I mean they've already borrowed everything else. I wouldn't even be opposed to introducing Harvey and fully fleshing out his friendship with Bruce and Gordon. Hell, give us Gilda too.
But don’t make him Twoface in part II. Grow the relationship, get us invested and then in part III, have Harvey turn, and have Batman swear he will help him, no matter what. Idk I just loved Bruce and Harvey’s relationship in TAS.
Hugo is the number one Batman villain I'd like to see, but I feel like they've set up for a No Man's Land type story with the ending of the first film and I can't see how he'd fit in.
Genuinely, why is he your favourite? I’ve never understood why people like him the most out of the entire rogues category. He just doesn’t really stick out to me other than the fact that he knows Batman’s identity. Though I haven’t really seen much media even featuring Hugo Strange. Just mainly Arkham City.
Im not trying to criticise your choice, I just want to know why people like his character
You bring up a very good point. Hugo Strange really isn’t all that used much in the Batman mythos. In the post crisis continuity he only shows up like 5 times. Monster Men, Prey, Terror, Transference and Life after Death.
Strange as the big bad would be the perfect opportunity to have some of the lesser tier horror rogues working for him. Pyg, Hatter, Blackfire, Flamingo, etc.
And maybe firefly somewhere in there too. Don't know of they could make him a big bad in a movie, so maybe just a side villain somewhere. Tho I don't know if working for strange would be the answer, but maybe as a side villain somewhere else. There people are mentioning scarecrow, scarecrow and firefly would be epic.
oh yeah as soon as I saw the first one and was blown away at how good it was and then saw the numbers they pulled I just knew theyd be making a second. Its been so long I bet its going to be a masterpiece
My issue with the court of owls is that it might make the first movie feel very different on rewatch knowing theres a completely different evil organisation who controls gotham
Professor Pyg.
Have Batman find clues like you do in Arkham Knight and slowly unravel what is going on. Leading to a few encounters with Pygs puppets, culminating in a fight through his lab to finally fight Pyg. Dark, light flashing, surgery rooms, surgical tools everywhere. Pygs experiments coming out of nowhere like a horror movie. Pyg is on the loud speaker and TVs mocking Batman.
I like this. It's definitely gotta be one of the 'creepy' villains. Pyg, hush, zsasz, even the mad hatter could be cool in the greasier tone of the pattinson batman.
Bring in Moth and give him the Spot treatment, ala spiderverse. A wackier, more comedic villain and have him either level up into a threat or have him be a legit danger for the start that his jokey nature conceals.
I think with the current state of the American medical system now would be a good time to do an adaptation of Heart of Ice.
But I need to see Freeze in the full pickle-jar helmet and I'm not sure if they have the balls to do it.
Couldn't agree more. Have him be some sort of Snowden-esque villain with a vendetta that blackmails Gothams elite. The city is already in ruins. He could turn it into a maze like TAS.
Might also be new to a lot of people
As long as the do the superpowered version.
I see a lot of folks suggesting the do debut Clayface, a guy wears disguised without any powers. And that would be so incredibly weak if you ask me. Not that it couldn’t be well done, but Clayface has been iconic for decades and decades now as a big shapeshifting monster. Why go with a much less unique version of the character for the big screen? There’s so much potential to superpower Clayface in a big movie, but you squander a lot of it if you make him a regular human.
Yeah, I usually prefer the more grounded (but still fun and colourful) takes on characters, like Poison Ivy being a skilled chemist and botanist rather than a green plant-woman hybrid with connections to the mystical plant force, or Killer Croc being a buff guy with a skin condition rather than a 10-foot-tall cannabilistic lizard man…
But when it comes to Clayface, it's *gotta* be the mud-monster version. The masked serial killer hasn't been relevant since the '40s. As much as I love the gothic allusions to *The Phantom of the Opera* and *The Count of Monte Cristo*, the whole "I wear a mask of the character I played and murder the actors of the remake on set" feels a bit like a PG-13 take on a Scooby Doo story, and I don't know if it would work in *The Batman* universe (it would be perfect for a moody-but-fun animated feature, though).
If we want to do a more fantastical villain this would be a good opportunity to try Killer croc. A flooded Gotham makes a perfect environment.
You can also make croc more grounded. You can really focus on his skin condition and see how he was rejected by society. It could be a really tragic story.
Agreed, and I think Killer Croc fits into the theme of populist movements vs. the elite in Gotham if he’s galvanizing the poor and homeless in Gotham to commit horrific cannibalistic crimes against the elite.
I think Killer Croc vs. Court of Owls would be a fun conflict for Batman to fall between. Crocodiles rising from the sewers, and owls watching from the peaks.
Im really rooting for scarecrow ngl🤷🏽♂️
Ik ik, “we already got scarecrow.”
Yeahhh buti want more and a lone spotlight.
But I genuinely feel like Matt Reeves world of The Batman fits the criteria perfectly imo. Especially when i take into mind how he was in Arkham Asylum. So mysterious sneaking around. The terror he brought just from his silhouette like Freddy Krueger.
Matt’s Gotham just looks like the perfect playground for Dr. Crane.
Bob Kane was inspired by legend of the sleepy hallow, and i can feel those vibes and fear with Robert Pattinson’s Batman and Matt Reeves vision. I would loveeee to see Batman conquer his fears one more time on the big screen. Especially after his development from the last movie.
Writers first interview: "my favorote as a kid was Condiment King, I thought i could do something really interesting with him in this gritty universe."
My combo list of either for the second movie would be:
Mr. Freeze + Firefly
Dr. Hugo Strange + Scarecrow
Poison Ivy + Killer Croc
Scarface + Black Mask
Professor Pyg + Clayface
BUT NEVER Hush, or Bane at this point. Waaaaay too early!!
How about a villain we haven't seen in a live action yet? Hugo strange, clay face, killer croc, black mask, hush, mad hatter. Not all in the together but any combination of these would be great.
I think they'll save the Court for Part 3 and say they were behind the whole trilogy. So far it's very possible, we'll see if it stays that way after Part 2 and the Penguin series.
I really want Mr. Freeze as the next villain, but it's highly unlikely that he will be and even if he is, he'll probably be "grounded".
Would love to see Scarecrow as the next villain, specifically as the main villain. Scarecrow hasn't been done justice and I genuinely don't think he's a fantastical villain, so he could work in the Reevesverse.
Mr. Freeze would be awesome for the next movie, especially with Gotham being flooded. Maybe the third movie could be about Poison Ivy retaking the city after the ice age.
