I’m Convinced These 10 Underrated Batman Villains Could Be Exactly What The Batman 2 Needs

Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II is still a couple of years from release, but there are a number of villains that would make great additions to the script of the upcoming DC Universe film. While Batman movies have already seen some incredible villains, there are actually quite a few members of Batman’s Rogues Gallery that have not yet been featured prominently in a live-action movie. Including any or all of these could only help to flesh out the world of The Batman, and might be exactly what the film needs.

Granted, there have been some concerns about what’s going on with The Batman Part II. The film has been pushed back several times, and many have become worried that it would be canceled so that the DCU could reboot the character with The Brave and the Bold. However, as far as has been officially confirmed, Matt Reeves’ sequel is still happening. In order to make the film work the best that it can, it would be wise for the script to integrate several of the characters below into its exciting world.

10

The Mad Hatter

Jervis Tetch Could Be An Interesting Addition To The World

Close

Jervis Tetch has long been a part of the Batman mythos, first appearing in the comics in 1948, but has never fought Batman in a movie. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Batman’s Mad Hatter uses technology in order to twist and warp the minds of his victims. A delusional genius, Tetch could be an interesting addition to the world of The Batman, exploring a different side of crime and technology.

While Tetch is not the most physically imposing villain, including an iteration of the character with internal darkness could work especially well in the upcoming sequel. While The Batman presented a grounded world, there are many ways that technology and its intersection with crime could be explored. Whether as a sadistic killer, or with greater ties to technology and its control of industry in the modern era, a version of Tetch in The Batman Part II would be great.

9

James Gordon, Jr.

A Younger Gordon Could Be A Heartbreaking Inclusion To The Series

Close

There have been many different iterations of Jim Gordon in live-action, and for good reason. Gordon is often depicted as almost a surrogate father to Bruce, and the two work together time and again. However, one villain from the comics who has an intimate tie to Commissioner Gordon would make a great addition to the upcoming sequel. Jim’s son, James Gordon, Jr., a murderous psychopath, would be great as a featured villain in the film.

Jack-Nicholsons-Joker-and-Tom-Hardys-Bane

Related

12 Best Quotes From Batman Movie Villains

Batman’s many cinematic villains have unleashed some incredibly iconic quotes, from scathing philosophical indictments to cheesy scenery-chewing puns.

Posts

1

With twisted connections, and a desire to torture and kill, James, Jr. would be an excellent addition to The Batman. He is a terrifying inversion of his father, and would help in exploring themes of corruption within the franchise. If even Jim Gordon’s own family are susceptible to evil, it would be difficult for Batman’s willpower and inspiration to fight for the city he loves to survive.

8

Lady Shiva

The Villain Would Make A Great Physical Threat To Batman

Close

A long-running antagonist in the comics, and the mother of Cassandra Cain, Lady Shiva would be an excellent addition to Matt Reeves’ universe. A terrifying physical threat with ties to the League of Assassins, Lady Shiva is an incredible martial arts grandmaster. This training would allow her to pose a unique threat to Batman that has not yet been seen in this universe.

While martial arts are important to Batman’s history, they have not yet been a focus of the Matt Reeves take on the character. This does not need to be as much of an overarching influence on Bruce, but seeing this side of his world through Lady Shiva could be refreshing and successful, and could lead to some intense action sequences. Having only a handful of appearances in live-action, Lady Shiva could be an excellent addition to the next film.

7

Victor Zsasz

Zsasz’s Grounded But Terrifying Design Would Fit Matt Reeves’ World

Close

There were rumors about The Penguin‘s Victor Aguilar that suggested he may wind up becoming this universe’s version of Victor Zsasz. While this was proven untrue by the end of that series, Zsasz would still make a great addition to the franchise. He is a terrifying killer, who carves a tally of his victims into his skin. This kind of creepy, sadistic sadomasochism would fit well in this universe.

Split image of The Batman shot of the Dark Knight looking up and Dune 2 scene with Feyd Rautha with his tongue out

Related

Austin Butler’s Terrifying Blockbuster Role Proves He’s Perfect Casting For One Villain In The Batman 2

Austin Butler delivered a chilling performance in Dune: Part 2, and it proved he’d be perfect casting for a villain in the sequel to The Batman.

Posts

Zsasz is a genuinely terrifying villain, and if there is a way to include him in a cinematic Batman story, it would be worth doing. He would not need to be the main antagonist to the story, as doing so may cover too much ground that was already trod with The Riddler. However, including him in a smaller role, with his frightening yet human design, would be an excellent inclusion in the next film.

6

The Ventriloquist

This Villain Could Be Creepy While Examining The Effects Of Trauma

Close

Puppets are terrifying, and they also add a unique visual element to films. Including one of Batman’s Ventriloquist villains would be a great asset to the upcoming film. There have been multiple iterations of the villain in the comics, including Arnold Wesker and his doll Scarface, as well as Peyton Riley and Shauna Belzer. Any of these villains would be a great fit in the new film.

With that said, it is the Wesker version of the villain that would be the best fit in Reeves’ universe. In most iterations, the villain does not have powers, but instead is only able to overcome his trauma through the use of his puppet. Bringing in this character, and examining the duality in his psyche, linked with his doll, could bring a great deal of introspection and texture to the upcoming sequel.

5

Professor Pyg

The Twisted And Terrifying Villain Would Fit Into Matt Reeves’ World

Close

Professor Pyg is another of many rumored villains for The Batman Part II, and he might actually be the perfect fit for the film. Terrifying, twisted, and violent, Lazlo Valentin, the alter-ego of Professor Pyg, would fit easily into so many potential stories for the upcoming film. With a dark nature that is fueled by struggles with his mental health, Pyg is one of the scariest films Batman comics have ever seen, but he is also grounded enough for Matt Reeves’ world.

