The DC Extended Universe is not the only Earth of the Multiverse expanding. It was announced that Matt Reeves' The Batman on its own separate Earth will be getting a spin-off series on HBO Max. This series will be focusing on the Gotham City Police Department and act as a prequel to The Batman.
This idea is very similar to Fox's Gotham but the twist here is that the GCPD series will take place during Year One. So not only could this fill in the gap that the new movie skips over but also further add to Robert Pattinson's mythos. At the same time, the show should also avoid biting off more than it can chew.
Yes: Calendar Man
The Batman is seemingly taking on a neo-noir approach to the Batman world. One of the most famous noir-styled Batman stories was The Long Halloween. In it, it featured a rebooted Calendar Man who was a far cry from his hokey Silver Age counterpart.
Julian Gregory Day is a mind-boggling murderer whose crimes always involve holidays. In The Long Halloween, he helps Batman and the GCPD solve similar murders in Gotham. Fans often compare him to Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs which could lend to a great recurring character on the show.
No: Bane
The later seasons of Gotham went a little overboard in trying to introduce so many iconic Batman villains when Bruce Wayne was just a child. One of those cases was Bane who was portrayed in a drastically different way than what fans were used to.
With GCPD, not only should they avoid the mistakes of Gotham but stick to more grounded villains. Bane should be saved for a future sequel to The Batman that features Robert Pattinson's Batman taking on the iconic villain.
Yes: The Clock King
A psychopath who has everything and everyone in the city timed perfectly to the microsecond. The Clock King AKA William Tockman could make an interesting villain that is always a few steps ahead of the GCPD. He could still fit in with the darker style of Matt Reeves' world by being more of a sinister domestic terrorist.
The Clock King was a standout villain in Batman: The Animated Series despite only appearing once. He also had a brief appearance in the Arrowverse showing that the character has a cult following.
No: Ra's Al Ghul
Not only did Gotham throw this character into the ring way too early, but Ra's Al Ghul is also just an overdone villain. Much like a certain Clown Prince Of Crime, DC has become obsessed with Ra's Al Ghul; putting him in Batman Begins, the Arrowverse, Gotham, the Arkham franchise, and more.
On top of that, Ra's Al Ghul does not belong in a show about the GCPD. Much like Bane, if Ra's were to be introduced: he should be saved for a movie with Robert Pattinson.
Yes: Professor Pyg
Arguably the most disturbing villain on this list, Professor Pyg is obsessed with perfection. So much so that he kidnaps, mutilates, and alters people until they become his painless slaves known as Dollotrons.
This villain was featured on Fox's Gotham but featured a very different story. Professor Pyg fits within the noir style perfectly, providing a case for the GCPD that could embrace the horror genre. As a bonus, it would allow even more audiences to discover this underrated villain.
No: Two-Face
Harvey "Two-Face" Dent does indeed fit within the world of detective thrillers. He's a deranged man with a rare form of split-personality that commits crimes according to fate via a coin flip. He's a great villain hence why he remains one of Batman's most iconic foes.
However, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight already portrayed Two-Face as a villain for the GCPD. The Matt Reeves mythos should bring Two-Face back to being after Batman; blaming him for the accident that created him. That way it feels less like a retread of Aaron Eckhart's version.
Yes: The Penguin
With Matt Reeves' The Batman taking place during Batman's second year, it's logical to think that Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepott has been operating for some time. Fans are already loving the transformation that Colin has gone through to become the Penguin and if he delivers (which he more than likely will), fans would love to see more of him.
This is where the GCPD series could come in. Show the corruption of the police force by having Cobblepott making deals with the dirty police commissioner. Narrowly avoiding being arrested and maybe feature Robert Pattinson meeting Penguin for the first time.
No: Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange is one of the first Batman villains ever created and an iconic one. The popularity of the character spiked when he was the main villain of Batman: Arkham City. However, the GCPD show should only use him as a side character running or working at Arkham Asylum.
Fox's Gotham already went all out on making Hugo Strange such an integral villain for that universe. Hugo Strange was partially involved in the creation of Batman along with several of the iconic villains.
Yes: Black Mask
Since Ewan McGregor's portrayal of Roman Sionis is now shark bait, perhaps Matt Reeves will use the character without killing him. Black Mask is one of the biggest crimelords of Gotham City who has his fingers in everything from the politicians to the police force.
Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey only showed a small part of his operation. In Matt Reeves' world, Black Mask would fit in so well that he could be used in both the series and the movies. Show that Sionis controls most of Gotham without most even knowing it.
No: The Joker
As mentioned prior, The Joker is way overused by DC in all media. Across movies and TV, it feels like there are enough Jokers to fill up an Avengers-level ensemble. Fans do not need to see Joker portrayed yet again just because he is a beloved character. If Joker is forced to be introduced, he should be used exclusively for the movies.
Plus, it is going to be difficult to top what Cameron Monaghan brought to the character on Fox's Gotham. Those who liked and disliked the show could agree that Monaghan was pretty much perfect despite the character legally never been called The Joker.