The antagonist of The Batman – Part II has yet to be announced, but the film’s setting may make one iconic DC villain a particularly fitting choice. The Batman made relative realism a defining characteristic of its take on the Batman characters and mythos, toning down the comic book fantasy elements of Batman’s technology and basing The Riddler on real serial killers. Little is known about The Batman 2, but the upcoming TV series The Penguin will serve as an interquel between Matt Reeves’s first film and the highly-anticipated sequel.
The Batman includes several classic Batman villains, with The Riddler being the most prominent. The film also introduces new iterations of Catwoman, The Penguin, and the Joker, with the Clown Prince of Crime having an established history with Batman and being teased as a potential villain in future installments. Along with the Joker, The Batman 2 story could find new roles for The Riddler and Penguin, and, of course, it might also include a new take on another Batman villain.
The Batman 2’s Timeline Update Makes Mister Freeze An Obvious Choice For The Movie’s Villain
Matt Reeves has revealed one detail about the setting of The Batman 2, with the film being set less than a year after the events of The Batman and The Penguin. The Penguin is set only a week after The Batman, and in an interview with Collider, Reeves stated: “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.” This indicates that The Batman 2 will be set in the winter, which would make Mr. Freeze a fitting choice for the film’s antagonist.
Why The Batman 2’s Story Would Be Perfect For Mister Freeze
The Batman ends with Gotham City being flooded, and Reeves has noted that the wealthier parts of the city will mitigate the situation while the poorer areas will continue to suffer from the aftermath of The Riddler’s attack. This could result in Victor Fries losing his wife or being forced to put her in suspended animation, leading to his eventual turn to villainy as Mr. Freeze. Of course, in Reeves’s relatively realistic vision for Batman, Mr. Freeze most likely will not wear an armored suit and brandish a freeze ray gun.
Mr. Freeze’s tragic origin was created for
Batman: The Animated Series
, but has since become the standard backstory for all iterations of Victor Fries.
Mr. Freeze might simply become a thief, looking to gather any possible means to save his wife and likely killing anyone who stands in his way in the process. If Nora Fries is already dead, Mr. Freeze might be a killer, seeking revenge on all he considers responsible for her death and perhaps repurposing his cryogenic materials into deadly weapons. In any case, Mr. Freeze is one of Batman’s most complex and tragic adversaries, making a more realistic take on him perfect for The Batman – Part II.