Matt Reeves may have just dropped a hint about The Batman: Part II's new villain in a cryptic post. The Batman sequel is now officially in production, with filming taking place in the UK and new cast members like Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson on board. One thing that remains a huge mystery about The Batman: Part 2 is its villain, and Reeves is fuelling the fire with his latest set photo.
Reeves posted a seemingly harmless photo on social media from the set of The Batman: Part 2, showing a Funko Pop of Robert Pattinson's Batman next to a clock that reads 8:12 a.m. The director did not include a caption with the post, and while it may seem like a simple photo promoting filming of The Batman 2, many fans think the image is far more intentional.
In particular, the 8:12 reading on the clock has many suspecting that this is a cryptic hint referring to certain Batman comic issues. The main theory is that it refers to Batman Vol. 2, which collects Issues #8 through #12 from Scott Snyder, and features the notorious villainous group, the Court of Owls.
The Court of Owls is a secret society in Gotham City composed of the wealthy elite who conduct their business through Talons, an army of immortal assassins. The Court of Owls has been quietly ruling the city from the shadows and has a particular beef with Batman. The group was introduced in Batman in The New 52 and has quickly become a popular addition to the ensemble of Batman villains.
Reeves utilized the Riddler as one of the main antagonists in The Batman, and the film underwent a viral marketing campaign using cryptic riddles, hints, and clues. Therefore, hiding secrets for fans to figure out in social posts like this one wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Reeves and could be a significant clue toward understanding some of The Batman Part 2's characters or plot.
Given the tone and world of Reeves' The Batman universe, a villainous society like the Court of Owls would make sense, and many are hoping this is the direction the sequel will go with its villain.
Adding to the likelihood is Reeves' comments that The Batman Part 2 would introduce a villain that's "never really been done in a movie before." In this regard, the Court of Owls fits the bill, as it was introduced in 2011, and neither Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises nor any of the DCEU Batman-related films in the years since featured these characters in their stories. The Court of Owls served as the main antagonist in the video game Gotham Knights and appeared in the Gotham and Gotham Knights TV shows, but they haven't been adapted into a live-action Batman feature film yet.
Another piece of evidence pointing to the Court's inclusion is The Batman Part 2's reported working title "Semper Vigilans," which translates to "Always Watchful." This title is eerily similar to a nursery rhyme about the Court of Owls in the comics, which refers to them as a group "that watches all the time."
The Batman: Part 2 is set for release on October 1, 2027. Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell will reprise their roles alongside new cast members Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Charles Dance.
The Batman Part 2 Might Be Entering a New Court
The Batman leaned heavily on the character's detective and noir nature, resulting in a gripping mystery that featured a conspiracy involving the Waynes, the Riddler, and Carmine Falcone. It can only be assumed that this will continue into The Batman: Part 2, which is why a secret society like the Court of Owls would be a perfect fit.
Investigating a shadowy organization like the Court would allow Pattinson's Batman to delve even further into the corruption within Gotham in the sequel, which may now have been blown wide open as a result of Falcone's death and the Riddler's actions. The Court would also be a fitting villain for Bruce Wayne, seeing as his status as a wealthy billionaire in Gotham could make him (or his family) a target for the elitist group.
Another intriguing post from Reeves that adds speculation to this theory regards the casting of Charles Dance in the movie. When Reeves confirmed Dance's casting in a social media post, the caption was "out of the shadows." With the Court of Owls well-known for operating in the shadows, this could be Reeves' subtle hint that Dance is playing someone within the Court in the new movie.
The Batman Part 2's villain will be a source of speculation until the first footage or an official confirmation is released, but the evidence is certainly mounting in favor of the Court of Owls.
