The Batman 2 Will Officially Break a 36-Year Joker Trend (& It’s Good for Pattinson’s Dark Knight)

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The upcoming sequel to *The Batman* is heading in a new direction, especially regarding the Joker. Director Matt Reeves recently shared some details about *The Batman: Part II*, confirming it will be a standalone story, separate from the new DC Universe being created by James Gunn. He also mentioned that Sophia Falcone, the character played by Cristin Milioti as The Penguin, won’t appear in the film. The movie will focus on exploring Bruce Wayne’s character in a completely unique way.

The director shared an intriguing hint about the next Batman villain. He didn’t reveal the character’s identity, but said it’s someone we haven’t seen portrayed on screen before – likely in a live-action film, as many villains appear in animation. It could be a completely original character, or a fresh take on an existing one, like Mr. Freeze. Regardless, Reeves made it clear that the villain won’t be the Joker, even though Barry Keoghan played him briefly in the first movie.

The Batman 2 Not Using The Joker Is A Good Thing

The Joker is a frequent villain in Batman films, largely because he’s Batman’s greatest enemy in the comics. He’s also become the most recognizable villain from Batman’s movie history, and most actors who play Batman in multiple films eventually face him on screen. Michael Keaton battled the Joker in his first Batman movie in 1989, and Christian Bale fought him in *The Dark Knight*. These are the only two actors to star in two dedicated Batman films, and both included the Joker as a central villain – a challenge Robert Pattinson won’t have.

Even Batman actors like Ben Affleck have crossed paths with the Joker – Affleck’s brief encounter happened in the 2016 film *Suicide Squad*. There were also plans for the Joker (along with Harley Quinn and others) to appear in a potential George Clooney Batman movie, *Batman: Triumphant*. So, when the end of *The Batman* showed the Joker locked up in Arkham Asylum, it felt like a clear signal that he’d be a major villain in a future film – even more so than the Joker card setup in *Batman Begins*. It seemed like history was destined to repeat itself.

Recent comments from Reeves suggest we shouldn’t expect a major conflict between Batman and the Joker in the upcoming film. While the Joker might still appear, it likely won’t be a central, large-scale showdown, and that’s probably a positive thing. The Joker is a fantastic character, but audiences have seen a lot of him lately. He’s been featured in numerous Batman films, stories involving other heroes and villains, and even had two movies dedicated solely to him. In just the last ten years, we’ve seen three different actors play the Joker, and there’s a possibility of another one appearing in the upcoming DCU film, *Batman: The Brave and the Bold*.

Look, a showdown between Pattinson’s Batman and Keoghan’s Joker *will* happen eventually, but honestly, holding off on that is smart. There are just so many other Batman villains who deserve their moment on the big screen. Think Hush, the Court of Owls, the Mad Hatter… the possibilities are endless! It’s a chance to really shake things up, and it sounds like that’s exactly what director Matt Reeves is going for, which I really appreciate. Let’s explore some new territory before revisiting familiar ground.

The next Batman movie is scheduled to come out on October 1st, 2027. You can currently watch the first Batman film on HBO Max.

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2025-09-21 17:11