the final villain for The Batman 3, if it actually happens. This could reveal a secret society that has been manipulating Gotham in secret for centuries.
