Caution: This newsletter incorporates spoilers for The Batman.
The Batman hit theaters and is now to be had on HBO Max, and it was once just lately showed that there shall be a sequel with Matt Reeves and different returns. Because of this time to start out speculating concerning the sequel. Alternatively, whilst director Matt Reeves has hinted at the potential of a trilogy of Batman motion pictures, it is unclear what the nearest sequel shall be about. In contrast to the MCU or the DCEU, there aren’t any cryptic post-credits scenes hinting at what lies forward for Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne.
Nonetheless, the film leaves sufficient unfastened ends for us to start out reconstruct some plot parts of The Batman 2. No longer most effective that, however Batman’s huge library of comics can provide us some clues as to what occurs subsequent. Let’s smash it down.
Gotham Town: No Guy’s Land
The Batman attracts inspiration from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: 12 months 0 comedian ebook, which may be a few younger Caped Crusader going through off towards the Riddler for the primary time. Possibly the largest similarity is that the movie presentations Gotham flooded after the Riddler blows up town’s reservoir (the villain’s bombs break town’s levees within the movie). In 12 months 0, that flood units up the 3rd act of the tale, when Enigma seals off Gotham from the out of doors global and unleashes probably the most bold puzzle of it. Within the movie, on the other hand, that flood comes on the finish of the primary struggle.
It is not totally transparent what the long-term ramifications of Gotham’s devastating flood shall be. The movie ends with Selina Kyle leaving for Bludhaven, believing that Gotham can’t be stored, whilst Batman remains in the back of to assist his town get again on its ft. This may well be the build-up to a sequel impressed by means of the 1999 Batman: No Guy’s Land crossover.
No Guy’s Land is about after Gotham has been devastated by means of a big earthquake. Somewhat than try to rebuild town, the federal government opts to evacuate many of the inhabitants, arrange a blockade round Gotham, and let town’s gangs and costumed criminals fend for themselves. Best Jim Gordon and a handful of fair law enforcement officials are left to give protection to those that refuse to evacuate. Even Batman is lacking for months as Bruce Wayne spends his time urgent the federal government to avoid wasting Gotham as an alternative of condemning it.
It is simple to believe the Enigma terrorist assault making a an identical scenario for this model of Gotham Town. If sufficient other folks echo Selina’s trust that Gotham is just too some distance away, town could also be misplaced. That would go away this new technology of psychopaths, like Riddler, Joker and Penguin, to take over a lawless Gotham.
This new establishment would additionally are compatible completely with Bruce’s present personality arc. To avoid wasting Gotham from a crisis of this magnitude, Batman has to discover ways to be greater than only a vigilante who moves worry into the hearts of criminals. He has to grow to be a determine that conjures up hope to the determined downtrodden of Gotham. We get a glimpse of it within the film when a lady Batman helps touches his arm in gratitude. She isn’t terrified of him; she sees a hero.
the hush thriller
Excluding the lingering query of the way and if Gotham will rebuild after the flood, The Batman offers us any other main clue as to the sequel’s route. One in every of Enigma’s on-line movies presentations the phrase “Hush” scrawled within the background. Hush is each the title of a very talked-about comedian from 2002 and the villain presented in its pages.
Batman: Hush is a sprawling thriller pitting Batman towards lots of his most well liked villains. On the heart of this thriller is Hush himself, a bandaged villain plotting towards the Darkish Knight as he quotes Aristotle. Hush’s identification is sooner or later printed to be Dr. Tommy Elliot, a youth pal of Bruce’s whose jealousy drove him insane.
What does all this must do with Enigma? Within the authentic comedian, Riddler is printed to be the true mastermind in the back of the Hush plot. The 2 villains sign up for forces after Riddler deduces Batman’s secret identification, a feat that Paul Dano’s villain has but to perform on the finish of The Batman. And within the 2019 animated adaptation, Hush is printed to in fact be the Riddler himself, his manner of making one remaining puzzle for the Darkish Knight ahead of succumbing to terminal mind most cancers.
Assuming The Batman 2 is in line with this Hush tale, we are guessing his model shall be extra consistent with the animated model. To not point out that parts of Hush are already utilized in The Batman, so an instantaneous adaptation within the sequel is not going.
The primary film already establishes an extended connection between Bruce and Edward Nashton. We even be told that Nashton sees Batman as a kindred spirit and an inspiration to expand his personal identification disguised as him. With Riddler’s civilian identification uncovered, Nashton may just expand the nature of Hush as the following section of his evolution as a serial killer.
One more thing: the movie finds that the reporter investigating Martha Wayne’s historical past of psychological sickness was once named Elliot. Is it only a twist of fate, or yet one more clue to Hush’s debut? One intriguing chance is this reporter was once Nashton’s father, and that Tommy Elliot was once her authentic title ahead of she got here to the orphanage. On this universe, Edward Nashton and Tommy Elliot may well be the similar.