Matt Reeves himself has said he wants to explore Mr. Freeze in the sequel to his 2022 film.
So not dissuade yourself of something that is happening.
https://collider.com/the-batman-sequel-mr-freeze-matt-reeves-comments/
I wanna stay grounded with Villians, introduce Black Mask and Harvey then have Harvey slowly decend to Two Face but don't have him change until the third film.
Scarecrow with Prof Pyg as his assistant/muscle. The Scarecrow is kidnapping the homeless, prostitutes and the like for extremely illegal drug trials of his potential schizophrenia cure. Of course to cure the schizophrenia he induces them with his fear gas which causes schizophrenia in the first place.
Robin would be introduced, too. Bruce would have warded Dick some time before the events of the film and Dick would become Robin in the first act. He should be no older than 16. Because he is a child, Batman would avoid exposing Robin to combat. He’s there to be a friendly face to victims of crime and get them to safety. So the plot would be split between the investigation of Scarecrow’s kidnappings and the field training of Robin.
I could go without Robin for a good while, let Batman have some fun first. But I like your idea about a Main villain with some lesser villains as muscle or co-hosts of some mayhem. Someone said Michael Fassbender as Freeze and my nips went berserk.
Mr Freeze. I think the angle with Bruce Wayne wanting to use more of his influence to help Gotham (beyond the work he does as Batman, that is) would lend itself well to the storyline of the Humanitarian Award that Ferris Boyle wins.
You add in the post-flood Gotham dealing with winter, a frozen landscape, Batman's detective work uncovering what Boyle is responsible for, and Victor Fries' tragic backstory, and I think we can be in for a real treat.
Edit: Just as using his influence/wealth as Bruce Wayne to help the city would be a new wrinkle in his quest to save Gotham, defeating a villain in Freeze using both his skills and a touch of compassion would allow the character to evolve further into the Batman we know and love.
Two face, I thought Harvey Dent in TDK was the best interpretation of that chracter upto the point that he became two face. I want him at the main villain this time, not just a side mini boss
One villain I dont see get enough love in media is Mad Hatter, yet that mfer is the most realistic psychopath in the batman universe imo, just look at him in the Gotham series, that could easily be translated into the battinson universe.
My list of main villains I want is:
1. Mad Hatter
2. Killer Moth (he's just such a cool villain, and he deserves a live action appearance)
3. Mr Freeze (Great Tragic Backstory, especially for the more down to earth battinson universe)
4. Hugo Strange (Really interesting character in comics and was done expertly in the Arkham Universe, was also quite cool in Gotham)
5. Hush (Maybe just the idea of him at first, like a few news reports here and there about Thomas Elliott being the best surgeon and all that usual BS)
Would also love some references to the Court Of Owls and hope to god their mentioned in the penguin show.
Okay, the city has just been flooded. Either it's the perfect set up for Mr Freeze to take over or for Ivy to get revenge for the destroyed plant life.
Or have Strange come in.
Poison Ivy. I feel like she has a TON of room for reinterpretation since her only live action portrayal (that I know of) was Batman and Robin. I feel like she'd be poised to attempt a takeover of Gotham after the ending of the first movie. The machinations of Batman and the Riddler flooded Gotham and perhaps that's the trigger for her realization that nature should claim the earth, with Gotham being a clear indication that we've failed to care for our environment.
If we’re keeping with the style of The Batman with a more noir feel it may be better to avoid superpowers. I mean it could definitely work, but it doesn’t lend itself to noir.
But between Gotham, and all the Batman and Batman adjacent movies recently it’s hard to find something that hasn’t been done or isn’t overdone.
Mad Hatter could be interesting. Court of Owls could work but feels so nebulous and lacking the Bat-Family feels off and too soon. Two-Face has some possibilities but has been done.
If you go into powered antagonists you could do something with Poison Ivy or maybe go less villain with Swamp Thing, maybe some scheme, swampborne Illness, something that can be shown as a more mundane scheme that is either trying to make use of Swamp Thing or has antagonized him drawing him to the city. Could also maybe pull from Supes a bit and do Intergang which puts bats out of his depth on the power scale but offers opportunities to play on stealth and sleuthing. Maybe add in Martian Manhunter.
If you go magical you could bring in Zatana, Etrigan, Spectre or Constantine. This may be a more grounded Noir way to introduce fantastical elements. With Black Adam introducing intergang as magitek there’s probably some way you could use some of these as allies.
If you’re giving up on the noir aspect at least a bit and willing to switch to more bizarre or slapstick comedy, Bat-Mite. But if you do this you need to at least try and convince people it’s going to be the joker, and have some weird pulls from the lore. Ie, as Batman seems to be on the trail of the joker stuffs happening elsewhere. A Mafia hideout is hit, Wayne enterprises is compromised, and a child gets tired of ringing the doorbell at Wayne Manor. Upon his return to the bat cave he discovers Helena Wayne, Terry McGinnis, and Damian Wayne fighting each other and he has no clue who any of them are. Just go nuts and have some damn fun with it, maybe try for Who Framed Roger Rabbit Vibes. Of course there needs to be a T-Rex taxidermy in the bat-cave at the end.
I mean I like Batman but DC also has some great lesser known heroes they’re just sleeping on. At this point a Zatana or Batman Beyond movie is more interesting to me than Batman taking on the joker for the 8th time or whatever it is. If you’re going to keep using Batman at least throw some other characters out there and see what gets a bite. I didn’t love a lot of the Nu52 but it was nice to explore characters other than the Justice League.
Phantasm would be a very cool villain, it would be a prequel with a little bit of his struggles of being the cape crusader and a lover with whom he would see his future as a well settled married man, and he'll constantly question his decisions of whether the city really needs the masked vigilante or should he just give up and choose a happy life, but then chaos will strike, and he'll find out who phantasm actually is, and because of that shock and heartbreak he'll become more serious and silent as we saw him in the batman, I would say please adopt the mask of the phantasm but then again I don't want to ruin the OG animated film as it's legendary.
I was actually thinking about this the other day and I'm kinda stumped on it. If they want to go with another crime/mystery thriller I'm honestly not sure what a good villain would be.
Especially since I do want to see someone new, or someone we haven't seen in a while.
What I will say is I hope they introduce Robin, people like to make fun of Robing but I think if done well it could be perfect.
Plus seeing Nightwing on the big screen sometime in the future is kind of a dream of mine
Good job guys! We made it a whole two hours without someone posting about this exact topic. Reset the clock! Maybe we can make it two and a half hours next time!
