Summary

  • The Batman 2 will feature a Batman and Joker who already know each other, breaking the tradition of their initial meeting.
  • The deleted Joker scene in The Batman hinted at a longstanding relationship between Batman and Joker and suggested that Batman had put Joker in Arkham.
  • The Batman and its sequels have the potential to become the most comic-accurate Batman movie series, emphasizing the dynamic between Batman and Joker.

The dying moments of The Batman introduced a new version of the Joker played by Barry Keoghan - one that can break a live-action Joker tradition in The Batman 2. While plans for the new DCU franchise are yet to be revealed, DC already has a new universe to explore with The Batman. In addition to The Batman 2, which will seemingly feature the Joker, Matt Reeves’ Batman universe will expand with HBO Max’s The Penguin series and an Arkham TV show.

The Batman only featured Joker in a brief scene toward the end where the character’s face is barely seen. However, one laugh from Riddler’s Arkham friend was enough to confirm Barry Keoghan was playing the Joker after all. Still, it was only after a deleted Joker scene from The Batman released online that audiences got to see exactly how Barry Keoghan’s Joker differs from previous versions. Taking place inside Arkham, the conversation between Pattinson's Batman and Keoghan's Joker revealed crucial details concerning their shared history.

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The Batman 2 Will Show A Batman And Joker That Already Know Each Other

The Batma's Joker

Both Tim Burton’s Batman and The Dark Knight showed Batman and Joker meeting for the first time, with the former even featuring Joker’s origin story. The DCEU’s version of Batman and Joker had the potential to break that trend as Affleck’s Batman had already been around for 20 years, yet Suicide Squad had no scenes with Batman and Joker actually interacting face-to-face. The DCEU’s Batman and Joker only referenced their history briefly in the Zack Snyder’s Justice League Knightmare scene. Now, The Batman 2 and other sequels can explore a Batman and Joker that already know each other in a way no Batman movie has done before.

Though Matt Reeves has described the Barry Keoghan version of Joker as not yet being the DC villain audiences are familiar with, The Batman's Clown Prince of Crime already has a longstanding relationship with Gotham's Dark Knight. The Batman’s deleted Joker scene saw Batman asking for Joker’s opinion on the Riddler case, and strongly suggested it was Batman who put Joker in Arkham. The duo's verbal sparring gave the impression that Robert Pattinson and Barry Keoghan’s The Batman characters already know what to expect from each other, which is one of the best parts about Batman and Joker’s relationship previously missing from the big screen.

How Batman And Joker's Past Could Change Their Dynamic In The Batman 2

The batman Barry Keoghan Joker

At the very end of The Dark Knight, Joker tells Batman they are destined to do battle forever - a line that perfectly encapsulates the decades-old relationship between Batman and the Joker in DC comics. However, no Batman or DCEU movie has ever managed to translate Batman and Joker's ongoing rivalry onscreen. Batman movies, including the Dark Knight trilogy, have been very episodic - to the point where Batman Returns does not even feel like a sequel to Batman. The Batman and its sequels, despite their realism, have the potential to become the most comic-accurate Batman movie series ever, especially regarding Batman and Joker’s long-standing dynamic.

The Batman 2 does not even need to feature Joker as its main villain to continue exploring the relationship between Dark Knight and Clown Prince. The idea of Batman going to Arkham to interrogate or consult with Joker has been done in DC comics several times, and is just one example of how much more interesting the Joker can be as a recurring figure within a movie universe. Batman films have treated the Joker like an event, which makes for large-scale stories but forgets what makes Batman and Joker’s “bond” so unique. Fortunately, The Batman’s Joker and Batman already have a past.

Key Release Dates