Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Batman
Matt Reeves's The Batman teases the most dangerous cinematic version of the Joker yet, setting up a great deal of trouble for the Caped Crusader in The Batman 2. While multiple Jokers have made their way into the movies — some more terrifying than others — the newest iteration, played by Eternals actor Barry Keoghan, could possibly be the scariest, both for viewers and especially for Gotham's Batman (Robert Pattinson). And compared to the Riddler (Paul Dano), this Joker is sure to be an even more challenging villain for the superhero to face off against in the sequel.
Introduced near the end of The Batman, Barry Keoghan's Joker is still mostly shrouded in mystery. In his brief appearance, however, he is revealed to have severe facial scarring. He has also clearly already had a run-in with Batman and seems to be interested in becoming allies with other members of his rogues' gallery. In a deleted scene not shown in the final cut of The Batman, the Joker implies that it has been about a year since he was caught and imprisoned in Arkham. Additionally, more of his look is visible while it's heavily implied that he has a grudge against Batman and enjoys toying with him. Reeves has shared a fair bit about the character in interviews too, including that this Joker was born with a congenital disease that creates his permanent smile -- a concept meant to be very different from the standard vat-of-acid origin the Joker usually gets.
Facing a sizeable problem for The Batman 2, Reeves shows wisdom in distinguishing this Joker from those of the past. His take on the Clown Prince of Crime appears to have an established, personal beef with Batman, and that makes him the most dangerous Joker ever seen on film. The fact that he has been dealing with his facial deformity from birth also indicates that he isn't a man who just had a small turn of fate to become what he is, but that the burden of a lifetime has shaped him. And Batman going to see him in The Batman's deleted scene to better understand the psychopathy of the Riddler suggests that this Joker might be even worse than the main villain of the film. Indeed, the willingness of the Joker to team up with the Riddler shows a cunning mind, a plan for revenge, and a lack of ego that spells disaster for Batman. And the potential for further villain alliances is present and alarming.
Where Dano's Riddler worshipped Batman, it appears that Keoghan's Joker may well despise him, probably because of their yet-unknown past. Much more threatening than the crazed-fan villain of The Batman, a Joker seeking revenge against the Dark Knight in the sequel would be a step up. This shared history between the Joker and Batman also allows Reeves to get past needing to do an origin story. Audiences already know the Joker, and the reveal that he and Batman have already met lets The Batman 2 focus on that relationship and what it means to both characters. Sequels tend toward escalation, and that continues with Reeves's plans to make the Joker more menacing than the Riddler ever was.
If the Joker is the villain in The Batman 2, he will likely be the most dangerous version of the Joker ever seen in the movies — even more sinister than the Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, and Joaquin Phoenix takes on the character. This Joker's personal history with Batman, distinctive and horrifying origin, and desire to work with other villains are reason enough to be worried about what doom he may spell for Gotham and the Caped Crusader in the upcoming sequels to The Batman. If handled well, this approach to the Joker might breathe new life into a character that has already been seen so often in recent memory.