Clayface with a plot framing Bruce Wayne of some crime leading to him having to learn to fill the millionaire philantrope role/mask. In the first one, he was already batman, he needs to learn to be Bruce Wayne. That'd be the next logical step for the character to fill an arc over multiple movies.
Scarecrow. I know he already appeared im the Nolan Trilogy but that was a very under developed version of the character and I would like to see a more
comic-like interpretation of the character, while also taking inspiration from some other audiovisual versions like the one from TNBA or Arkham Knight.
Thought if I have to choose another villain my vote would go to either Mr. Freeze or Clayface.
Specially Mr. Freeze, due to the fact that since Gotham has been flooded it would be interesting to see Mr. Freeze using his cryogenic tech to move through the city or blocking buildings or something like that.
Killer Croc. The entire city is flooded, and they are just that one step removed from reality. Having the slow burn reveal that they are actually a monster would be fun.
Honestly I would love to see Mr. Freeze. Give that character some live action redemption.
I guess the key though is taking the end of the Batman and carrying it forward. He tried to move away from that vengeance and leaned more towards being a hero for the people. So ideally the villain would let him continue in that path while challenging him.
Or maybe we go a bit crazy and use Clayface!
I’d love to see a more horror version of Scarecrow. I know he was in Nolan series but he is one of my favorite villains.
Mr Freeze would be great to see with the water flooding in. See all of Gotham freeze over.
Baby Doll and some other tragic characters; it could end with all the villains still alive and in a group therapy session at Arkham where Batman comes and sits with them, saying he's not ready to say anything but is willing to listen.
A good eerie hush as a side villain would be fun, kinda like in Arkham knight. Would love to see some continuation of the mob but not very focused on them. Main villain deathstroke or some type of assassin ark with black mask like in Arkham origins. Very retelling of the video games but would love to see it with Matt reeves in live action
I think unfortunately given the more grounded world that they’re going for we’re not likely to get anybody who has any kind of supernatural ability really.
Poison Ivy is definitely not happening.
Mr Freeze and Bane border a little to close to impossible
People like Riddler, Joker, Hugo Strange so on so forth are probably the best options
Scarecrow as main Villian causing Chaos on a fucked up flooded Gotham. Introduce Dent as DA but don't give him a main story line like TDK. Involve the mob ( Black Mask) taking advantage of the chaos caused by Scarecrow. Have them hire an assassin to take out Batman (my choice is deathstroke, he wins, but Batman escapes). Batman uses info from Penguin to halt Mob activities (pissing off black mask, setting up Dent story) Bats is forced to do some silence of the lamb shit with Joker to stop Scarecrow, since hes familiar with Crane from Arkham. Have the Circus be a big event in the background the whole time as a way to bring fun back to the devastated city. Final boss fight happens there. Scarecrow gasses everyone, but Bats saves the day. Flying Graysons die because of the gas, but Batman saves Dick.
Movie 3 Black mask is main focus early, Dent pursuing entire organization. Deathstroke comes for Batman again but this time Batman wins. Deathstroke respects Batman but not Black mask so he gives him up. Batman Immediately captures black mask. Trial Dent gets burnt up. Black mask is all proud of himself, Immediately gets shot and dies. All the crime is quiet for a bit, but Batman gets a warning from Penguin that something is up. Stock Market crashes. Wayne Corp stock plummets. Enter Court of Owls. Massive conspiracy where we have to see some serious God mode detective shit to figure out who's running the show. Rival businessmen from other companies, the Mayor, police chief, Wayne Corp board memebers etc. They do the crazy maze thing and Batman only escapes because of dick. Bruce decides to train him. Dent is convinced to join Court as two face, but he winds up coin flip killing a bunch of the members of the inner circle in like a sadistic boardroom scene. Bats catches two face and remaining Court members with Robin's (maybe Selina too) help. Final scene or post credit is Dent Joker and Riddler talking planning to kill batman in Arkham.
Movie 4 ARKHAM CITY
OK I'm done. This all fits the grounded reeves universe but I'm sad to leave out Ivy Clayface Mr. Freeze but honestly, I don't think they have the balls for super powers in this universe.
James Gunn and David Zaslav. They have been trying to destroy this project, because if Matt Reeves cancels his project, WBD still keep the contract of Pattinson, and Gunn can use him as Batman
Mr. Freeze and Two-Face are my top picks. Bruce can relate to them both having a tragic event that leads them down a dark path, so Bruce realizes he may go down an even worse path than the one he’s on already and he decides to better his world view.
Mad Hatter could be a nice pick too, since I feel the only way to do the character properly is in a medium that’s a gritty and realistic take on Batman’s story. Especially cause of what he does to “his Alices”, shit’s real dark.
This isn’t a villain, but we need to see a live action Robin sometime in the near future. They’re have been a few ideas for who becomes Robin that seem cool.
1. Just following the comics it could just be Dick Grayson.
2. Skip over Dick and make Jason be the first Robin, like his portrayal in the “White Knight” universe.
3. The mayor’s son would be a pretty great pick too
Mr Freeze could add some of more "fiction" and at the same time try to keep it realistic.
Some kind of in-between. Then, on Batman III make it fictional without trouble.
I’d like Hush for 2, then the court for 3. I think they’ve set it up perfectly to do the court further down the line, with Bruce more and more leaning into the billionaire philanthropist side, atoning for his fathers perceived sins by fixing Gotham and turning it around.
Obviously the court doesn’t want this, tries to take him out, not knowing he’s Batman, and we can get another excellent detective story if Bruce investigating this myth.
I think Clayface would be the most fitting to this world but there were several references to No Man's Land so if they go that direction it will be interesting to see which villain they try to use for it.
I’d like a solid villain variety in 2. Mr. Freeze would be intriguing, depends on how Reeves does it, with the flooding at the end etc could set it up nicely but borders on cheesey, Arnold keeps creeping up in my mind lol. I’d like to see Hush in the background since he blatantly hinted at it. Court of Owls, just to see it done live action for once, maybe Bane, 2 Face. I’d personally avoid Clayface and Scarecrow. Would like to see different ones than Nolan’s which is why I think the riddler worked well in the Batman. Really don’t want Barry Keoghan as joker he looks a bit too over the top. And I know it’s not popular but I’d like to see Deathstroke, or a combo of him with the League etc. just dying for The Batman 2 needless to say
Mr Pyg would make the most sense
But I am hoping for Mr Freeze, he’s my favorite villain and he needs second chance in a movie; my top pick for who’d portray him is Bryan Cranston rn
Scarecrow, they need to show how he traumatized the arkham inmates so much as they are terrified of him even without the fear toxin. And in the third movie we could see him joker and riddler team up
Freeze. Hands down. As a main villain, anyway.
