It’s been some time since we’ve heard much new information about The Batman – Part II. But in a recent interview with SFX Magazine (via Deadline), while promoting the HBO spin-off series The Penguin, director Matt Reeves revealed that he has a story very much in mind for the anticipated sequel to his 2022 film. One that may hint at a very beloved storyline about the Dark Knight from the pages of DC Comics. Here’s what he had to say:
It’s going to dig into the epic story about deeper corruption and it goes into places he couldn’t even anticipate in the first one.
An epic tale about deeper corruption in Gotham City? That sure sounds like “The Court of Owls” to us. That story is Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s 2011-2012 saga that ran through the pages of Batman. It revealed a secret society that controlled Gotham City for over a century. This secret group was made up of the city’s most rich and powerful. This society, known as the Court of Owls, wore ominous white owl masks to hide their true identities. They also employed zombie-like agents they referred to as their Talons. It’s one of the most popular modern Batman stories, and one that has never been adapted into live-action film.
Matt Reeves’ take on Batman lore is shying away from both the sci-fi and the overtly supernatural aspects. In the same interview, he confirmed Penguin’s return for the sequel, but shot down the spectral villain Gentleman Ghost (recently appearing in the animated Caped Crusader) as a potential bad guy. Reeves said the following:
We might push to the edge of the fantastical but we would never go into full fantastical. It’s meant to feel quite grounded. Gentleman Ghost is probably pushed a bit too far for us to be able to find a way to do, but there is a fun way to think about how we would take characters that might push over into a bit of the fantastical and find a way to make sense of that.”
The Court of Owls just might be the perfect villains for his next film because of this. They have an almost mystical, spooky aura around them, but are actually just a cabal of the rich and powerful. This seems very much in Matt Reeves’ storytelling wheelhouse. It also goes along with the “epic crime story” he set up in the first film. Over the past thirty or so years on film, we’ve had three Catwomans, two Penguins, four Jokers, two Riddlers, and two Two-Faces (appropriate). It’s good to introduce some newer villains from modern DC Comics lore into live-action at last. Here’s hoping the Court of Owls really make their presence felt in The Batman – Part II.
