A new Batman movie is coming to theaters with The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, the director who helmed the last two Planet of the Apes movies. There are few details about the film outside of the fact Robert Pattinson is playing Batman, and Jeffrey Wright will take on the role of Jim Gordon.
However, the role of the bad guy is still a mystery, although there are rumors, it might be Penguin, and Jonah Hill might take on the part. With that said, this is the ninth solo live-action movie for Batman (not counting Batman V Superman), and there are still a lot of great villains they can explore. Here is a look at 10 villains we want to see in future Batman movies, from new faces to old names done right.
RED HOOD
Through the Batman movies, only Dick Greyson was shown as Robin. However, there was a scene in Batman V Superman with the costume of a dead Robin, which everyone knows signifies that Jason Todd existed in that world. However, The Batman is a prequel that will ignore that version of Batman.
It would still be interesting to see Jason Todd in a live-action movie as Red Hood. Just because The Batman is a story from Batman’s early career does not mean the films can’t jump around time. Seeing Todd wanting revenge on the man who let him die could be a fantastic story.
THE COURT OF OWLS
Batman Begins had the Caped Crusader battling Ra’s al Ghul as the League of Shadows. That showed how a group of villains could cause a lot of problems for Batman. With that in mind, the Court of Owls from the DC New 52 Scott Snyder Batman storyline could be a perfect addition to the movie universe.
The Court of Owls has existed in secret since the colonial days of Gotham City. In the comics, they kidnapped children performers from the circus to turn into their assassins, among other things. Since it is comprised of Gotham’s most influential families, they are enemies that could make Batman’s life a living hell.
THE PENGUIN
Danny DeVito was great as The Penguin in Batman Returns. The TV show Gotham showed another version of The Penguin, one more in line with his mobster boss character from the comics. However, in the Batman movies, there has yet to be a version of the Penguin who lines up with his comic book counterpart.
If Jonah Hill does play Penguin in The Batman, there is hope that he takes on more of the leader of the criminal underworld role that he deserves. Hopefully, it is a little more faithful than the Gotham version as well.
THE RIDDLER
Jim Carrey was a lot of fun as The Riddler in Batman Forever but like Two-Face in that movie, he was nothing like his comic book counterpart. In the film, Riddler was a former Wayne Enterprise employee who came up with what he thought was the perfect invention, only to have Bruce Wayne reject it and humiliate him.
Riddler, in the comics, is more of an enigma. While Carrey was great in the role, it would be nice to see a more loyal version of the character on the big screen. Much like Penguin, Riddler was a big part of Gotham but hasn’t been done right on the big screen.
HUGO STRANGE
The movie world of Batman has set up the arrival of Hugo Strange perfectly. The Nolan movies showed Batman able to put people away in Arkham Asylum, and most of those inmates returned to haunt him in The Dark Knight Rises. However, it might be time to show Arkham on the big screen.
Hugo Strange is a psychiatrist who experiments on insane inmates from Arkham Asylum, often to monstrous results. This could make for a great Batman movie, with Hugo building an army of misfits to do his bidding as he plots to bring down Batman once and for all.
HUSH
It has been the goal of Batman movies to keep the villains and storylines based in the real world. While there were superhuman characteristics, such as Mr. Freeze’s weapons, Bane’s superhuman strength, and Scarecrow’s fear toxins, it was always based in science to a degree.
That makes Hush a perfect character to fit into a Batman movie, especially one early in his career. Hush is a close friend of his family who took a villainous turn and betrayed Bruce. Now, they just made an animated movie based on the story, but it would still be a nice one down the line.
POISON IVY
Uma Thurman was great as Poison Ivy but like most villains in the Joel Schumacher films, she was disappointing when considering the source material. It was also a great disappointment to see how easily it was to dispose of Jason Woodrue without turning him into a threat.
Now, Poison Ivy might be better off in a Harley Quinn movie or the Bird of Prey movie, but she is a Batman villain. It would be nice to see her involved in a Batman movie without the over-the-top silliness that took place in Batman & Robin.
ZSASZ
Among the options that are clearly out of left field that no mainstream Batman movie fan would know anything about, Zsasz is an excellent option. For those who are unfamiliar with him, Zsaz is a murderer, a sadist, and a psychopath who adds a carved mark into his skin every time he kills someone.
If the future Batman movies want to keep the Caped Crusader in real-world predicaments and not in the superhuman aspects of other DCEU films, Zsasz is a great possibility. Batman is a detective and Zsasz would be a great serial killer for him to have to track down.
CLAYFACE
Now, the last two options here are based on whether or not future Batman movie directors want to force him to battle superhuman enemies. The first one is someone who is 100% CGI but has a great story that could play out on the big screen: Clayface.
There have been a few different versions of Clayface over the years. Forget about the ones who are generic bad guys and look at someone like Johnny Williams, a former firefighter who turns into the monster after a chemical explosion. He starts off horrified but is manipulated into committing evil. Another great version came from The Batman cartoon where Clayface is former police officer Ethan Bennett, a friend of Bruce Wayne who is mistaken for a monster.
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS
Finally, the most off the wall choice for a Batman movie is one of Batman’s most recent antagonists and someone who would really be hard to pull off in a live-action movie: The Batman Who Laughs. However, thanks to the Arrowverse introducing the idea of alternate Earths and Flashpoint promising it if it ever gets made, it could happen.
The Batman Who Laughs is an alternate Earth version of Batman who is a hybrid of Batman and Joker. He has Bruce’s intelligence and strength plus Joker’s warped, sense of humor. What is most interesting is that he considers Batman from our world to be the least effective, since his criminals always return. If Batman movies really want to stretch their creative muscles, The Batman Who Laughs is a great way to go.
