Matt Reeves’ The Batman isn’t a horror film, but it’s about as close as you’re going to get in the superhero genre. It features a psychopathic serial killer and there are a couple of brutal murders. This dark theme proved popular, so it's perhaps no surprise that Reeves could double down on the ominous tones in a sequel.
Reeves opted to go in a completely new direction with his Batman pictures, and the grittiness of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy was cranked up tenfold. It was more of a psychological thriller than an action movie, and it will most certainly lead to future offerings made in the same style.
Reeves Gave us a Riddler Like No Other
One of the highlights of Reeves’ Batman concept was the Riddler, who was played magnificently by Paul Dano. As highlighted in an infographic from ExpressVPN, viewers have grown accustomed to seeing the villain in a green suit with a bowler hat, carrying a question-mark staff.
Reeves’ interpretation of the character completely subverted the traditional rendition of the Riddler, however, and made him fit perfectly in the bleak and sinister Gotham City of the new DC Films franchise. The antagonist was clearly inspired by serial killers like the Zodiac Killer and, unlike previous almost comical iterations portrayed by Jim Carrey in the past, Dano’s costume was a DIY jacket with a fully face-covering green mask.
In The Batman, the Riddler goes on a small killing spree, leaving clues for the Caped Crusader to uncover. The picture earned a PG-13 rating, as these murders were not too graphic. Reeves admitted to Variety that he pushed the limits of PG-13 but never intended for the picture to be R-rated.
The dark tone of The Batman and its success with audiences certainly suggests that future movies will likely continue in this vein. Indeed, Reeves may have simply used the Riddler to ease viewers in, and he may be planning to hit audiences with a more horrific villain in the future.
Which Villain Would Suit a More Horrific Tone?
The great thing about the Batman universe is that there are so many villains for writers to choose from. Comic Vine has rated them all, and there are enough to compile a top 100 list. The Joker is number one, and there is no denying he is the most iconic and recognizable of all.
Reeves has already hinted that he might avoid the Joker in his next film, partly because the villain has been used so much over the years and the director wants to be as original as possible. The Joker’s ‘wildcard’ quality definitely makes for great entertainment, as we’ve seen on countless occasions in other Batman movies, but he isn’t the only antagonist who would suit.
There are some strange characters in the Batman universe that could scare the hell out of viewers. These include the likes of Man-Bat, Solomon Grundy, and Clayface. However, these quirky villains are less likely to feature in a Reeves adaptation simply because they’re less familiar to the mass market.
Reeves has set an incredibly dark tone for his Batman world, and many viewers will be hoping things get even grittier in future offerings. There are plenty of options for villains to include in a more horror-focused Dark Knight title.
