The Batman - Part IIshould once again feature multiple villains among returning characters and newcomers, but only one of three possible new antagonists really has a chance of facing the Dark Knight. Due to delays caused by the 2023 Hollywood strikes,The Batman - Part II’s release date was pushed back by a year, with theDCfilm now releasing in 2026. That led to news about what to expect from the movie being few and far between, which leaves thestory ofThe Batman’s sequelas a mystery.
That said, while fans have to wait to get more information onThe Batman - Part II, the franchise is being expanded in an exciting way through another medium. HBO’sThe Penguinseries maintains the same high level as the first Batman movie directed by Matt Reeves.The Penguin’s Gotham gang warissetting up Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb to play a bigger role inThe Batman - Part II, but it could also provide the movie’s main villain, just likeThe Batman’s endingmade it perfect for two Batman foes to show up in the sequel.
The Batman’s Ending And The Penguin Set Up 3 Major Villains
The World of The DC Franchise Is Filled With Villains
The Riddler managed to be successful in his attempt to flood Gotham City. As seen inThe Batman’s ending andThe Penguin, the effects of the event devastated entire regions of the city, claiming many lives.The Batman - Part IIcould take advantage of that setup, using the flood to bring one of twoDC villains to face Pattinson’s Batman.Killer Croc could be revealed to be killing people in the flooded Gotham, making for another detective story in the sequel. On the other hand, Mr. Freeze could transform Gotham into his frozen playground, taking Batman out of his element.
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The two characters could work forThe Batman - Part IIif the flood continues to play a role. However,The Penguin’s Gotham gang war could set up an entirely different path for the sequel’s villain. While Oz Cobb will appear in the upcoming Batman movie, the series serves as the perfect way to get Black Mask to be the main villain ofThe Batman - Part II. In DC Comics’Batman: War Games,it was Black Mask that emerged as Gotham’s new crime boss after a gang war broke, and with the franchise’s power vacuum, he could rise in the sequel.
Only Black Mask Can Appear In The Batman 2
Matt Reeves' Story Comments Seem To Rule Out The Other Two
Black Mask is seemingly the only one of the three who has a shot at being in the sequel for a key reason. That is due to director Matt Reeves having explained what kind of villains could show up in the sequel. Speaking withSFX Magazine(viaComic Book Movie), Reeves addressed The Batman franchise’s villains, saying, “We might push to the edge of fantastical, but we would never go into full fantastical. It’s meant to feel quite grounded.” Killer Croc’s very nature and Mr. Freeze’s powers make them unlikely to appear, but Black Mask is a grounded foe forThe Batman - Part II.
The Batman Part II
Cast
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
