The Batman Part II’s Director Just Dropped A Sneaky Hint About Its Mysterious Villain
Is court finally in session?
The Batman premiered in 2021 after several delays, and its sequel, The Batman Part II, immediately began facing similar issues. As we approach The Batman’s fourth anniversary, we know the script for Part II is written and its stars have sung writer/director Matt Reeves’ praises, but that’s about it: there are still no clues about what the plot will be, or even what villain Batman will be facing off against. But we finally have one intriguing clue as to who Bruce Wayne will battle in this upcoming sequel. It’s not a clue as to who it could be, but a definite statement on who it’s not.
In a red carpet interview with Josh Horowitz, Reeves discussed The Batman Part II’s writing process and teased the movie’s villain. “I won't tell you where we ended up, but we're super excited about it,” he said. “And I will say it's never really been done in a movie before. So we're excited.”
A villain who hasn’t appeared in a movie before rules out a vast swath of baddies, including Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and the Joker, even though Barry Keoghan’s take on the latter was teased at the end of The Batman.
While the Court of Owls appeared on Gotham, they haven’t yet jumped to the big screen.
For some fans, this is evidence for a long-standing theory that Part II will feature the Court of Owls, the secret cabal of elites that Bruce faced off against in the renowned Court of Owls comic book saga. These villains have been so in demand that some thought they would be the true antagonists of The Batman instead of the Riddler.
Reeve’s comment may be vague, but the Court of Owls does seem to align perfectly with it. Crucially, Reeves says, “it’s never really been done in a movie before,” with movies being specifically mentioned. This may be reading too much into things, but perhaps this is a villain who hasn’t been shown in a movie, but has appeared in a TV show. The Court appeared in Gotham, but hasn’t been on the big screen, which makes them perfect for this specific tease.
Of course, this statement only rules out a few famous villains, as far more have appeared in the comics. But perhaps Reeves is setting up not one villain, but a secret cabal that rules over all of them — a conspiratorial tone that would gel well with The Batman’s noir vibes.