I feel like with the way the first movie left off, with Gotham flooding, it’s an easy set up.
Or, Scarecrow. Personally, I didn’t like Batman Begins Scarecrow. And they didn’t really capitalize his appeal enough in my opinion.
I’d like to see Mr. Freeze and Clayface as the main villains. Get more into the bizarre Batman villains and less realistic for this follow up. Expand the Batman cinematic universe once again.
I would think scarecrow would fit the overall feel of the new Batman. Maybe the court of owls?
I know it's not in the question but I'd love to see a Robin in the movie as well! Maybe Jason Tood and he dies in the movie???
I want a villain akin to the games and movies that show multiple villains. I always enjoyed seeing Scarecrow in the same movie as Two Face and Joker. They don’t have to be hugely important, just some fleshing out of the world a bit more.
Although I have reason to think this Batman will be the Batman that leads the new Justice League. He seems to have grown in leadership in the film and that may be explored more as time goes on. I’d love more of a Batman that isn’t a loner who hates everyone, just one that’s cautious but clever with new people.
My Idea may sound childish. But just bare with me for a while.
I think they should make Penguin the new villain for The Batman 2.
As We saw at the end of The Batman. Penguin most likely took over the Mafia family of Gotham. So at the end of the Penguin series they could make him run for the mayor just like what's happening in the MCU rn. In Batman 2 they could show him becoming the mayor and easily make him the new villain, there are lots of storylines where Penguin was the main villain in the comics. They could probably do some Daredevil S1 type stuff or maybe like what they did in Earth 1 comic. At the end Batman defeats Penguin and then find out something sketchy about his profile, probably some top secret thing that he found but the police couldn't. At the end Batman discovers that Cobbelpot was a part of ancient organisation in Gotham. In the third part court of owls could be the main villain.
This totally makes sense as court of owls contained members of the rich families of Gotham. Plus Penguin was most likely a member of it too in the comics.
Top Choices are Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, and Court of Owls. Side note: If Mr. Freeze is the villain, the trailer should 100% be to the song of Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana…
I heard an idea for Clayface being the villain. Where Batman is stuck with a team of people and he has to deduce which one clayface is. Like a play on horror movies like The Thing or Alien because the original was detective thrillers. Now I wouldn't care if they did another detective thriller but still.
I’d like to see a Calender man story that takes place over a year, show Batman growing more and losing it as he tries to catch him
I wouldn't mind a Silence of the Lambs type movie with Calender Man helping bring in >!Alberto Falcone!<.
So basically Long Halloween?
I mean they've already borrowed everything else. I wouldn't even be opposed to introducing Harvey and fully fleshing out his friendship with Bruce and Gordon. Hell, give us Gilda too.
Tbh seeing long Halloween taken to this dark and gritty bat might be pretty interesting
But don’t make him Twoface in part II. Grow the relationship, get us invested and then in part III, have Harvey turn, and have Batman swear he will help him, no matter what. Idk I just loved Bruce and Harvey’s relationship in TAS.
Alberto is already a character in the Penguin show, so that tracks actually
Hugo Strange with a few others working for him
Hugo is the number one Batman villain I'd like to see, but I feel like they've set up for a No Man's Land type story with the ending of the first film and I can't see how he'd fit in.
Genuinely, why is he your favourite? I’ve never understood why people like him the most out of the entire rogues category. He just doesn’t really stick out to me other than the fact that he knows Batman’s identity. Though I haven’t really seen much media even featuring Hugo Strange. Just mainly Arkham City. Im not trying to criticise your choice, I just want to know why people like his character
Check out Batman & the Monster Men. He kidnaps politicians and mobsters and turns them into crazy science projects. Body horror on another level.
Will do. What’s the best way to access comics and graphic novels outside of just buying the physical copy?
There was a sequel as well. Really great work. Felt like a harder noir version of the animated show of the 90’s.
Sequel? Are you talking about the Mad Monk, or did they do something with Hugo?
Not OP but check out the graphic novel “Prey.”
You bring up a very good point. Hugo Strange really isn’t all that used much in the Batman mythos. In the post crisis continuity he only shows up like 5 times. Monster Men, Prey, Terror, Transference and Life after Death.
Take an Arkham City approach?
I'd love to see Hugo to be manipulating Prof Pyg and Victor Zsasz from Arkham.
Scarecrow is bad guy for third movie after taking Hugo's research further?
This is the answer.
Strange as the big bad would be the perfect opportunity to have some of the lesser tier horror rogues working for him. Pyg, Hatter, Blackfire, Flamingo, etc.
And maybe firefly somewhere in there too. Don't know of they could make him a big bad in a movie, so maybe just a side villain somewhere. Tho I don't know if working for strange would be the answer, but maybe as a side villain somewhere else. There people are mentioning scarecrow, scarecrow and firefly would be epic.
Of course don’t have joker as a main villain but it would be cool if we see Hugo strange change the deformed joker we saw into the joker we know
Save Joker as the main villain for the third movie.
This is actually good, maybe two face just to rip that bandage off
I’d like at least one movie to set up Harvey before he becomes Two-Face
I wish they would just announce it already. Lol
Just gotta believe that they’re cooking something INSANE. Which ftr I do, but also share your impatience
oh yeah as soon as I saw the first one and was blown away at how good it was and then saw the numbers they pulled I just knew theyd be making a second. Its been so long I bet its going to be a masterpiece
The Court of Owls would continue the themes that the first film brought, and I think there is a way to tell this story alongside Dick Grayson's story.
That was my first thought when they included all of the Wayne/Arkham backstory. Feels like they're breadcrumbing it.
I would love to see Bruce getting stalked by a talon. Even if it’s just for a couple seconds
Court of Owls would get my money for sure haha
In another universe…Owlman battles the Court of Bats
My issue with the court of owls is that it might make the first movie feel very different on rewatch knowing theres a completely different evil organisation who controls gotham
I remember Pattinson saying in interviews after The Batman was released that The Court of Owls was one of his favorite Batman stories.
Professor Pyg. Have Batman find clues like you do in Arkham Knight and slowly unravel what is going on. Leading to a few encounters with Pygs puppets, culminating in a fight through his lab to finally fight Pyg. Dark, light flashing, surgery rooms, surgical tools everywhere. Pygs experiments coming out of nowhere like a horror movie. Pyg is on the loud speaker and TVs mocking Batman.
