The Batman 2’s Rumored Villain Can Finally Make Up for One Major DC Cancellation

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Good news for fans of Matt Reeves’ The Batman – the sequel is moving forward! The HBO Max series The Penguin was a hit, and with nearly four years since the first film, audiences are eager to see Robert Pattinson return as Batman. Mark your calendars for October 1st, 2027, as that’s when the sequel is scheduled to arrive. In addition to continuing Batman’s story, we’ll meet a new character played by Scarlett Johansson – and speculation about her role is already rampant. Even more exciting is the potential addition of Sebastian Stan, another Marvel Cinematic Universe actor, who is also in talks to join the cast in an as-yet-unrevealed role.

With Barry Keoghan’s Joker likely to have a bigger part in The Batman: Part II, the movie is already looking like a major event in 2027. It would be even better, though, if the film featured Doctor Arkham. Just like The Penguin series filled the gap between the first and second Batman movies, introducing Doctor Arkham could satisfy fans who were disappointed when the planned Arkham Asylum series for HBO Max was cancelled.

What Happened to Arkham Asylum & Just Who Is Doctor Arkham?

A TV series focusing on The Penguin was initially planned as a spin-off of Matt Reeves’ Batman films. However, another Gotham-based series, originally about the police department and later reimagined to center on Arkham Asylum, was cancelled before production began. While that series won’t happen, Jeffrey Wright will reprise his role as Jim Gordon in The Batman: Part II.

However, it’s possible the series wouldn’t have happened anyway. As many know, the DC Universe (DCU) and the world of The Batman are distinct. This Arkham Asylum series—or whatever it was ultimately going to be called—started as a project connected to The Batman. But in 2023, it shifted to become part of the DCU, and about a year later, James Gunn announced it was canceled.

The sequel to The Batman might give us a deeper dive into Arkham Asylum. With the casting of Valene Johansson, fans have speculated she’ll play Astrid Arkham, the daughter of Jeremiah Arkham. Astrid’s mother died shortly after her birth, seemingly hit by a Batarang. Though an Arkham inmate actually threw the Batarang, Astrid always believed Batman was responsible and grew up determined to get revenge, eventually becoming the Arkham Knight.

Rumors suggest the next movie will feature several villains, similar to the original. If Johansson is playing Astrid Arkham, it makes you wonder what role her father, Doctor Arkham, will play in the story. The comic books portray Jeremiah Arkham, the director of Arkham Asylum, as cruel, but he believes his actions are justified – he thinks he’s truly helping his patients. He even becomes the second Black Mask! A father like that could easily raise a child filled with the same uncontrollable anger as himself.

The story could center around a father and daughter who blame Pattinson’s Batman for a tragedy, possibly even Ingrid’s death. The mystery surrounding the thrown Batarang could be explained by Batman accidentally hitting the wrong target. This dynamic is compelling because parent-child villain pairings are always engaging, and the closest a Batman film has come to exploring this is through the relationship between Ra’s al Ghul and Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises.

Robert Pattinson’s Batman is aiming to introduce a villain audiences haven’t seen in a Batman film before. While the Joker has appeared in past movies, characters like Doctor Arkham and the Arkham Knight are new. A story focused on revenge feels like a good fit for the realistic tone of The Batman. We’ll learn more as the October release date approaches.

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2026-01-10 00:14