Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Batman
While Matt Reeves' The Batman features a handful of teases for future villains following the Riddler's attack on Gotham, its best reference has nothing to do with the Joker, hinting at another classic rogue with deep personal connections to Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson). While the origins would certainly be altered from the comics, the core of this villain could still be featured. As such, they'd be a much stronger sequel villain than the Joker, seeing as how the Clown Prince of Crime has already been featured in a second Batman film once before.
Given the hidden truths exposed by Riddler (Paul Dano) in The Batman, it was revealed that the Wayne Family has a much darker past than even Bruce Wayne was aware of. In this version of Gotham City, Thomas Wayne was running for mayor before he and his wife Martha were murdered in front of Bruce as a child. However, the truth came out that Thomas Wayne had a secret relationship with notorious mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and had asked Carmine to intimidate a journalist threatening to expose Martha Arkham's history of mental illness. However, Falcone went too far and ultimately killed the journalist, an act which caused Thomas enormous guilt, which in-turn (allegedly) led to Falcone having the Waynes killed lest they expose him.
Interestingly enough, the murdered journalist connected to the Waynes' dark past is the one who opens the door for a very dynamic villain to be featured in The Batman 2. This would also allow the Joker (who was also teased) to be saved for a later film (which would be more meaningful). Here's how DC Comics' Hush would be the perfect villain over the Joker.
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The Batman 2 Is Too Early To Use The Joker As The Villain
After Riddler's plans were foiled by the efforts of Bruce Wayne, Edward Nashton was lamenting the survival of Gotham at the end of The Batman, being held in Arkham State Hospital. However, a nearby inmate made his presence known, speaking from the shadows of his own cell. Offering himself as a friend to Riddler, this inmate spoke of "clowns" with unhinged laughter that could only belong to the Joker (played by Barry Keoghan). While this is seemingly a tease that the classic Batman rogues may team up in a future film, it shouldn't happen in The Batman 2.
Before Robert Pattinson's Batman takes on his greatest nemesis, he should have more experience under his utility belt. The Gotham City as it's known in modern era comics has only just begun in the early years of The Batman with the dawn of the Gotham supercriminal. As such, it's far too early to have Bruce Wayne face the Joker.
Nolan's Dark Knight Makes The Joker As The 2nd Villain A Problem
While Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy featured Heath Ledger's Joker as the second film's primary villain, Joker was the natural response from the city's criminal element, being a chaotic means of escalation in the face of a masked vigilante. Ledger's Joker was the dawn of the supercriminal in Nolan's vision for Gotham, whereas Reeves' Gotham already has Riddler, Catwoman, and Penguin stepping up as rogues coming into their own in The Batman before the Joker is even teased.
Additionally, having Barry Keoghan's Joker as the main villain for The Batman 2 would certainly feel like a retread of The Dark Knight. The Batman did an exceptional job differentiating itself from past Batman films which includes Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, long seen as the pinnacle collection of films starring DC's nocturnal vigilante. As such, to have Joker featured as the next film's villain would be a mistake. Instead, The Batman 2 can feature a villain who could continue the vendetta against Bruce Wayne begun by the Riddler, seeking to punish the billionaire for the sins of his late father.
A further consideration is the substantial shadow that Ledger himself continues to cast over Batman as a property. Such was the success and influence of his portrayal that it's inevitable that any actor following in his footsteps will be under a fierce spotlight. Placing Keoghan under this pressure, in addition to the possible accusations of retreading narrative territory, could present The Batman 2 with still greater production problems. As a result, building anticipation around Joker's inevitable appearance could be a more sensible step for the sequel.
The Batman 2 Already Has The Perfect Villain: Hush
As was revealed in the video Riddler released online to the public, a journalist was looking to expose Martha Wayne's history of mental illness. Not only did the video reveal in big letters that Thomas Wayne tried to cover up the story by paying him off with "HUSH" money, it was also revealed that the journalist's name was Edward Elliot. This seems to be a major tease for Tommy Elliot, the classic villain from the comics known as Hush who could be revealed to be the journalist's son. Seeking to protect his wife, Thomas Wayne had a moment of weakness where he asked Falcone for help which led to the journalist's death. While it was not Thomas' intention, it's very likely that he could still be held accountable for what happened to Edward Elliot with Hush looking to avenge his father's death by killing Bruce Wayne (hoping to succeed where Riddler failed).
The main DC Comics continuity actually featured the Elliot Family as very wealthy and influential, being good friends to the Waynes and with Tommy and Bruce being childhood friends. While the potential origins seen in The Batman would naturally be different, the core beats could still be featured in a sequel film. As Tommy grew up he eventually became jealous of Bruce's status as an orphan who had access to all his parents' wealth, so much so that he made it his mission to destroy Bruce as an adult, receiving help from Riddler who had deduced that Batman and Bruce Wayne were one and the same. As such, it certainly seems as though Hush would be the perfect villain to follow Riddler in Matt Reeves' vision for Gotham. While they wouldn't be childhood friends, it's easy enough to envision the jealousy and resentment brewing from Tommy at a young age following his father's death, making it his mission to end Bruce Wayne after watching Riddler's video online. As a result, Hush would be the perfect villain for a sequel to The Batman (allowing the Joker to be saved for later on).