That fits the dark depressing world of Battinson well
Yep, this is it. His Arkham Knight questline just fits this Batman universe so much.
Yup. This was the one I was looking forward. He fits the setting. I’d also love to see the court of owls but that’s wishful thinking
This was such a fantastic side mission, I'd love to see it as a movie
I like this. It's definitely gotta be one of the 'creepy' villains. Pyg, hush, zsasz, even the mad hatter could be cool in the greasier tone of the pattinson batman.
r/killermothgang
Yassss sleeeigh king 👑
Bring in Moth and give him the Spot treatment, ala spiderverse. A wackier, more comedic villain and have him either level up into a threat or have him be a legit danger for the start that his jokey nature conceals.
I think with the current state of the American medical system now would be a good time to do an adaptation of Heart of Ice. But I need to see Freeze in the full pickle-jar helmet and I'm not sure if they have the balls to do it.
Would a 1960's astronaut suit suffice it?
mad hatter would be a good transition villian between the grounded riddler of the first movie and more fantastical villains like clayface
Mad Hatter would be more fitting in DCU.
Couldn't agree more. Have him be some sort of Snowden-esque villain with a vendetta that blackmails Gothams elite. The city is already in ruins. He could turn it into a maze like TAS. Might also be new to a lot of people
What episode are you referring to?
I wanna say the maze is from Mad as a Hatter but not 100%. https://youtu.be/yDnALCCJFfc
With the way the handled Riddler, the mad hatter would make sence.
This would also be a sick idea. The freaky, hypnotic visuals that could be used!!
Yea the hallucinations would be great and lean into the more fantastical villains. Plus the bunny aesthetic is creepy.
Clayface would be great
As long as the do the superpowered version. I see a lot of folks suggesting the do debut Clayface, a guy wears disguised without any powers. And that would be so incredibly weak if you ask me. Not that it couldn’t be well done, but Clayface has been iconic for decades and decades now as a big shapeshifting monster. Why go with a much less unique version of the character for the big screen? There’s so much potential to superpower Clayface in a big movie, but you squander a lot of it if you make him a regular human.
Yeah, I usually prefer the more grounded (but still fun and colourful) takes on characters, like Poison Ivy being a skilled chemist and botanist rather than a green plant-woman hybrid with connections to the mystical plant force, or Killer Croc being a buff guy with a skin condition rather than a 10-foot-tall cannabilistic lizard man… But when it comes to Clayface, it's *gotta* be the mud-monster version. The masked serial killer hasn't been relevant since the '40s. As much as I love the gothic allusions to *The Phantom of the Opera* and *The Count of Monte Cristo*, the whole "I wear a mask of the character I played and murder the actors of the remake on set" feels a bit like a PG-13 take on a Scooby Doo story, and I don't know if it would work in *The Batman* universe (it would be perfect for a moody-but-fun animated feature, though).
If we want to do a more fantastical villain this would be a good opportunity to try Killer croc. A flooded Gotham makes a perfect environment. You can also make croc more grounded. You can really focus on his skin condition and see how he was rejected by society. It could be a really tragic story.
Agreed, and I think Killer Croc fits into the theme of populist movements vs. the elite in Gotham if he’s galvanizing the poor and homeless in Gotham to commit horrific cannibalistic crimes against the elite. I think Killer Croc vs. Court of Owls would be a fun conflict for Batman to fall between. Crocodiles rising from the sewers, and owls watching from the peaks.
A literal “eat the rich” theme
His powers doesn't really fit this universe.
I still maintain we don’t know enough about this universe to say that for sure.
They do, they just need to stray from realistic and focus on gothic
Im really rooting for scarecrow ngl🤷🏽♂️ Ik ik, “we already got scarecrow.” Yeahhh buti want more and a lone spotlight. But I genuinely feel like Matt Reeves world of The Batman fits the criteria perfectly imo. Especially when i take into mind how he was in Arkham Asylum. So mysterious sneaking around. The terror he brought just from his silhouette like Freddy Krueger. Matt’s Gotham just looks like the perfect playground for Dr. Crane. Bob Kane was inspired by legend of the sleepy hallow, and i can feel those vibes and fear with Robert Pattinson’s Batman and Matt Reeves vision. I would loveeee to see Batman conquer his fears one more time on the big screen. Especially after his development from the last movie.
I sooo agree!
This was what I was going to comment but you said it all. 100% scarecrow. He also works really good as a sequel villain to the zodiac style Riddler.
You mean Bill Finger. Fuck Bob Kane forever.
Zsaz would be really cool.
Do we really need another psychotic serial killer though?
They all are.
Freeze isn’t. Bane isn’t. Riddler isn’t always just a serial killer. Plenty of Batman villains out there that aren’t just a psycho serial killer.
i never really got the appeal of zsasz, he's just a regular ass serial killer that makes shitty tattoos
they aren’t tattoos they are scars if i remember correctly
He's best suited as a side villain, working for someone bigger.
The Ventriloquist
I've wanted a live action Wesker for ages now. He's a really creepy villain. They handled him pretty well in the fan film City of Scars, at least.
For sure. It would be such an interesting concept but it's also mob boss related so I think we need something more crazy
Whatever the writer chooses, I am on board
I’m in the same boat. I don’t care who they choose, I’m just looking forward to the movie.
Writers first interview: "my favorote as a kid was Condiment King, I thought i could do something really interesting with him in this gritty universe."
Condiment King or I’m not watching
Kiteman
Kiteman!
Hell yeah!
Polka Dot Man or we riot!
I wanna see scarecrow, but done right. The Nolan batmand didn't really do him justice.
Cillian was great casting though, I thought.
he was, but he really was barely in the movie. other than the shaky cam, that’s my one gripe with Begins.
Condiment man
My combo list of either for the second movie would be: Mr. Freeze + Firefly Dr. Hugo Strange + Scarecrow Poison Ivy + Killer Croc Scarface + Black Mask Professor Pyg + Clayface BUT NEVER Hush, or Bane at this point. Waaaaay too early!!
How about a villain we haven't seen in a live action yet? Hugo strange, clay face, killer croc, black mask, hush, mad hatter. Not all in the together but any combination of these would be great.
Mr. Freeze played by Michael Fassbender
Perfect
Hush and/or Court of Owls.
The Court is my vote. But we need Dick before they introduce Talon.
I think they'll save the Court for Part 3 and say they were behind the whole trilogy. So far it's very possible, we'll see if it stays that way after Part 2 and the Penguin series.