Gotham Season Two Poster

Related

10 Best Gotham Scenes That Could Have Only Happened In One Of DC’s Most Bonkers TV Shows

From bazookas to zombies, Gotham brought all of the unhinged chaos of the Batman mythos to the small screen like no other DC series has.

Posts

While the character himself is very disconnected from reality, many of his efforts could be given a horrifying and grounded story in this world. Pyg tends to kidnap people, and makes monstrous creations of their bodies, often giving him control over them or blending them with animal components. Wearing his frightening pig mask, the villain’s actions would seem especially horrific in The Batman Part II.

4

Man-Bat

If Fantasy Elements Are Present, Man-Bat Would Be An Incredible Foe

Close

It is unlikely that The Batman Part II will include any outsize supernatural or fantastical elements, due to the precedent set by the first film. However, Warner Bros. Spain recently updated their listing for the film, changing the genre from Action/ Adventure to Action/ Adventure/ Si-Fi/ Fantasy. This could mean some genre changes for the new film, which would make Man-Bat an excellent inclusion.

A direct inversion of the idea of Batman, Kirk Langstrom was a zoologist who worked with bats, and attempted to give their sonar sense to humans. This wound up accidentally transforming him into a monstrous, human-sized bat creature. Seeing this horrific monster take on Robert Pattinson’s iteration of the hero would be such an interesting way to include him, and could make the new film even darker and more exciting than the first.

3

Baby Doll

Another Sick Villain That Could Have A Realistic Twist

Close

Baby Doll was one of several Batman villains introduced in Batman: The Animated Series, although her impact has not gone much beyond there. Unlike Harley Quinn, a character who also debuted on that show, Baby Doll has not gone on to success in other mediums, including comics or movies. This is a mistake; Mary Louise Dahl, an adult actor with a disease that causes her body to remain in a childlike state, would be a great addition to the Matt Reeves universe.

A split image of Robert Pattinson's Batman and the character in Batman The Animated Series

Related

10 Batman The Animated Series Moments The Movies Can’t Copy

Batman: The Animated Series used its episodic animation to create some of Batman’s most memorable moments that would be impossible to do in film.

Posts

Baby Doll’s few stories in the animated series may not directly make for great films, but the inspiration for the character is such a compelling one. Similar to the movie Orphan, a villain who is essentially a grown adult in a child’s body could make for a terrifying examination in the next film. Even understanding how a conflict between her and Batman could occur would be so complex that the film would have to be innovative, original, and frightening to work.

2

Hugo Strange

The Long-Running Batman Villain Makes Sense In This Universe

Close

Hugo Strange is among the most perfect options to appear in The Batman Part II. Strange was one of Batman’s first recurring villains, and recently appeared in Batman: Caped Crusader, and he has been fairly common in Batman media over the years. Strange, however, has not yet played a major villain role in the live-action films, and would make so much sense within the world of The Batman Part II.

With his own twisted ties to organized crime and his sociopathic experimentation on inmates, Hugo Strange would be a great additional way to explore corruption in Gotham.

Often depicted as one of the lead psychiatrists at Arkham Asylum, including Strange in this world would be easy. With his own twisted ties to organized crime and his sociopathic experimentation on inmates, Hugo Strange would be a great additional way to explore corruption in Gotham. Strange could be played by an interesting actor and be among the most notable elements of the next film.

1

Firebug

Joe Rigger Made A Memorable Recent Appearance

Close

Firebug is a unique Batman villain, and especially the Joe Rigger incarnation of the villain. One of the most interesting changes to Batman: Caped Crusader saw a memorable confrontation between Rigger and Batman. In the episode, Firebug committed horrible destruction against the buildings of Gotham, believing that what he was doing was good. This harkens back to his comic book motivations as well.

Robert-Pattinson-as-Batman-in-The-Batman-and-Jeffrey-Wright-as-James-Gordon

Related

The Son Of One Of Batman’s Closest Allies Becomes His Newest Villain In The Batman 2 Theory

The Batman Part II will establish a new villain for the series, expanding on the darkness of Gotham, and they could already be connected to Batman.

Posts

In DC Comics, Firebug begins dressing up as a bug and committing arson due to accidents inside of buildings, hurting people throughout the city. Firebug is so compelling because he believes in what he is doing and works very hard to try to improve the world. In doing this, he winds up destroying it with blazing fire. Seeing those kinds of details examined in the characters of The Batman Part II would be an interesting and complex look at villainy within this dark, grounded world.

The Batman Part II Logo Placeholder

Like

Follow

Followed

The Batman Part II

Not Yet Rated

Action

Crime

Thriller

Release Date

October 1, 2027

Director

Matt Reeves

Writers

Matt Reeves, Bill Finger, Bob Kane

Prequel(s)

The Batman

Franchise(s)

Batman

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Robert Pattinson In The Dior Homme Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 show

    Robert Pattinson

    Bruce Wayne / The Batman

  • Headshot Of Colin Farrell In The Los Angeles Press Day For Apple TV+'s 'Sugar'

    Colin Farrell

    Oz Cobb

  • Headshot Of Andy Serkis In The National Theatre 'Up Next' Gala

    Andy Serkis

    Alfred Pennyworth

  • Headshot Of Jeffrey Wright

    Jeffrey Wright

    James Gordon

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Upcoming DC Movie Releases

  • Superman (2025) Official Poster

    Superman

    Release Date

    July 11, 2025

    Powered by

    Expand
    Collapse

  • Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow Poster

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

    Release Date

    June 26, 2026

    Powered by

    Expand
    Collapse

  • The Batman Part II Logo Placeholder

    The Batman Part II

    Release Date

    October 1, 2027

    Powered by

    Expand
    Collapse