The Batman 2 needs to avoid a key similarity with Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. The Batman introduced Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight in his second year of fighting crime in Gotham City. In Matt Reeves's story, The Batman also takes a deeper dive into the detective side of Batman than arguably any previous cinematic incarnation, with Batman in a battle of wits against the Riddler (Paul Dano).
The Batman serves as the launching pad for Matt Reeves Batman universe, which will encompass HBO Max spin-off shows like the Penguin series along with The Batman 2 continuing its story on the big screen. However, while the ending of The Batman sets up a new battle to save Gotham in The Batman 2, it also creates some potential similarities with the story of The Dark Knight Rises. This means that The Batman 2 will need to tailor its story to be as distinct from The Dark Knight Rises as possible.
Gotham Can't Be Cut Off In The Batman 2 (Like TDKR)
In The Batman's final scenes, the Riddler's plot has resulted in Gotham City being flooded, with Batman aiding in civilian rescue efforts and continuing to protect the city in the aftermath of the disaster. The Dark Knight Rises places Gotham into a similar situation, with Bane (Tom Hardy) and the League of Shadows cutting Gotham off from the rest of the world, with a fusion reactor stolen from Wayne Enterprises ticking down to detonation to potentially wipe out Gotham.
The ending of The Batman sets up a potentially similar story to The Dark Knight Rises that could adapt the comic book story, No Man's Land. That story was part of the basis for The Dark Knight Rises, and this would also create overt parallels between the two films as The Batman 2's source material. The flooding of Gotham could take The Batman 2 in numerous different directions, and any story that plays as a retread of The Dark Knight Rises would surely feel like a missed opportunity. Fortunately, The Batman 2 does not have to be caught in such a trap.
What Could Happen To Gotham In The Batman 2
As speculation continues about who will be The Batman 2's villain, Mr. Freeze is among those speculated for the sequel. With Gotham City under about twenty to thirty feet of water, that opens many possibilities for Mr. Freeze as a terrorist who could bring Gotham to its knees with his freezing technology. Additionally, the situation of the flood also leaves Gotham in a state of an ongoing emergency, one that crime bosses like the Penguin (Colin Farrell) could take advantage of.
Both scenarios are different enough from The Dark Knight Rises to stand apart from it, with the possible presence of ice and snow in a Mr. Freeze-driven sequel to The Batman being the only major comparison point. That could even be a second chance of sorts after the squandered potential of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze in 1997's Batman & Robin. In terms of giving Mr. Freeze some cinematic redemption, the more grounded take on the Caped Crusader that The Batman 2 will present could be an ideal opportunity for Mr. Freeze and Batman to face off in an icy winter setting.