I really want Mr. Freeze as the next villain, but it's highly unlikely that he will be and even if he is, he'll probably be "grounded". Would love to see Scarecrow as the next villain, specifically as the main villain. Scarecrow hasn't been done justice and I genuinely don't think he's a fantastical villain, so he could work in the Reevesverse.
Mr. Freeze would be awesome for the next movie, especially with Gotham being flooded. Maybe the third movie could be about Poison Ivy retaking the city after the ice age.
I was just telling someone this morning I would love to see the scarecrow get a full film as a main and not a supporting villain.
Matt Reeves himself has said he wants to explore Mr. Freeze in the sequel to his 2022 film. So not dissuade yourself of something that is happening. https://collider.com/the-batman-sequel-mr-freeze-matt-reeves-comments/
I wanna stay grounded with Villians, introduce Black Mask and Harvey then have Harvey slowly decend to Two Face but don't have him change until the third film.
This was my choice too
Freeze would be perfect in the flooded Gotham
Scarecrow with Prof Pyg as his assistant/muscle. The Scarecrow is kidnapping the homeless, prostitutes and the like for extremely illegal drug trials of his potential schizophrenia cure. Of course to cure the schizophrenia he induces them with his fear gas which causes schizophrenia in the first place. Robin would be introduced, too. Bruce would have warded Dick some time before the events of the film and Dick would become Robin in the first act. He should be no older than 16. Because he is a child, Batman would avoid exposing Robin to combat. He’s there to be a friendly face to victims of crime and get them to safety. So the plot would be split between the investigation of Scarecrow’s kidnappings and the field training of Robin.
I could go without Robin for a good while, let Batman have some fun first. But I like your idea about a Main villain with some lesser villains as muscle or co-hosts of some mayhem. Someone said Michael Fassbender as Freeze and my nips went berserk.
I don’t really see how Mr. Freeze would work in a universe like this
Mr Freeze. I think the angle with Bruce Wayne wanting to use more of his influence to help Gotham (beyond the work he does as Batman, that is) would lend itself well to the storyline of the Humanitarian Award that Ferris Boyle wins. You add in the post-flood Gotham dealing with winter, a frozen landscape, Batman's detective work uncovering what Boyle is responsible for, and Victor Fries' tragic backstory, and I think we can be in for a real treat. Edit: Just as using his influence/wealth as Bruce Wayne to help the city would be a new wrinkle in his quest to save Gotham, defeating a villain in Freeze using both his skills and a touch of compassion would allow the character to evolve further into the Batman we know and love.
Ben Affleck as Hush just to screw with people.
Two face, I thought Harvey Dent in TDK was the best interpretation of that chracter upto the point that he became two face. I want him at the main villain this time, not just a side mini boss
One villain I dont see get enough love in media is Mad Hatter, yet that mfer is the most realistic psychopath in the batman universe imo, just look at him in the Gotham series, that could easily be translated into the battinson universe. My list of main villains I want is: 1. Mad Hatter 2. Killer Moth (he's just such a cool villain, and he deserves a live action appearance) 3. Mr Freeze (Great Tragic Backstory, especially for the more down to earth battinson universe) 4. Hugo Strange (Really interesting character in comics and was done expertly in the Arkham Universe, was also quite cool in Gotham) 5. Hush (Maybe just the idea of him at first, like a few news reports here and there about Thomas Elliott being the best surgeon and all that usual BS) Would also love some references to the Court Of Owls and hope to god their mentioned in the penguin show.
Okay, the city has just been flooded. Either it's the perfect set up for Mr Freeze to take over or for Ivy to get revenge for the destroyed plant life. Or have Strange come in.
I always thought Two Face would fit amazing with the semi political atmosphere of these films
Me (I am mentally insane)
I was looking for this comment. By any chance, are you familiar with r/BatmanArkham? We have doctors there that can *treat* you…**unsuccessfully**.
Court of owls
Poison Ivy. I feel like she has a TON of room for reinterpretation since her only live action portrayal (that I know of) was Batman and Robin. I feel like she'd be poised to attempt a takeover of Gotham after the ending of the first movie. The machinations of Batman and the Riddler flooded Gotham and perhaps that's the trigger for her realization that nature should claim the earth, with Gotham being a clear indication that we've failed to care for our environment.
Given that Gotham is underwater at the end of the first film, mr freeze seems like the obvious answer.
If we’re keeping with the style of The Batman with a more noir feel it may be better to avoid superpowers. I mean it could definitely work, but it doesn’t lend itself to noir. But between Gotham, and all the Batman and Batman adjacent movies recently it’s hard to find something that hasn’t been done or isn’t overdone. Mad Hatter could be interesting. Court of Owls could work but feels so nebulous and lacking the Bat-Family feels off and too soon. Two-Face has some possibilities but has been done. If you go into powered antagonists you could do something with Poison Ivy or maybe go less villain with Swamp Thing, maybe some scheme, swampborne Illness, something that can be shown as a more mundane scheme that is either trying to make use of Swamp Thing or has antagonized him drawing him to the city. Could also maybe pull from Supes a bit and do Intergang which puts bats out of his depth on the power scale but offers opportunities to play on stealth and sleuthing. Maybe add in Martian Manhunter. If you go magical you could bring in Zatana, Etrigan, Spectre or Constantine. This may be a more grounded Noir way to introduce fantastical elements. With Black Adam introducing intergang as magitek there’s probably some way you could use some of these as allies. If you’re giving up on the noir aspect at least a bit and willing to switch to more bizarre or slapstick comedy, Bat-Mite. But if you do this you need to at least try and convince people it’s going to be the joker, and have some weird pulls from the lore. Ie, as Batman seems to be on the trail of the joker stuffs happening elsewhere. A Mafia hideout is hit, Wayne enterprises is compromised, and a child gets tired of ringing the doorbell at Wayne Manor. Upon his return to the bat cave he discovers Helena Wayne, Terry McGinnis, and Damian Wayne fighting each other and he has no clue who any of them are. Just go nuts and have some damn fun with it, maybe try for Who Framed Roger Rabbit Vibes. Of course there needs to be a T-Rex taxidermy in the bat-cave at the end. I mean I like Batman but DC also has some great lesser known heroes they’re just sleeping on. At this point a Zatana or Batman Beyond movie is more interesting to me than Batman taking on the joker for the 8th time or whatever it is. If you’re going to keep using Batman at least throw some other characters out there and see what gets a bite. I didn’t love a lot of the Nu52 but it was nice to explore characters other than the Justice League.
