After a long wait, the much-anticipated night of the premiere of The Batman finally arrived last night. From what little we’ve seen so far, audiences seem to have liked what they saw, with many tweeting about how much they enjoyed the movie. But will we see more of the Dark Knight and his pals in the future?
The story and the characters are so distinct from other superhero flicks that it’s easy to see why Warner Bros. decided not to give this one a straight-up sequel title. It’s basically a self-contained story that doesn’t need any kind of follow-up (at least, not directly). But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of other ways that The Batman could play out in pop culture!
Here’s a short list of some of the iconic characters and scenarios that could potentially be linked to the world of The Batman:
Harley Quinn
One of the most interesting prospects for a possible sequel is Harley Quinn, the chaotic Joker’s crazy, redheaded sidekick. It seems like every few years there’s a new Harley Quinn comic, movie, or TV show, which always makes me wonder: Is there any chance that this character could somehow link back to the world of The Batman? Could Harley become the next to play the dual role of both Ivy and Harley?
The Joker himself has spoken of how much he likes Harley, which in turn has made her a popular character among comic book fans. She was originally created for Batman: The Animated Series back in 1992 and has since starred in several more Batman-related projects, including the aforementioned Harley Quinn, the 1995 adaptation Batman Forever, and the upcoming Suicide Squad. A sequel to The Batman would be the perfect opportunity to finally give Harley Quinn her due as the crazy Joker’s sidekick.
Riddler
One of the most memorable characters from The Batman is the Riddler. The genius, genius, and wannabe-genius-but-still-just-a-genius can be a pretty fun character to write, and it would be easy to see why the character was so popular if you’ve never heard of him: He likes to solve puzzles, and he’s really, really good at it. The Riddler is such a distinctively memorable character that he’s been featured in several solo Batman comic books and even made a guest appearance on an episode of Batman Beyond! A sequel to The Batman would be the perfect opportunity to finally give the Riddler his due as the puzzle-solving mastermind.
Catwoman
Another iconic Batman character that could easily be featured in a sequel is Catwoman. Like Harley Quinn, the feline burglar constantly has new comics and animated series to keep us interested. For decades, the character has been an important part of Batman lore, first appearing in print in Detective Comics #28 in 1939 (and then again in a flashback in 1946). Since the early ’90s, she’s starred in several popular animated series, most notably her eponymous series, as well as the 2002 film Catwoman. Since then, the character has also appeared in various solo Batman comic books and even interacted with the Dark Knight on multiple occasions. A sequel to The Batman would be the perfect opportunity to continue this pop culture legacy.
Two-Face
Speaking of solo Batman comic books, one of the most interesting prospects for a possible sequel is Two-Face. This is another character who’s been featured in several different comics over the years. In order to present a more complete picture of this intriguing character, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane.
In the original Batman comics, Two-Face first appeared in the debut issue of Detective Comics, where he is presented as a two-faced man who murders people with kindness. In some later appearances, Two-Face is shown to be a genius who uses advanced technology to combat crime. In some other versions of the character, he is simply an unscrupulous man who uses his business acumen to get ahead. But no matter how you slice it, this dual-faced villain is one of the most interesting characters in the entire Batman mythology.
If there’s one movie that perfectly captures the essence of Two-Face, it’s the 1992 Batman feature film. The role was originally offered to Michael Keaton, who declined because he didn’t want to portray a character he didn’t fully understand; however, in the end, the filmmakers decided to go with Val Kilmer, who brought a unique dynamism to the character that perfectly fit his diabolical nature.
But what would a sequel to The Batman look like? If we were to go by what we know of the upcoming Suicide Squad film, it would probably have a more streamlined story, following Task Force X (consisting of Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk) as they battle some of DC’s biggest villains. But who knows? Maybe the story would be more about Batman’s journey as a detective and how he eventually becomes the Dark Knight. Or maybe they’ll even go back in time and give us a glimpse at how Batman first decided to fight crime.
One thing is for sure: No matter what, we can’t forget about Two-Face. He’s been around long enough to have his own comic book series (which is being adapted into a movie by Seth Gordon and Will Bearden), but he still wants your attention. And as long as he wants yours, he’ll never be out of work. A sequel to The Batman would be the perfect opportunity to bring this villainous character back for another round of crime-fighting!
Penguin
Another interesting character that could potentially appear in a sequel to The Batman is the enigmatic (and sometimes terrifying) Penguin. This is another villain who has been featured in several comics books over the years, initially emerging as a foe to the Dynamic Duo back in Detective Comics #241 (1941). While most people know the Penguin as a cartoonish villain who dresses in a penguin costume, we should remind ourselves that this is a character whose entire existence was predicated on being a terrifying, man-eating dinosaur. This is why, when we think of the Penguin and his minions, we should immediately think of velociraptors.
Over the years, the Penguin has occasionally resurfaced in DC Comics, always as a result of some crazy conspiracy hatched by his arch-nemesis, the Joker. The most recent reappearance came in 2008 in the form of an animated series called Pennyworth. But even then, the character was somewhat of a mystery: Although the series gave us a glimpse at what happened to the Dynamic Duo after they disbanded, we didn’t know much about the former crime fighters’ current predicaments. So, if anyone deserves a sequel, it’s the Penguin. We want to know what happened to the heroes we grew up with, and who else might show up to help them in their time of need?!
Black Widow
Speaking of villains helping heroes, another intriguing possibility for a sequel to The Batman is Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. The character originally appeared in the pages of a 1960s Marvel comic and has since become one of the most popular and recognizable female superheroes in pop culture. In fact, Black Widow was one of the few female characters who wasn’t reduced to just a supporting role in the 1997 film version of Batman & Robin. Instead, the film’s writers clearly had Black Widow in mind when they cast Lynda Carter as the Joker’s mom, despite the fact that Carter had never played a character with Black Widow’s abilities. The similarity between Carter’s and Romanoff’s costumes in the movie is also pretty uncanny!
Whether you know Black Widow from the comics or the movies, this character has been around long enough to have her own comic book series and numerous animated series. Her most famous creation, the Black Widow Tank, was first introduced to us in the pages of Ironman #26, back in 1971. Since then, the tank and its related technology have been featured in several Marvel and DC Comics titles, with more being developed all the time. So it’s clear that this character has been a significant part of popular culture for decades and will continue to be for at least a little while longer.
It’s been a little over a month since the premiere of The Batman, and while the reviews were generally positive, many viewers were left wondering if the film would eventually become a franchise. With so many intriguing characters and scenarios still left unanswered, it’s clear that there’s plenty of potential for a sequel! What exactly would you like to see unfold? Let us know in the comments below!