Villains we need to see in this Batman solo franchise

[cryptic name]

I want to see these four established by the second or third movie.

I also wouldn’t mind seeing Raimi’s original Spider-Man 4 opening sequence (a montage where Spidey is taking down Mysterio, Prowler, Shocker and Rhino) used for The Batman sequel. I’d nominate Clayface (Basil Karlo’s masked killer), Croc (a brutish thug/cannibal), Firefly (if he’s not in the first movie. Arsonist of course). Who else would fit the bill? 4 or 5 names..

Ventriloquist, Film Freak, Ratcatcher, Anarky... give the Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle era some love on screen

 

[BigBatTheory]

The Terrible Trio! Give em that Judex / True Detective look.

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YES EDDIE WE AGREE!! I think they would be a perfect addition to this series. If we end up getting more Playboy Persona / High Society Bruce in the next films, they could be rich a-holes who are inspired by Batman to go around causing mayhem. Essentially make them the copycats of this universe, but they are doing it for the thrills as opposed to trying to help people.
Love your references, and here's some more style references from cinema they could use for the Terrible Trio:

You're Next / Stage Fright

and of course... you can't forget Hotline Miami as the ultimate inspiration for animal mask wearing murderers:

 

[Schlosser85]

After all the discussion about him, I really kind of would like to see Mad Hatter.

And I know you can argue he’s overexposed but I really do want to see Reeves’ version of The Joker.

 

[Eddie Dean]

I'd love to see Batman take down a criminal dressed like Lord Death Man. I just love his design so much.

 

[WatchProtect]

I've recently wanted to see Psycho Pirate. I wouldn't mind Blackfire either

 

[cryptic name]

I also hope Reeves keeps running with these crazy gangs in addition to the rogues. I love the Warriors vibe for Gotham City and just the idea that crime and corruption are at a whole other level compared to other American cities.

 

[CondimentKing]

I love the idea of different villain gangs vying for control of certain sections of Gotham. I always loved the way Penguin thugs beefed with Two-Face thugs in the Arkham games for example. I'm excited for the world building and getting a glimpse into whose "active" at this time in Gotham.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I'd love to see Batman take down a criminal dressed like Lord Death Man. I just love his design so much.

They couldn't have given him a less dumb name? It's like he couldn't decide between "Lord Death" and "Death Man", and so he compromised and combined them both.

 

[Eddie Dean]

He was actually originally named Death Man for his one brief appearance in US comics and then was changed to Lord Death Man by Jiro Kuwata when he worked on the magna Batman in the 60s!

 

[cryptic name]

I really loved when he showed up in Batman Incorporated. That first little arc with Paquett art was *chef’s kiss*

 

[Doc Samson]

I'd like to see Hush and/or Pyg personally.

 

[signalman]

I would love to see any of these villains. Don't care if it's a one minute cameo. Bring them on!
Art by Gene Colan, Detective Comics #566.

 

[metaphysician]

I also hope Reeves keeps running with these crazy gangs in addition to the rogues. I love the Warriors vibe for Gotham City and just the idea that crime and corruption are at a whole other level compared to other American cities.

I love the idea of different villain gangs vying for control of certain sections of Gotham. I always loved the way Penguin thugs beefed with Two-Face thugs in the Arkham games for example. I'm excited for the world building and getting a glimpse into whose "active" at this time in Gotham.

Both of these ideas, and I tend to think they work best if they intertwine. Gotham City is the kind of place where lurid, grandiose gangs exist in a manner unlike most other places, with or without specific costumes villains leading them. Thus, a supercriminal creating a gang of elaborately costumed muscle, or taking over and rebranding an existing gang, are just things that happen. For that matter, the difference between a guy like the Joker or Two-Face, and the leader of a street gang whose 'colors' are something like "baseball uniforms" or "beatniks" might just be a matter of degree, with the latter being just as grandeous and crazy, only less capable and famous.