Venom: Batman’s Drug Habit
Matt Reeves has described Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne as a drug addict who has grow to be obsessed together with his nights out as Batman. Curiously, a scene within the film presentations Batman injecting himself with an unknown liquid substance after taking a shotgun blast to his armor, which is helping him get again into the battle.
That sparkling substance could also be not anything greater than adrenaline, regardless that the brilliant coloring is indubitably peculiar. We will be able to’t assist however be reminded of any other drug with an extended historical past within the Batman franchise: Venom.
Venom is very best referred to as the steroid that provides Bane his superhuman power. However ahead of Bane was once presented in 1993’s Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1, Batman himself battled an habit within the Batman: Venom storyline. In that tale, Batman is driven to the restrict after failing to avoid wasting a abducted boy. He starts taking the experimental drug Venom, which will increase his power however briefly saps his sanity. Best thru sheer pressure of will is Batman in a position to conquer his dependency on Venom and end up to himself that he does not want tremendous power to give protection to town from him.
May Pattinson’s Bruce face a an identical fight within the sequel? This saga is darkish sufficient {that a} literal drug-addled Batman is not misplaced.
Barry Keoghan’s Joker
The Batman won’t come with a post-credits scene, however there’s a main cameo in opposition to the top of the film. Barry Keoghan makes a temporary look as this universe’s model of the Joker, an Arkham inmate whose peculiar congenital situation reasons him to have an everlasting rictus smile.
Probably Reeves would not forged Keoghan in any such giant function if he did not have long term plans for the Joker. If truth be told, the director just lately advised IGN that there’s any other longer Joker scene that was once minimize from the overall model of the movie. In that scene the proto Joker was once observed enjoying a Hannibal Lecter-type function, providing the original perception of him as Batman works to resolve the huge puzzle of the Enigma.
Right here you’ll see that deleted scene from the film:
That mentioned, Reeves additionally made it transparent that this cameo should not be taken as an indication that The Joker will essentially be The Batman 2’s primary villain. If the rest, this reboot saga appears to be taking a extra ensemble way to its lineup of villains. villains, particularly now that the degree is about for Gotham’s villains to fill the void left by means of the mob.
The Enigma/Joker pairing brings to thoughts the most important tale from DC’s present Batman quantity, The Conflict of Pranks and Riddles. Every other tale set early within the Darkish Knight’s occupation that presentations the 2 villains pass to battle for the privilege of killing Batman. Nearly all of Gotham’s supervillains select an aspect on this civil battle, and Batman reveals himself virtually powerless to finish the bloodshed.
This comedian may be notable for revealing simply how shut Batman has come to violating his vow to not kill. Batman finally ends up forming an alliance with Riddler to prevent Joker, most effective to wreck off and take a look at to stab his new spouse when he realizes the intensity of Riddler’s evil. Best the well timed intervention of the Joker himself prevents Batman from changing into a assassin. This, as you’ll believe, is the funniest funny story the Joker has ever heard.
A tale impressed by means of this comedian may just simply paintings inside of this damaged model of Gotham Town. Possibly the sequel will mix parts of that tale and No Guy’s Land, making a establishment during which Gotham has been deserted by means of the arena at huge and The Enigma and Joker are locked in a devastating gang battle. If this is the case, subsequent time Batman can have numerous paintings.
Will Catwoman go back within the sequel?
In spite of the trace on the finish of Batman Returns, we have now by no means observed Catwoman seem greater than as soon as in a Batman film saga. However fanatics of the bat/cat dynamic can leisure simple, as Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle turns out assured to go back in a long term sequel.
If Bruce’s long-term tale arc comes to going from vigilante to reputable hero, Selina’s most likely comes to studying to forget about her personal pursuits and battle for the nice of her town. He can have left Gotham for now, however it sort of feels inevitable that one thing (be it her lingering enchantment to Batman or her personal bothered previous) will compel Selina to go back. There is no doubt we will see Batman and Catwoman bond much more, possibly even changing into a real romantic couple like they’re now within the DC comics.
Since Selina turns out set on robbing Bludhaven’s rich elite, it is usually conceivable that she’ll go back to Gotham to rob Bruce Wayne as punishment for no longer doing sufficient to assist town. We simply must watch for her to determine what Bruce does together with his nights…
And it is value noting that Catwoman performs a key function in different of the tales discussed above. Hush is the tale the place Batman in spite of everything finds his identification to Catwoman and struggles to determine a courting. Catwoman is likely one of the many characters stuck up within the occasions of No Guy’s Land. And as for The Conflict of Pranks and Riddles, all the tale is framed round a dialog between Bruce and Selina, during which Bruce recounts the occasions main as much as his darkest secret ahead of he and Selina release into marriage. . There is no scarcity of the way for Selina to make her comeback within the subsequent film.
What comics do you hope will encourage The Batman 2? Tell us within the feedback.