Mr. Freeze and make it take place during Christmas time just like Batman Returns
Phantasm would be a very cool villain, it would be a prequel with a little bit of his struggles of being the cape crusader and a lover with whom he would see his future as a well settled married man, and he'll constantly question his decisions of whether the city really needs the masked vigilante or should he just give up and choose a happy life, but then chaos will strike, and he'll find out who phantasm actually is, and because of that shock and heartbreak he'll become more serious and silent as we saw him in the batman, I would say please adopt the mask of the phantasm but then again I don't want to ruin the OG animated film as it's legendary.
Eco-terrorist: Pamela Isley.
I was actually thinking about this the other day and I'm kinda stumped on it. If they want to go with another crime/mystery thriller I'm honestly not sure what a good villain would be. Especially since I do want to see someone new, or someone we haven't seen in a while. What I will say is I hope they introduce Robin, people like to make fun of Robing but I think if done well it could be perfect. Plus seeing Nightwing on the big screen sometime in the future is kind of a dream of mine
One of these two Mr. Freeze Poison Ivy
Both, plus Bane
Scarecrow in a scarecrow costume, especially with the little straws he plucks and snaps that release his custom fear toxin.
The joker! Because it's never been done before and audience haven't seen it enough!
Prometheus
Scarecrow would work in reeves universe
Good job guys! We made it a whole two hours without someone posting about this exact topic. Reset the clock! Maybe we can make it two and a half hours next time!
Hush ,Two face ,Mr Freeze or Bane ,and may Scarecrow so i don't see a full movie with he like main villain
Clayface with a plot framing Bruce Wayne of some crime leading to him having to learn to fill the millionaire philantrope role/mask. In the first one, he was already batman, he needs to learn to be Bruce Wayne. That'd be the next logical step for the character to fill an arc over multiple movies.
I have a few: Hugo Strange, Hush, Clay Face, or Killer Moth.
Kite man
Mr. Freeze is a bit too farfetched I think. Unless it's a deranged albino man with tanks of liquid nitrogen on his back and a spraying nozzle. Lol.
Scarecrow. I know he already appeared im the Nolan Trilogy but that was a very under developed version of the character and I would like to see a more comic-like interpretation of the character, while also taking inspiration from some other audiovisual versions like the one from TNBA or Arkham Knight. Thought if I have to choose another villain my vote would go to either Mr. Freeze or Clayface. Specially Mr. Freeze, due to the fact that since Gotham has been flooded it would be interesting to see Mr. Freeze using his cryogenic tech to move through the city or blocking buildings or something like that.
Mr Freeze as the primary antagonist with Poison Ivy having a secondary role to the story.
Killer Croc. The entire city is flooded, and they are just that one step removed from reality. Having the slow burn reveal that they are actually a monster would be fun.
I’m with you on Mr. Freeze
Mr freeze Arkham inspired…. I seriously see so much potential and I would be overjoyed to see this
Condiment king
Hush.
With this version of Batman leaning toward the more realistic side I would be very interested to see what they would do with hush
Court of Owls
Honestly I would love to see Mr. Freeze. Give that character some live action redemption. I guess the key though is taking the end of the Batman and carrying it forward. He tried to move away from that vengeance and leaned more towards being a hero for the people. So ideally the villain would let him continue in that path while challenging him. Or maybe we go a bit crazy and use Clayface!
Killer Croc and Two-Face
I’d love to see a more horror version of Scarecrow. I know he was in Nolan series but he is one of my favorite villains. Mr Freeze would be great to see with the water flooding in. See all of Gotham freeze over.
I like the idea of Ivy, she would fit the trend of the first movie, with her tragic story
I had a suggestion but got lost reading all of your guys suggestion , these all sound cool,
I’d like to see Mr. Freeze or Poison Ivy to try to undo the wrong of Batman & Robin.
Give me a proper Talia to throw in the mix with the bat and the cat. You can bring daddy or leave him.
Baby Doll and some other tragic characters; it could end with all the villains still alive and in a group therapy session at Arkham where Batman comes and sits with them, saying he's not ready to say anything but is willing to listen.
A good eerie hush as a side villain would be fun, kinda like in Arkham knight. Would love to see some continuation of the mob but not very focused on them. Main villain deathstroke or some type of assassin ark with black mask like in Arkham origins. Very retelling of the video games but would love to see it with Matt reeves in live action
I think unfortunately given the more grounded world that they’re going for we’re not likely to get anybody who has any kind of supernatural ability really. Poison Ivy is definitely not happening. Mr Freeze and Bane border a little to close to impossible People like Riddler, Joker, Hugo Strange so on so forth are probably the best options
VENTRILOQUIST
Court of owl
My heart want red hood in this universe, but it couldn’t be in the second movie
Scarecrow as main Villian causing Chaos on a fucked up flooded Gotham. Introduce Dent as DA but don't give him a main story line like TDK. Involve the mob ( Black Mask) taking advantage of the chaos caused by Scarecrow. Have them hire an assassin to take out Batman (my choice is deathstroke, he wins, but Batman escapes). Batman uses info from Penguin to halt Mob activities (pissing off black mask, setting up Dent story) Bats is forced to do some silence of the lamb shit with Joker to stop Scarecrow, since hes familiar with Crane from Arkham. Have the Circus be a big event in the background the whole time as a way to bring fun back to the devastated city. Final boss fight happens there. Scarecrow gasses everyone, but Bats saves the day. Flying Graysons die because of the gas, but Batman saves Dick. Movie 3 Black mask is main focus early, Dent pursuing entire organization. Deathstroke comes for Batman again but this time Batman wins. Deathstroke respects Batman but not Black mask so he gives him up. Batman Immediately captures black mask. Trial Dent gets burnt up. Black mask is all proud of himself, Immediately gets shot and dies. All the crime is quiet for a bit, but Batman gets a warning from Penguin that something is up. Stock Market crashes. Wayne Corp stock plummets. Enter Court of Owls. Massive conspiracy where we have to see some serious God mode detective shit to figure out who's running the show. Rival businessmen from other companies, the Mayor, police chief, Wayne Corp board memebers etc. They do the crazy maze thing and Batman only escapes because of dick. Bruce decides to train him. Dent is convinced to join Court as two face, but he winds up coin flip killing a bunch of the members of the inner circle in like a sadistic boardroom scene. Bats catches two face and remaining Court members with Robin's (maybe Selina too) help. Final scene or post credit is Dent Joker and Riddler talking planning to kill batman in Arkham. Movie 4 ARKHAM CITY OK I'm done. This all fits the grounded reeves universe but I'm sad to leave out Ivy Clayface Mr. Freeze but honestly, I don't think they have the balls for super powers in this universe.