Hmm, if I had to sum up the underlying reasoning, its that Gotham City is not simply a place where law and order and social norms have decayed. It is a place where the law and order and social norms one would normally expect have been *replaced*, with an ethos best summed up as "Glamorous Amorality". Its a place where the hedonistic showy gangland jazz culture of the Roaring 20s didn't die out, but instead dug in, prospered, and metastasized. Dangerous criminals doing dangerous things in public is scary, but its also more than a little normalized and celebrated. Organized crime at the high and low end is a few steps further along the path to being a "legitimate" feudal power structure, which displays in both their power and their publicity ( feudal warrior castes were every bit as showy of peacocks as the most blinged out gangbangers, historically ). Its a dark, dangerous place, but its also both functional and alluring, the kind of danger that draws people rather than sending them fleeing ( at least until its too late ).

 

[cryptic name]

Not as a primary villain, but more as a bit of flavor for the underworld of Gotham, it’d be cool to see elements of the Crime Doctor story worked into this series in some way. Maybe in the HBO series.

 

[chamber-music]

I would like to see Warren White 'The Great White Shark' as a supporting villain. White being a criminal financier like Lau in Nolan's film except his more of a interesting character. White's corruption fits with Reeves theme and his transformation into the great white shows what can happen to once sane people when they interact with Gotham's crazy villains.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I would love to see any of these villains. Don't care if it's a one minute cameo. Bring them on!
Art by Gene Colan, Detective Comics #566

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I’m onboard with Black Spider! Very cool villain. Hasn’t been used in the comics in DECADES to MY knowledge.

 

[zeptron]

Black Mask, Hugo Strange and Hush.

 

[shauner111]

Hush would be too close to Dano’s Riddler (mysterious villain lurking in the shadows, covers his face, knows Batman’s identity, toys with him, has deeper motives).

Black Mask? Possible but less than a year ago he was the main villain of a Gotham centric movie. Could work if you change his skull to Roman’s OG mask. And reference Sionis Industries in The Batman. But then you have Penguin rising up so I don’t know if they’d clash as similar mob bosses or if you make them rivals.

 

[shauner111]

You guys want Thorne or Maroni to scar Dent?

I like the combo of Rupert Thorne and Floyd Lawton for a sequel. That’s the only way i’d work Deadshot into this trilogy. Is Battinson going up against an assassin boring/repetitive or exciting?

 

[WatchProtect]

You guys want Thorne or Maroni to scar Dent?

I like the combo of Rupert Thorne and Floyd Lawton for a sequel. That’s the only way i’d work Deadshot into this trilogy. Is Battinson going up against an assassin boring/repetitive or exciting?

I'd prefer Maroni because he's confirmed to exist at the very least but I think Deadshot vs Battinson could be super nice

 

[cryptic name]

I’d love to see Rupert Thorne in this. Getting a fleshed out Gotham mob would be great. Thorne, Maroni, Tony Zucco. Get em all in. Make the Freaks supplanting the mob theme really come to life with Dent being this sort of bridge.

 

[Sawyer]

Hugo Strange is an absolute must.

Can’t believe we’ve gone through three different film cycles without even a trace of him.

 

[cryptic name]

I think Strange would be such a home run for this series. Especially such an internal, personal look at Bruce’s psychology

 

[WatchProtect]

Before the trailer I was all in on Hugo, but seeing Bruce obviously struggle with his state of mind and it seems Riddler will already push On his mentality, I really want more "physical" threats for the sequels, Freeze, Ivy, Deadshot, Two-Face.

It Is a shame about Hugo, but if we only get three films, (where Joker will almost certainly show up) I want the big bads to bring more variety. Riddler, Hugo, and Joker isn't a very interesting lineup to me.

All that being said I do love Hugo and it'll obviously depend on execution, I know Strange and Nygma are two completely different characters.

 

[shauner111]

Strange assigned to figure out who he is and/or Bruce actually going to therapy? Because that’s a great way to further explore and break down Batman’s psychology in a movie. But would Bruce actually voluntarily seek out a psychiatrist? Hmm maybe this Pattinson version decides to put the work in after he says goodbye to the monster (Ego).

My marketing worries aside (Hugo’s last name is tricky) I think most of us wanted Doug Moench’s Prey to become a reality after TDK. I admit to going back and forth with Strange but i’m open to it. I haven’t read every “classic” Hugo Strange story so if there are interesting ways to incorporate them without tackling overgrown ‘monster men’ or a bearded Hugo wearing a batsuit...i’m all ears.