The Batman Part II's Unexpected Connection with Batman Returns Revealed

Robert Pattinson in The Batman
Credit: WB Pictures; fair use for news and promotional purposes

Robert Pattinson in The Batman
Credit: WB Pictures; fair use for news and promotional purposes

Ben Affleck may not have been able to get his solo movie, but Robert Pattinson was able to deliver a completely fresh take on the Dark Knight with The Batman.

A sequel is currently being planned to be released in a few years, and though DC has kept its lid tight on the project, it seems that some new details have come out online.

New Details for The Batman Part II

While promoting the Penguin series for Collider, Reeves was asked about the status of his Batman franchise—which he has planned to turn into a trilogy. Though there have been major shake-ups with DC during development, like James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over, Reeves confirms that the trilogy is ‘still the plan’. He continues, "I mean, it’s sticking very closely to the path we envisioned."

Though he doesn’t say much about where the Batman sequel could be going, this quote from Reeves has led some to believe that he could be hinting at a winter setting for Part II. When describing the timeline for The Penguin, Reeves explains, "The story plays out over the next weeks that take you toward the end of the year. We don't play Christmas or New Years, but we're getting there."

Of course, it could just be fans over-analyzing the statement, but a winter setting would be a great follow-up to the Halloween setting that the first movie had opened with. Besides that, it could also be the perfect time to introduce a villain that hasn’t been adapted in the past few years—Mr. Freeze.

Mr. Freeze
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Credit: WB Games; fair use for news and promotional purposes

Batman and Mr. Freeze

Admittedly, Victor Fries is one of the more ridiculously sci-fi villains that Batman has in his rogues gallery, but he is a fan-favorite, and it could be very easy to adapt him for the more grounded setting that The Batman is leaning toward.

Besides having to keep his body constantly cold, the tragedy of Fries is that he also has a wife Nora who is terminally ill and who Fries is trying to save—no matter how many people he has to kill to do it.

Though there have been versions of Fries that have made it to live-action thanks to The CW, the last time he appeared on the big screen was when he was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman & Robin.

Admittedly, the campy performance wasn’t what a lot of fans wanted with the character but this could be the perfect opportunity to deliver a grounded version of Victor with solid motivation and a realistic explanation for his condition.

Maybe he’s just someone who likes doing ice-based torture. They already did that in The Dark Knight Rises:

Other Rogues

Of course, Fries is just one highly sought-out villain. Some fans are hoping that DC actually spotlights newer comic villains like Hush—who fits perfectly in the murder-mystery vibe of Reeves’ Gotham.

A lot of people are also waiting for a Harley and Joker to arrive in the world, but maybe there’s room there for another DC clown girl in the form of Punchline.

For now, The Batman Part II still has no release date, but fans are hoping for a 2026 release. Meanwhile, jump into Gotham when The Penguin premieres on Max later this month.

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