Joker 2: Reimagined DC Villains The Sequel Should Introduce

With the enormous success of the recent Joker movie, a possible Joker 2 has DC fans buzzing. Todd Phillips, director of the highly-successful R-rated DC film, Joker, is the most likely candidate to direct and produce a Joker sequel; such a project would afford Phillips the opportunity to revamp some of the other colorful Batman villains. Part of Joker's appeal is Phillips' gritty, honest, and mature take on the iconic clown criminal mastermind, and the possibility that he may similarly reimagine other classic characters from the DC universe is an exciting prospect.

While director Todd Phillips says a sequel doesn’t have any kind of green light yet, and there have been mixed reports regarding a DC villain origin stories series in the works, people are nevertheless speculating about what a possible sequel would look like. In addition to wondering what antics the Joker will get up to in his next on-screen appearance, fans of Phillips' work are also questioning if the director will revamp other notorious DC villains.

The DC universe has been getting a massive overhaul these last couple of years, rebooting the likes of Suicide Squad, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman. Some of the reimagined stories were financial and critical successes, while others were not. There were high hopes for Suicide Squad, but even that received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. Joker, on the other hand, redeemed the franchise both financially and artistically, and presents an exciting direction for Warner Bros. to pursue further.

Two-Face

As one of the most recognizable DC villains, Two-Face would be an interesting addition to Todd Phillips’ world. In the comics, Harvey Dent is a Gotham native who grew up in an abusive household. Escaping his childhood hardships with a vision of making Gotham a better place, Dent ran for and won the position of District Attorney. However, his fight against corruption took a personal turn when one of the criminals he was prosecuting threw acid on his face, scarring him for life. This in turn sparked his descent into madness, turning him into the coin-flipping villain audiences know today.

Two-Face has been portrayed in multiple productions, most notably in director Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. While the special effects used in the film were extremely realistic and intense, there was something histrionic about Nolan's treatment of the character. In a Joker sequel, Two-Face could be portrayed as a much darker and grittier character, which would make him all the more menacing.

Penguin

The Penguin is a character that is due for a more serious reboot after the campy portrayal by Danny DeVito in the 1992 Batman Returns. Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot was severely bullied for his appearance as a child. He has a short stature and hooked nose, making him look like a strange bird. Not only did the children at school make fun of him, but his own family (save his mother) also despised him. “Penguin” was a nickname from his bullies, which he later adopted as an adult, using his family fortune to fund many criminal enterprises.

As a character, Penguin is inherently cartoonish, but Todd Phillips could make his character terrifying. Arthur Fleck was given a brutally humanistic origin story in the recent Joker film, and the Penguin could ostensibly follow that same track. Instead of showing the Penguin as an overdramatic, criminal entrepreneur, the audience would see him as a horrifying product of his childhood mistreatment.

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy is one of the most familiar female villains in the DC universe and if done properly, could be a fun addition to Todd Phillips’ next movie. Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley is a Gotham botanist who was almost killed during an experiment where she was injected with toxins and poisons. She ultimately survived, transforming into Poison Ivy, who is immune to poisons, has plant-related superpowers, and has mind-control abilities over almost anyone. As a conservationist at heart, her crimes often involve her trying to protect the environment, branding her as an eco-terrorist.

If Todd Phillips brought Poison Ivy into a sequel, the audience would be able to see a more realistic side to this character as well. She could be transformed from a plant-loving temptress to someone with the power to cause some serious turmoil and destruction in Gotham.

Riddler

The Riddler hasn't appeared in many DC films and could be an exciting addition to Todd Phillips' gritty world. Edward Nashton was a bright but bullied child growing up, who had an undeniable fascination with puzzles. As a man, he turned to crime as an escape from the mundane world. Only he needed the notoriety and infamy that came with the criminal lifestyle, thus staging complex and mystifying crime scenes for law enforcement to solve in Gotham.

As a character, The Riddler is one of the most "normal" DC villains and would fit the easiest in Todd Phillip's world. The Riddler doesn't have any superpowers like some of the other villains, so Phillips would be able to centre the plot around The Riddler planning a series of elaborate crimes. Paul Dano has been cast to play The Riddler in the upcoming film The Batman; perhaps he could reprise the role in a later film exploring the character's origins. Adding a character like this in a Joker sequel would follow along the lines of the real-world terror treatment Phillips gave his original movie.

Mr. Freeze

One of the only other times DC fans have seen Mr. Freeze on screen is when Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed him in the 1997 Batman & Robin. This is another villain who could definitely use a reboot, especially after that. In the comics, Victor Fries was a scientist who started working for a corrupt company in an effort to save his wife’s life. When he realized he wasn’t able to cure her sickness, Fries stole company equipment and put his wife in cryostasis. After the CEO discovered that Fries stole from him, he sent men to kill him in the cryo lab. The resulting accident transformed Fries so that he required sub-zero temperatures to live. This in turn leads him to build his famous suit and turn into the villain, Mr. Freeze.

Like the Penguin, there is something inherently unreal about a character like this, but Todd Phillips would be able to change that. In Phillips' world, Mr. Freeze could be a dominating force of high-tech machinery and heart-breaking backstory. A more realistic version of Mr. Freeze would also bring new life into this character that hasn't been seen in decades.

Of course with all of these characters, there are issues with the generally-accepted timeline and how they would fit into the story, but Todd Phillips seems to be taking liberties here anyway. All of the DC villains interact with Batman on some level, and as we’ve seen in Joker, Bruce Wayne is only about 10 years old. He’s nowhere near his transformation into the Batman yet. However, Phillips managed to work the Joker’s origin story alongside young Bruce in a seamless and believable fashion. So, if the director decides to show other DC villain origin stories in his next DC film, fans should have faith that he will do the characters justice.

While Joker 2 won't be in theaters any time soon, fans of the DC universe will get to see another reboot in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, scheduled for release in 2021. Alongside Robert Pattinson as the new Batman, the audience will also see Zoë Kravitz playing Catwoman and Paul Dano as the Riddler. Hopefully Catwoman and Riddler aren’t treated as campy, bumbling villains, but rather as ones that actually pose a threat to Batman and Gotham on a whole.

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