Andy Serkis, who portrays Alfred in The Batman, playfully considers a comic book crossover with The Sandman in the sequel. The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves, with Serkis starring alongside Robert Pattinson, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Zoë Kravitz, and Jeffrey Wright. The film was a fresh reboot for Batman movies, as it functions independently of the DCU, focusing on the early years of Bruce Wayne's tenure as the Caped Crusader.
The Batman was a huge success, earning $770 million worldwide while appeasing critics and audiences. The film has also spurred spinoff shows into development, with Farrell's Penguin getting an HBO Max show alongside a separate project about Arkham Asylum. Talk of a sequel began upon The Batman's release and was later announced at CinemaCon, with Reeves said to be hard at work on the project. However, with shakeups at Warner Bros. involving numerous DC projects, Reeves' sequel will likely take some time to get going.
During an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Serkis opens up about what he hopes The Batman 2 may entail. While he doesn't have any concrete information about what Reeves is planning for the follow-up, Serkis does give the director his due, complimenting his work. Serkis then posits a fun crossover idea for the sequel's villain. Check out Serkis' comments teasing The Batman sequel below:
"I don't know where we are with Alfred now. I just don't know where that's going to go. I'm sure Matt Reeves is going to craft something incredible because he always does. He's another formidable storyteller that always goes for the heart. Villain-wise, I'd like to see… Sandman. [Laughs] A little bit of a crossover. I think that would be interesting."
The Batman 2's Best Villain Options
Given that The Batman is not connected to DC's other films, it can play by its own rules, leaving the sequel open to many options, including what villains could appear. While Serkis' comment is an interesting and humorous idea, with DC even owning Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, it's a crossover that is unlikely to happen. However, Batman's rogues gallery offers plenty of unique choices that could fit the dark, gritty world Reeves has established.
Fan favorite villains always have potential, as audiences love to see them, making the appearance of characters like Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, or Scarecrow all possible. However, Reeves has established a world that may better suit some of the hero's darker, more sadistic villains, with The Batman already teasing the Joker. Villains like Hush, Professor Pyg, or Two-Face may fit the universe, adding to the dark nature of Gotham that was seen in The Batman. Characters like Hush would also help keep the films grounded and distant from some of The Dark Knight's more colorful antagonists, like Man-Bat or the preposterous Condiment King. Still, with The Batman's sequel in the very early stages, anything is possible with a plethora of characters from which to choose.