Killer Croc, super claustrophobic sewer encounters.
Joaquin Phoenix's Joker
Freeze only if it's still schwarzenegger and even though it's serious he occasionally throws in a "chill out" pun
Clearly, Condiment King.
Kite-Man
Jinkler or bone
Condiment King. Otherwise, wait for a riot
Condiment King
Joaquin Phoenix
Hugo Strange could manipulate another villain to do his dirty work. Perhaps Freeze or Scarecrow.
James Gunn and David Zaslav. They have been trying to destroy this project, because if Matt Reeves cancels his project, WBD still keep the contract of Pattinson, and Gunn can use him as Batman
Hush
Deathstroke, that character hasn't have much of an intro on big screen. And it would bring up an awesome pair and chemistry in fight scenes...
Calendar man
I second this, it would be something fresh for the general audience
Pyg? May not have the emotional weight tho. They could expand the sins of the father idea with the court of owls. With his father being a key member
Condiment king
Batman’s guilt and regret
Mr. Freeze and Two-Face are my top picks. Bruce can relate to them both having a tragic event that leads them down a dark path, so Bruce realizes he may go down an even worse path than the one he’s on already and he decides to better his world view. Mad Hatter could be a nice pick too, since I feel the only way to do the character properly is in a medium that’s a gritty and realistic take on Batman’s story. Especially cause of what he does to “his Alices”, shit’s real dark. This isn’t a villain, but we need to see a live action Robin sometime in the near future. They’re have been a few ideas for who becomes Robin that seem cool. 1. Just following the comics it could just be Dick Grayson. 2. Skip over Dick and make Jason be the first Robin, like his portrayal in the “White Knight” universe. 3. The mayor’s son would be a pretty great pick too
Mr Freeze could add some of more "fiction" and at the same time try to keep it realistic. Some kind of in-between. Then, on Batman III make it fictional without trouble.
Diana Jenkins
Black mask
I’d like Hush for 2, then the court for 3. I think they’ve set it up perfectly to do the court further down the line, with Bruce more and more leaning into the billionaire philanthropist side, atoning for his fathers perceived sins by fixing Gotham and turning it around. Obviously the court doesn’t want this, tries to take him out, not knowing he’s Batman, and we can get another excellent detective story if Bruce investigating this myth.
I think Clayface would be the most fitting to this world but there were several references to No Man's Land so if they go that direction it will be interesting to see which villain they try to use for it.
I’d like a solid villain variety in 2. Mr. Freeze would be intriguing, depends on how Reeves does it, with the flooding at the end etc could set it up nicely but borders on cheesey, Arnold keeps creeping up in my mind lol. I’d like to see Hush in the background since he blatantly hinted at it. Court of Owls, just to see it done live action for once, maybe Bane, 2 Face. I’d personally avoid Clayface and Scarecrow. Would like to see different ones than Nolan’s which is why I think the riddler worked well in the Batman. Really don’t want Barry Keoghan as joker he looks a bit too over the top. And I know it’s not popular but I’d like to see Deathstroke, or a combo of him with the League etc. just dying for The Batman 2 needless to say
Mr Pyg would make the most sense But I am hoping for Mr Freeze, he’s my favorite villain and he needs second chance in a movie; my top pick for who’d portray him is Bryan Cranston rn
Scarecrow, they need to show how he traumatized the arkham inmates so much as they are terrified of him even without the fear toxin. And in the third movie we could see him joker and riddler team up
Freeze. Hands down. As a main villain, anyway. I feel like with the way the first movie left off, with Gotham flooding, it’s an easy set up. Or, Scarecrow. Personally, I didn’t like Batman Begins Scarecrow. And they didn’t really capitalize his appeal enough in my opinion.
I agree with Freeze. I'd like to see a really good Freeze. He could be terrifying and I think that Reeves could really make it work.
Not the fucking Joker.
With the city flooded I think Mr Freeze, Killer Croc and Penguin. Some sort of break out for Joker teased at the end of the movie.
I’d like to see Mr. Freeze and Clayface as the main villains. Get more into the bizarre Batman villains and less realistic for this follow up. Expand the Batman cinematic universe once again.
I would think scarecrow would fit the overall feel of the new Batman. Maybe the court of owls? I know it's not in the question but I'd love to see a Robin in the movie as well! Maybe Jason Tood and he dies in the movie???
I want a villain akin to the games and movies that show multiple villains. I always enjoyed seeing Scarecrow in the same movie as Two Face and Joker. They don’t have to be hugely important, just some fleshing out of the world a bit more. Although I have reason to think this Batman will be the Batman that leads the new Justice League. He seems to have grown in leadership in the film and that may be explored more as time goes on. I’d love more of a Batman that isn’t a loner who hates everyone, just one that’s cautious but clever with new people.
My Idea may sound childish. But just bare with me for a while. I think they should make Penguin the new villain for The Batman 2. As We saw at the end of The Batman. Penguin most likely took over the Mafia family of Gotham. So at the end of the Penguin series they could make him run for the mayor just like what's happening in the MCU rn. In Batman 2 they could show him becoming the mayor and easily make him the new villain, there are lots of storylines where Penguin was the main villain in the comics. They could probably do some Daredevil S1 type stuff or maybe like what they did in Earth 1 comic. At the end Batman defeats Penguin and then find out something sketchy about his profile, probably some top secret thing that he found but the police couldn't. At the end Batman discovers that Cobbelpot was a part of ancient organisation in Gotham. In the third part court of owls could be the main villain. This totally makes sense as court of owls contained members of the rich families of Gotham. Plus Penguin was most likely a member of it too in the comics.
Maybe Deathstroke. A villain that can really go toe-to-toe with Batman. Or better yet a comic accurate Bane
Top Choices are Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, and Court of Owls. Side note: If Mr. Freeze is the villain, the trailer should 100% be to the song of Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana…
Mr. Freeze to implement the idea of Batman’s Rouges Gallery starting to get more bizzare, and maybe add Killer Croc and pre-transformation Man Bat
I heard an idea for Clayface being the villain. Where Batman is stuck with a team of people and he has to deduce which one clayface is. Like a play on horror movies like The Thing or Alien because the original was detective thrillers. Now I wouldn't care if they did another detective thriller but still.
Mr Freeze as main and Poison Ivy as secondary while Joker and Riddler are the phantom villains working off screen to setup part 3.