Matt Reeve’s The Batman is finally assembling its cast. The heroes of the story seem to be poised and ready, with Robert Pattinson and Jeffrey Wright playing Batman and Jim Gordon respectively. The villains, however, are just getting started.
If reports are to be believed, Reeve’s is planning on adapting the iconic Long Halloween story. This means a whole host of other villains are sure to battle the bat alongside the now casted Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman and Paul Dano as The Riddler. But who might we see? Here are five villains we’d love to watch alongside Catwoman and Riddler, and five we hope are sidelined.
Carmine Falcone - Should
The Batman comics have always had an element of organized crime about them. Before the masked villains began popping up, it was crime families run by the likes of Carmine Falcone that was Gotham’s biggest threat.
Seeing The Batman tackle some of the more mob centric stories, especially in relation to The Long Halloween, would offer an aspect of the comics rarely explored by the film adaptions. Also, maybe if you include elements of organized crime, Martin Scorsese will go see it (obviously kidding, please don’t burn me at the stake).
Harley Quinn - Shouldn’t
Harley Quinn should stay far away from The Batman. Not because she wouldn’t make the film great, but because The Batman is seemingly unconnected with the DECEU, meaning this would be a brand new actor in the role. No one but Margot Robbie should be playing this role.
Plus, why does Harley need to play second fiddle to Batman when she has, basically, her own film coming out in February? Harley deserves her own time in the spotlight without the added baggage of Batman or the Joker.
Two-Face - Should
One of the most crucial aspects of The Long Halloween is the rise and fall of Harvey Dent. While The Dark Knight tried its hand at that arc, it was anything but the focus of the film (with that being on Heath Ledger’s Joker). The Batman could offer the best iteration of this storyline with the proper actor behind it.
You really need an actor that could pull off these two opposing sides. Aaron Eckhart did a commendable job, but he wasn’t the most likable version of Harvey Dent. You need someone to believe in so that when the fall happens, its that much more tragic.
Hush - Shouldn’t
Don’t get us wrong, Hush is a fascinating villain in Batman’s catalog. The entire Hush storyline is one of the best out there, with Hush being a formidable foe against the caped crusader. But he should really be the focus of the whole film. While There were tons of other villains in the Hush line, the main plot centered on him.
If Matt Reeves is planning a trilogy, perhaps Hush would fit best as the central antagonist in the second film. No matter what, he should be saved. You don’t want to distract the focus from him when you have all these other villains at play.
Mr. Freeze - Should
Listen, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze is so bad its good. The one-liners and the dorky costume make him hilarious to watch. But, that’s not the character. Mr. Freeze is a tragic figure who deserves true attention to character and pathos.
His backstory is the most sympathetic of almost any of the Batman villains. Freeze doesn’t want to commit crime because he’s evil, but because it is the only way to fund his research into saving his dying wife. Freeze deserves another chance on the big screen.
Killer Croc - Shouldn’t
Killer Croc is one of the least captivating villains in Batman’s Rogues Gallery. He is certainly intimidating and scary when he needs to be, but he is more of a brute and side obstacle for Batman to go up against.
Now, if he was to make a brief—and we mean very brief—cameo, it would be fine. But, to have him as a supporting villain seems out of place among the other top tier villains. Also, although the makeup on Killer Croc in Suicide Squad left a lot to be desired, along with a bad taste in the mouths of audiences.
Penguin - Should
There is no doubt in the minds of fans that many actors could surpass the commitment Danny DeVito gave in his performance as The Penguin. It was perfect casting and remains the definitive film version, but it was a far-flung attempt at adapting the comic character.
Seeing a more comic accurate version of the villain would mean a brand new interpretation for the screen. Also, enough time has passed at this point that it feels time for a new iteration of the character. Give us the sadistic crime boss we know and love to hate.
Bane - Shouldn’t
Bane has had arguably the least desirable cinematic run of any Batman villain. His first appearance in Batman and Robin was laughably bad, turning him into an incoherent brute. His second appearance in The Dark Knight Rises was a vast improvement, but far from the actual characteristics and backstory to the actual character from the comics.
Perhaps its time to put Bane to rest a bit. He is a difficult character to get right, as he looks like a big dumb brute like Killer Croc but has a fascinating backstory and a brilliant mind. Plus, tonally speaking, he doesn’t seem like he would fit best into Matt Reeve’s vision for this Bat-verse.
Calendar Man - Should
Calendar Man is a superbly creepy villain. An imprisoned serial killer, Calendar man killed his victims in coordination with major holidays of the year. He is crucial in the Long Halloween in assisting Batman’s search for Holiday.
Sadly, this could have been the perfect role for Jonah Hill. Hopefully, if Matt Reeves plans on utilizing the character, he can find someone who will commit fully to it. Like Hanibal Lecter, they would have little screentime but a major impact.
The Joker - Shouldn’t
For once, could we get a Batman series that doesn’t rely on The Joker? With the release of his standalone film, along with his lackluster appearance in Suicide Squad, many fans have had their Joker fix for a long time.
There are so many villains in Batman’s repertoire that there is no need to always bring Joker into the mix. Maybe down the line he can make another appearance in the third film, but, for these first few runs in Matt Reeve’s vision, leave the Clown Prince behind.
