Following the critical and commercial success of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the upcoming sequel, The Batman 2, has to live up to much hype. Scheduled to premiere on October 1, 2027, The Batman: Part II will follow the Dark Knight (Robert Pattinson) as he continues to fight crime in Gotham after the Riddler (Paul Dano) flooded the city.
It’s anyone’s guess what the next installment in The Batman Epic Crime Saga will feature. What is certain is that this sequel will have to build upon the first film. To make sure that The Batman 2 succeeds, Reeves should make sure he succeeds in multiple areas.
Bruce and Alfred’s new relationship
Alfred (Andy Serkis) has very few interactions with Bruce in The Batman. Although Alfred helped the protagonist investigate the Riddler, the film focused more on Bruce as he was out in the field and interacting with other characters. Since Alfred was hospitalized after surviving one of the Riddler’s bombs, he seemed to fade further into the background as the film progressed.
Bruce’s relationship with Alfred was tense at the start of The Batman. But since Bruce realized just how important Alfred was to him after nearly losing him, the sequel should depict the duo with a closer relationship. Since Alfred will likely have recovered from his injuries, The Batman Part II should also offer him a greater role in the story as he guides Bruce and helps take down the next major villain.
A new-and-improved Bruce Wayne
By the time the first film began, Bruce had garnered a reputation in Gotham City as a reclusive billionaire, hardly going out during the day or addressing the public’s concerns. This conveyed how Bruce had been so consumed by his rage as Batman that he wasn’t leaving the positive social impact that he intended. That should change in the sequel after everything he learned in The Batman.
He should have greater interactions with the people of Gotham, supporting them as Bruce Wayne, not Batman. This could strengthen the divide between his two personas, as they both seemed to blend together in the original film. If Bruce is to truly connect with the people and make a difference in Gotham, he should learn how to engage with the public without being dressed as the Caped Crusader.
A challenging new villain for Batman
At this point, it is unknown who will be the main villain of The Batman: Part II. The Riddler and the Penguin were already villains in the first film, and the Joker has been used in so many movies already. The sequel should focus on the Dark Knight fighting a fresh new foe to set the story apart from previous Batman projects.
Whoever the villain is, they should push Batman both physically and mentally in order to top the challenges presented by the Riddler. They could accomplish this by assembling multiple antagonists for Batman to fight, similar to the first film, which could help introduce many new villains to the franchise.
Given the scale and depth of Batman’s rogues’ gallery, there are many villains that could be introduced in the sequel. Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy have yet to be done justice in a modern Batman film, so either one of them could be terrific villains in Reeves’ next film. However, villains like Hugo Strange, Hush, and the Court of Owls have yet to get satisfying appearances in a live-action Batman movie, so they could be the perfect villains to mix things up in Gotham.
Catwoman’s return
Though Catwoman left Gotham at the end of The Batman, The Penguin set up her return to the city with a letter that she sent to her half-sister, Sofia Falcone. Since Selina was a strong ally of Bruce and her romance with him was a highlight of the original movie, the sequel should seize the opportunity to further develop their relationship after she comes back to Gotham.
Bruce has yet to reveal his true identity to Selina; opening up to her in this way could send their relationship down an intriguing new road. Growing closer to Selina in this way could also contribute to Bruce’s character arc in the sequel, as her presence might help him heal from his traumatic past and find new love and happiness in his life.
The Joker
The Batman teased that Barry Keoghan’s Joker would be a huge villain in the future. The Clown Prince of Crime had connected with the Riddler in Arkham at the end of the film, hinting at the duo’s partnership and eventual escape from prison. A deleted scene also gave a clearer glimpse of Joker’s appearance and his past relationship with Batman, which is just begging to be explored further on film.
However, there is clearly more that the franchise must do with the Joker for this buildup to pay off. The character was a chilling and manipulative adversary, but he needs to deliver on the promise of being the greatest menace to Gotham City.
If the Joker will play a bigger role in the sequel, it should add enough depth to his character to make him a worthwhile villain. Not only should he stand out from previous iterations of the Joker, but he should also be more than just another disfigured villain: a cliché that has been seen far too often in media.
