10 Batman villains obscure enough for Matt Reeves to use in The Batman 2

❘ Published: 2025-01-10T12:05:53

Warner Bros/DC comics

Poor Matt Reeves has been facing a lot of questions about The Batman 2 villain. In fact, it feels like every other day, Reeves guns down (metaphorically, of course, he’s not Joe Chill) another scooper claiming to have the inside track on the superhero movie’s bad guy.

So far, there have been rumors that Robert Pattinson’s Bruce will be battling The Court of Owls, Clayface, Mister Freeze, and – of course – the Joker (when aren’t there Joker rumors?). Yet all we really know is that the villain will be surprising and that Reeves is a little bemused by all the gossip online.

This suggests that none of the “scoops” so far have had as much substance as the Gentleman Ghost (props to the three of you who got that), and that hints at the villain potentially being a more obscure member of the Dark Knight’s rogue’s gallery.

So, with that in mind, I’ve dug through my back issues of Detective Comics to bring you a list of the weirdest and worst-known ne’er do wells in Batman history, who might make their big screen debut in The Batman 2. If you like obscure supervillains, you’re in for a treat, and if not, well, you’re here, so you might as well read on.

The Baffler

Who (get used to saying that)? You know, The Baffler! He baffles! In all seriousness, The Baffler is a deliberate Riddler knockoff who tried to make a name for himself as Batman’s new nemesis despite being thicker than Clayface’s mud. His gimmick involved baffling Batman by committing crimes and leaving clues behind.

Needless to say, this didn’t go well for The Baffler, and he was quickly captured before being condemned to comic book obscurity. Why have I picked him? Well, Reeves has said The Batman 2 is “a continuation in a certain way,” so maybe the Baffler is one of The Riddler’s acolytes who tries to take on the Bat.

Likelihood score: -1/10 (We put him here to make up numbers)

Condiment King

Condiment King is a villain who robs banks with ketchup and mustard guns. That might sound idiotic, but imagine if the bank teller on duty that day had a tomato allergy. Then they’d be in real trouble!

Likelihood score: 0/10 (You must-ard be joking if you think Reeves would use him)

Doctor No-Face

You’ve heard of Two-Face; now get ready for Doctor No-Face. This dastardly deviant was once known as Bart Magan until an attempt to remove a facial scar erased his entire face. Following this, Bart did what every self-respecting Gothamite does after a lab accident: he turned to crime.

Now, I know he sounds lame, but I think he’s got potential, especially in the hands of someone like Reeves, who’s got form for taking silly characters like the Riddler and making them into something sinister. Although I must admit, I can’t imagine many actors would be pleased to get a leading role in a superhero film… only for their face to be erased.

Likelihood score: (1/10 Doctor No-Face? More like Doctor No-Show)

Kite Man

Chuck Brown was an ordinary man until he was bitten by a radioactive kite. Wait, no, that’s not it. Chuck Brown is a bloke who thinks kites are neat and uses them to commit crimes. What more could you want?

Silly gimmicks aside, Kite Man is a pretty popular character these days among Batman fans, especially after Tom King’s ‘The War of Jokes and Riddles’ arc and his many appearances on Harley Quinn. Perhaps Reeves will feel compelled to put his own spin on Gotham’s least likely villain. It wouldn’t be the first time a Batman adaptation has put a new spin on a stupid-sounding character (I’m sorry, but the Riddler is a silly villain).

Likelihood score: 3/10 (I love him, but Matt Reeves probably doesn’t)

King Tut

King Tut was created for the Adam West Batman show, but he’s since appeared in the comics, where he’s a bit of a joke character. Tut, as you might expect, is an Egyptian-themed supervillain (although he’s not so super) who robs and murders Gotham’s wealthiest citizens.

Now, I know he sounds bizarre, but – and this is a big but – he’s one of those characters I can actually see working in Reeve’s more grounded Gotham. All you’d need to do is reimagine him as a gangster with a fondness for Egyptian stuff who’s disparagingly called King Tut by other criminals. You’ve got to admit, it’s got potential, hasn’t it?

Likelihood score: 4/10 (Tut-al tripe)

Tally Man

The Tally Man is a twister serial killer who sees his murders as a perverse form of justice. He grew up in a poor family and was eventually sent to jail for murdering some loan sharks. When he was released, his mother and sister had died, and he was driven insane so he adopted the name of the Tally Man – a sort of warped tax collector who takes lives to balance the books.

Now, Tally Man is a relatively underdeveloped villain but he’s got a fair amount of potential. He’s a good fit for Reeves’ Gotham, as he has a relatively grounded origin and a distinct MO for Batman to try and work out. The only issue is that I can’t see anyone buying a ticket to see Batman vs. the Tally Man.

Likelihood score: 4/10 (Tally up another no…)

The Reaper

There are plenty of evil Batmen in Batman’s back issues. Of them all, though, The Reaper, aka Judson Caspian, is probably the one I’d most like to see. This deadly vigilante is a more murderous version of the Dark Knight who, like Bruce, lost his family at the hands of criminals. Sadly, while that event impressed Bruce with the value of human life, it taught Judson the opposite lesson, and he enjoys nothing more than murdering the criminals of Gotham.

It would be cool to see Batman’s Bruce confront another vigilante – especially considering the lesson he learned following the Riddler’s attack on Gotham and the importance of inspiring hope instead of seeking revenge. As much as I like the Reaper though, I don’t think he’ll be used. He’s basically The Phantasm from Mask of the Phantasm, and Reeves won’t want to use an old idea.

Likelihood score: 5/10 (We were close but no cigar)

Professor Pyg

Professor Pyg might be one of Batman’s scariest villains ever created. This twisted surgeon specializes in kidnapping people and making them “perfect” by turning them into his mind-controlled Dollotrons. How does he do this? Well, through coercive plastic surgery and chemical lobotomization, of course!

In all honesty, I think Pyg would be an excellent fit for Reeves’ vision of Gotham. He’s a disturbed individual like the Joker (and god knows the audience loves him) with a unique gimmick that’s both suitably scary and grounded enough to fit into the grim and gritty world Reeves has created. The only real issue with Pyg is that he’s too frightening for a Batman movie and better suited to something like the Saw franchise.

Likelihood score: 6/10 (I’ll go hog wild if he does appear)

Doctor Death

Batman’s forgotten nemesis, Doctor Death, was the first supervillain the Dark Knight ever fought, but he’s never really enjoyed the immense popularity other bad guys have received. I can see Reeves making a deep cut like this; he’s got links to Batman’s earliest years, he’ll be surprising, and he has a pretty unique gimmick that would fit the world of Batman.

Basically, Doctor Death (or the modern interpretation of him, at least) uses a serum that causes skeletons to grow uncontrollably to kill his poor victims. That seems like the ghoulish murder mystery that Batman loves to solve… although I suppose if Doctor Death is in the film, I’ve just spoiled it for you. Sorry about that.

Likelihood score: 7/10 (I’ve convinced myself this might be right)

So, will Reeves take inspiration from one of these obscure rogues? Probably not. But if he does, I’ll be here saying, “Told you so.”