With The Batman 2 in the works, speculations have begun regarding what villains the sequel will feature, and there are two perfect options not named the Joker. Matt Reeves’ The Batman offered a new and exciting take on the caped crusader, grounding it in realism while focusing on the detective aspect of the comics that has been long neglected in previous cinematic incarnations. However, much like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, The Batman 2 has the challenging task of finding itself a villain that would suit the aesthetic and stylistic aspirations that Reeves established in The Batman.

For instance, the ending of The Batman may have the perfect set-up for a new Poison Ivy, but it’s difficult to imagine such an outlandish villain functioning within the gritty and bleak Gotham City that Matt Reeves so vividly imagined. For this same reason, there are many other Batman villains that simply would not mesh well with Reeves’ vision of the beloved comic book hero and his home city. Even the Joker, a character who saw great success in other realistic takes like Nolan’s The Dark Knight and Todd Phillips’ standalone Joker film, might not be the best choice for a sequel to The Batman. With all that in mind, what exactly would make for a good villain for The Batman 2?

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Unfortunately, The Batman’s style repeats Nolan’s villain problem insofar as it limits what characters are suited for Reeves’ depiction of the masked vigilante. The Batman 2 will have to draw from a reduced pool of Batman villains that fulfill one of two criteria: they would have provided the film with a detective story similar to the Riddler’s in The Batman, or they would have to adhere to Reeves’ grounded take on Batman that so far excludes any superpowered elements. Ideally, the perfect Batman villain should fulfill both criteria, but Reeves might want to change the formula a tad in The Batman 2. Either way, there are two villains that would be perfect for the sequel.

Clayface Is Perfect For Another The Batman Detective Story

Clayface in battle in the comics

As far as the detective tendencies that Reeves established in The Batman go, there could hardly be a more suitable villain to benefit from them than Clayface. Not only could The Batman 2 avoid The Dark Knight comparisons by using this iconic villain, which hasn’t appeared in Christopher Nolan’s equally grounded Batman universe, but it would allow the sequel to continue in the same vein as its predecessor: namely, with another detective story.

Clayface is a villain that has seen significant change over its many incarnations in comic books and beyond, but the character is now most recognized for his shapeshifting qualities and penchant for generating mystery. Certainly, one follows the other, so it makes sense that a character who can mold himself into any shape (and any face) would be perfectly suited for some good old-fashioned detective work. If Matt Reeves wants his Batman to earn the famous moniker of the “World’s Greatest Detective,” having the masked vigilante chasing down a villain who can literally mold himself into any person would make for the ultimate test.

It would also make sense for The Batman 2 that an obscure villain could be the sequel’s best option, considering Clayface’s memorable appearance in Batman: The Animated Series, which is ripe with lesser-known Bat-baddies like Lock-Up. Batman’s iconic villains have, at this point, seen plenty of screen time in films (part of the reason they’re so iconic, surely), lending Matt Reeves another opportunity to further delineate his Batman as new and original with new blood among the ranks of the antagonists. There is, however, an issue with Clayface in the sense that it will require Reeves to take The Batman 2 in a supernatural direction, something he might not be interested in. This brings another face to the fore.

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Hush Is Batman's Ultimate Villain Counterpart

Batman and Hush split in half with the supporting cast in the background

Speaking of iconic, there is one character who has continuously made waves with his comic book appearances while remaining entirely removed from cinematic adaptations of Batman. Fans of the comics will already be well familiarized with Hush, who acts as the ultimate foil to Batman. Out of every character who knows Bruce Wayne is Batman, Dr. Thomas Elliot is arguably the most dangerous. Elliot originally grew up alongside Bruce and was given a privileged upbringing comparable to his friend, but unlike Bruce, “Tommy” turned out to have far less noble intentions. Holding a grudge against Bruce, Elliot decided to take down his childhood friend under the guise of the supervillain Hush.

What makes Tommy Elliot such a perfect choice for The Batman 2 is that not only does he not have any real superpowers, allowing Reeves to keep his Batman grounded and real, but he is also the ultimate counterpart to Bruce Wayne. Benefitting from similarly high intelligence and considerable financial resources, Elliot is the yang to Bruce’s yin, so to speak. Having Hush in The Batman 2 would give Batman a worthy adversary while keeping the stakes grounded and real.

What’s even more interesting is that The Batman already set up Tommy Elliot by changing Hush’s origin and secretly making it better with the introduction and killing of reporter Edmund Elliot. Edmund’s last name is anything but coincidental, and the character could well turn out to be Tommy’s father. This would be a departure from Hush’s comic book origins, but it would give the character equally compelling motivation (if not more so) to seek revenge on Bruce Wayne since Bruce’s father, Thomas Wayne, was partly responsible for Edmund Elliot’s death in The Batman. Furthermore, there is ample opportunity to pursue a detective narrative considering Elliot is clever enough to hide his tracks well, which in turn gives Batman plenty to work with to solve the mystery of Hush.

Barry Keoghan's Joker Should Play A Supporting Role In The Batman 2

Joker Smile Scars The Batman Barry Keoghan

With Clayface and Hush both serving as excellent villains for The Batman 2, Matt Reeves has all the more reason to avoid retreading old ground by shifting the focus away from the Joker. It’s likely that the Joker will be in The Batman 2 to some extent, especially considering that the character played by Barry Keoghan was featured briefly in The Batman (and additionally in a deleted scene), but that doesn’t mean that Batman’s archnemesis will necessarily take center stage in the sequel. If anything, Barry Keoghan would do better if he was playing a supporting role in The Batman 2.

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At this point, the silver screen has seen every incarnation and permutation of the Joker, from Jack Nicholson’s classic portrayal in Batman and Heath Ledger’s immortal presence in The Dark Knight to Jared Leto’s controversial take in Suicide Squad and Joaquin Phoenix’s Academy Award-winning performance in Joker. Not only does The Batman’s Joker setup risk an MCU mistake by repeating recent superhero film cliches, but it would also be a mistake to have another embodiment of the Clown Prince of Crime take over again—especially so soon after Phoenix took home an Oscar for playing the character. Instead, Barry Keoghan would be better served remaining in the shadows and teasing a confrontation with Batman further down the line. This would allow villains such as the aforementioned Clayface and Hush to shine in The Batman 2 instead.

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