Warning: Contains spoilers for The Batman.
The Batman 2's perfect opening would surprise audiences by killing Paul Dano's Riddler. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight delivered a powerfully gripping owning scene and the film masterfully introduces the unparalleled gimmicks and brilliance of the Joker. Matt Reeves' The Batman treads a similar path by first giving a glimpse of Riddler's twisted mind and then following it up with a riveting monologue by Robert Pattinson's Batman that immerses audiences into the dark underbelly of Gotham.
In The Batman post-credits scene an intriguing behind bars interaction between Paul Dano's Riddler and Barry Keoghan's rictus-grinned Joker. What begins as a casual banter between the two soon turns into a chilling alliance, hinting that the rogues might team up in The Batman 2. However, considering how The Batman's Joker deleted scene portrays a highly patronizing and mischievous Joker, it is likely the potential Riddler-Joker dynamic will be a lot more complex and erratic than might be anticipated.
The Batman 2 could perfectly encapsulate this dynamic by portraying the Joker mercilessly killing Riddler in the opening scene itself. This would not only subvert all the speculation surrounding the movie's premise and the potential Joker-Riddler team up but would also align well with the Joker's malicious personality and implied past in The Batman's deleted scene. Furthermore, it would reinforce the very essence of the Joker's characterization as an agent of chaos. The Batman's version of the Joker takes up limited screen time in The Batman, but his motives and actions still indicate that he will be as unpredictable and appalling — if not more — as his previous memorable renditions. Owing to this, it would not be out of character for him to kill Riddler shockingly early in The Batman 2.
The Joker's seemingly fickle nature makes him fascinating, but his complicated relationship with Batman is what truly gives Joker depth. The Batman's deleted scene establishes that despite having ill feelings towards one another, Joker and the Dark Knight are somehow co-dependent. One look at Robert Pattinson's Batman and the Joker is able to say things about his personality that even Alfred may not know. In contrast, Riddler's obsession with Batman is only one-sided and driven by his skewed sense of justice — or "vengeance." This conflict of interest and perspective between the two villains could be a good reason for the Joker to kill Riddler as a way to raise the stakes and to cement the idea that the Joker cannot be reasoned with.
The downside of this plotline is that the Joker's history might make it almost expected, and it could detract overall from Matt Reeves' unique vision of the Dark Crusader. Given Matt Reeves' distinctive approach and the ambiguity surrounding Joker's motives, it is hard to predict what the future holds for The Batman's characters. The Joker killing Dano's Riddler would certainly be an interesting way to begin The Batman 2, but for now, the mere prospect of the two outlaws going head-to-head with the Batman and working on the Batman-Joker rivalry that way will still be a big draw.
