The Batman: Part II is looking to do things differently from previous Bat-movies, and that includes when it comes to the Joker. Matt Reeves recently revealed several details about The Batman 2. He’s reaffirmed that it is indeed an Elseworlds movie, and not part of James Gunn’s new DC Universe. He also revealed that The Penguin‘s Sophia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) won’t be part of it, and that the movie will look to explore the character of Bruce Wayne in a way that’s never been done before.
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The director also gave an interesting update on the villain of the movie. While stopping short of confirming who it’ll be, he did say it’s a character who has “never really been done” in a film before. Presumably, that means a live-action movie, since countless rogues have featured in animated features. It could even simply mean a very different take on a character, like Mr. Freeze. But whatever the true intent of Reeves’ wording, it makes one thing very clear: The Batman 2‘s villain won’t be the Joker, despite Barry Keoghan’s introduction as the Clown Prince of Crime in the first movie.
The Batman 2 Not Using The Joker Is A Good Thing
Typically, the Joker is a go-to villain for any Batman movie. Of course, that reflects his status as the Caped Crusader’s arch-nemesis in the comics, but he’s also become the most iconic of his big-screen rogues gallery, too. So much so that, for any Batman actor who lasts longer than one movie, they do tend to face off with him at some point. Michael Keaton’s Batman faced him in his debut movie, back in 1989. Christian Bale went up against him in his second movie, The Dark Knight. They’re the only two Batman actors to get two full, solo live-action movies, and both had the Joker as a main villain, something Pattinson won’t.
Hell, even Ben Affleck faced Joker in his second outing: 2016’s Suicide Squad, albeit very briefly. And if George Clooney had donned the cape and cowl for another movie, Joel Schumacher’s Batman: Triumphant plans did include Joker in some capacity (and Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, and several others). And so it seemed likely that history was going to repeat itself, with the Joker being introduced in a cell in Arkham at the end of The Batman. This was even more direct a setup than Batman Begins‘ Joker card, after all, so surely that’s what it was building towards.
Reeves comments mean that won’t be the case. It doesn’t mean there’ll be absolutely no Joker in the movie, as he could have a smaller role, but it seems unlikely we’re going to get a bigger, more traditional Dark Knight vs. Clown Prince showdown, and that’s a good thing. At this point, as great as the character is, he’s been oversaturated. He’s appeared in multiple Batman movies, films about other characters, and two of his own solo outings. We’ve had three different actors portray him in live-action this decade, and might get another with the DCU’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Pattinson going up against Keoghan’s Joker will surely happen at some point, but it’s the right call to delay that. There are so many Batman villains who haven’t been in a live-action movie and deserve their chance in the spotlight. Whether that’s Hush, the Court of Owls, the Mad Hatter, or one of the myriad other foes he could be taking on, this is a perfect opportunity to do something fresh, which is exactly what Reeves is aiming for.
The Batman: Part II will be released on October 1st, 2027. The Batman is available to stream on HBO Max.
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