It may still be two years away from release, but Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman movie will be entering production soon, and already rumors are swirling about direction it will take, and who will be the villain.
Interestingly, a current rumor making the rounds, via CBR, suggests that The Batman will have up to four classic rogues! Here are our picks for which four classic Batman villains should make the cut…and which four should sit this one out.
The Joker (Out)
He may be Batman’s #1 villain, but between Batman ’89, The Dark Knight, and Suicide Squad, not to mention the upcoming The Joker solo film, we’ve seen enough of the rivalry between the Clown Prince of Crime and the Caped Crusader for a good long while. If Matt Reeves’ new movie leads to a trilogy, then maybe for the final chapter…but until then, keep the Harlequin of Hate on ice. He’s had a good run.
Poison Ivy (In)
Poison Ivy is one of Batman’s most notorious femmes fatale, but her only live-action appearance to date is in the abysmal Batman in Robin over twenty years ago. Perhaps no Bat-villain needs a do-over more than Pamela Isley, so we can get something beyond Uma Thurman’s camptastic performance. And if the character clicks, then hey….we’ve already got a great Harley Quinn in Margot Robbie, so it’s perfect set-up for a future Gotham City Sirens film.
Ra’s al Ghul (Out)
Although he’s only been done once in live-action film, Ra’s al Ghul was done pretty perfectly in Batman Begins, and his storyline with the League of Shadows continued into The Dark Knight Rises. Maybe twenty or so years from now we can get another crack at the Demon’s Head, but for now, don’t put Ra’s in the Lazarus Pit.
The Riddler (In)
Another of Batman’s most iconic villains is Edward Nigma, aka the Riddler, but instead of the cunning genius from the pages of the comics, the most recent movie Riddler is Jim Carrey camping it up in Batman Forever. We want to see a battle of brains and wits the likes of which Batman has never really faced before on film.
Bane (Out)
Bane has one really iconic Batman storyline in the comics, in which he breaks Batman’s back, putting the Dark Knight out of commission. And Tom Hardy gave us his version of the iconic back break moment already in The Dark Knight Rises. The Christopher Nolan version of Bane was quite a departure from the comics, so on the surface, he might seem like a natural fit for a do-over, but there are just other Batman villains we’d like to see get a chance more. Plus, could anyone compete with Hardy’s insane voice?
Man-Bat (In)
While the Nolan Batman films were grounded in as much realism as possible, it would be cool if Matt Reeves steers his films more into the realm of creepy sci-fi/horror. And if he does so, then why not use Kirk Langstrom, the Man-Bat? This tragic villain is essentially a “werebat,” but seeing Batman fight a terrifying half bat, half human would be cool as hell.
The Scarecrow (Out)
If he does show up, we ain’t gonna be mad about it, but the portrayal of Dr. Jonathan Crane by Cillian Murphy in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was so great, this creepy bad guy can wait for a do-over.
Clayface (In)
Clayface is another Batman villain who leans more into the sci-fi/horror realm than most of his usual rogues, with his tragic backstory of being an actor who takes a serum which turns him into a sentient blob of goo. but with the advances in special effects over just the last few years alone could make for a compelling CGI creation
Images: DC Comics
