News surrounding Matt Reeves' upcoming Batman movie is just beginning to break. Recently the bombshell was dropped that Ben Affleck would no longer be starring in the titular role. This seems to indicate that DC wants to reboot the character and bring the franchise in a fresh new direction. One challenge will be to not tread the same ground that we have seen in previous movies.
Along with the news of Affleck's departure have come reports that the movie will focus on a younger Batman and really emphasize his role as a detective. This is something that the previous movies have been lacking, and the premise seems promising. To pull off a good detective movie, Matt Reeves will need to pick the starring villains carefully, and rumors are circulating that the movie will feature four of Batman's foes. With perhaps the largest rogues gallery in comic books to choose from, there is no shortage of choices for Batman to square off against. While there are some great options, there are some that could tank the movie as well. Here are the best and worst villains to star in the next Batman movie.
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8 8. Want: Penguin
The Penguin is one of Batman's most iconic villains. He is one of the more notable of Batman's extensive rogues gallery. There are many things that make the Penguin great, with one of them being how strange the character is.
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The oddity of the villain was fully embraced by Danny Devito, who showed how truly frightening Oswald Cobblepot could be. Recently the Penguin has found fame once again on Gotham. With how long it has been since the Penguin has been on the big screen, and his recent success on Gotham, it seems like a perfect time to bring the character back.
7 7. Don't Want: Red Hood
While some would argue that Red Hood is more of an anti-hero than a true villain, he has definitely spent some time as Batman's foe. Red Hood is one of the most emotionally gripping characters to come from the comics, as Batman's mistakes literally come back to haunt him. Though Red Hood is an amazing character, he shouldn't be in the next movie for a couple of different reasons. Reportedly the movie will focus on a younger Batman, which wouldn't make sense for Red Hood to appear. Also, the story of Jason Todd deserves its own movie without having to split time with three other villains.
6 6. Want: The Riddler
It has been rumored that the next Batman will focus heavily on him being the world's greatest detective. Though there have been some amazing films featuring the caped crusader, his role as a detective has never really been emphasized. The Riddler fits perfectly with a movie centered around Batman as a detective, and deciphering the Riddler's clues would be a great way to show his skills. Hopefully, the Riddler being one of the villains could make up for what Jim Carrey did to the character, as it would be a shame for one of Batman's greatest villains to not have a chance to shine.
5 5. Don't Want: Scarecrow
Christopher Nolan masterfully executed many things during his Dark Knight trilogy, and one of them was his take on the Scarecrow. Cillian Murphy's portrayal was a great interpretation of the character and felt interesting and new.
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While the Scarecrow is a gripping villain, there are many other options to go with that don't have the difficult task of living up to Nolan's work. Clayface would provide plenty of terror on his own, and throwing Scarecrow into the mix would push The Batman into feeling more like a horror movie than a superhero one.
4 4. Want: Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is one of Batman's most compelling villains. With interesting powers, a tragic backstory, and just the right amount of menace, he's everything you could want from a villain. Unfortunately, Mr. Freeze was reduced to bad ice puns when played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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It would be amazing to see Mr. Freeze finally given the spotlight that he deserves on the big screen. He is also definitely threatening enough to pose a serious challenge to Batman and keep the stakes high and the movie thrilling.
3 3. Don't Want: Bane
Just like the Joker, Bane has seen enough screen time lately. It feels like just yesterday that everyone was trying to do an impression of Tom Hardy's Bane and the villain is still too fresh in the mind to be brought back. Though it was a very divisive performance, Tom Hardy certainly made his mark on the character, and to bring a fresh new take to Bane would be difficult.
2 2. Want: Clayface
There have been several different villains to take on the identity of Clayface throughout the comics. Though their powers differ, one thing that is a constant is Clayface's ability to shape-shift. With the movie focusing more on Batman as a detective, Clayface shapeshifting would be a great way to add twists and turns to the story and really challenge Batman. Aside from just the shape-shifting, Clayface is also a grotesque villain that would look incredible on screen. As one of Batman's lesser known villains, he hasn't had an appearance in a movie yet, but hopefully, that will change soon.
1 1. Don't Want: The Joker
The Joker is undoubtedly Batman's most popular villain, and for good reason. The Joker is an incredibly interesting character, and always adds a certain level of crazy that is perfect. Though the Joker is extremely well loved, there is beginning to be a sense of Joker fatigue settling in. With every new Batman that has been brought to the movies, there has been a new Joker as well. With Jared Leto's recent performance, and Joaquin Phoenix's upcoming Joker solo movie, to thrust him into The Batman would be too much.