I’m Disappointed The Batman 2 Looks Set To Ignore Two Villains DC Movies Have Wasted For 27 Years

The Batman Part II looks set to ignore two iconic DC villains after decades of them being wasted, a reality I am sorely disappointed by. Since The Batman‘s ending, I have been endlessly theorizing about which villains could appear in the sequel, as have many others anticipating a continuation of Matt Reeves’ story. As an Elseworlds project in the list of upcoming DC movies, I am excited by The Batman 2‘s somewhat free rein; potential villains for the film can be reinvented as Riddler was in the first movie, without stepping on the toes of the DCU’s mainline continuity.

Barry Keoghan’s Joker, who was teased in the first movie, will likely appear in some capacity in The Batman 2‘s story. That said, I am hoping Joker is saved for a future movie, thus giving less mainstream Batman villains a chance in the spotlight. Some villains raised by many theories include Mr. Freeze, Hush, Clayface, Harvey Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, and several others from Batman’s vast DC Comics rogues gallery. Disappointingly, a recent The Batman 2 update hints that two of these villains will not appear and continue to be wasted by DC films.

Why The Batman 2 Is Unlikely To Include Mr. Freeze Or Poison Ivy

Two Iconic Villains May Not Be Part Of Matt Reeves’ Sequel

The villains I am referencing are Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. At SDCC 2024, a VFX artist who worked on The Batman weighed in on which villains could be included in the film’s sequel. Freeze and Poison Ivy were two that were name-dropped, alongside another Batman villain, Killer Croc. Initially, visualization supervisor Casey Pyke was asked about Croc’s involvement in the film. Pyke went on to say that he thinks villains like Killer Croc may be too farfetched for the world Matt Reeves’ created. I can understand where Pyke is coming from, to a certain extent.

I found one of The Batman‘s biggest strengths to be its dedication to a more grounded story, taking otherworldly characters and putting them in a dark, dreary, noir-inspired crime thriller. That said, I still believe there are ways to make villains like Croc work. Pyke went on to say that he also thinks Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy fall into this same category of being more farfetched than villains like The Riddler or The Penguin, hinting that – while they could potentially have a role – it is unlikely they will appear in The Batman Part II.

I Think Mr. Freeze & Poison Ivy Would Be Perfect For The Batman 2

Taking Exaggerated Villains & Making Them Grounded Is Perfect For The Batman Universe

If not in The Batman Part II, I think Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy could be two perfect villains for an upcoming movie in The Batman‘s saga. As I alluded to, The Batman‘s biggest draw was its ability to make Gotham feel like a grounded place with villains from DC Comics who could be real. The Riddler’s over-the-top demeanor from the comics was changed in order to make Paul Dano’s version a Zodiac-like serial killer, making him much more effective than he may have been otherwise. There is no reason why the same cannot be done for Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy.

For example, with Mr. Freeze, his comic book backstory surrounds his attempts to save his terminally ill wife using cryotechnology. This results in accidents and mutations, turning him toward a life of crime as Mr. Freeze, though with saving his wife as his driving motive. This could very easily be turned into a more grounded story, especially with a writer-director as talented as Matt Reeves at the helm.

Where Poison Ivy is concerned, I think her driving motivation to save the plant life of Earth could be translated to The Batman‘s universe too. The Riddler’s storyline in The Batman surrounds an orphan with a love of puzzles being neglected by the rich elite of Gotham, thus going on a murder spree to enact his justice in the city. The social commentary of the class divide was well integrated into Riddler’s story to make him less farfetched than his comic book counterpart, and the same could be done with Poison Ivy using commentary on the environment and its state in the world.

Mr. Freeze And Poison Ivy Deserve Redemption After Batman & Robin

The Two Villains Had A Poor Live-Action Batman Debut

Unfortunately, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy have been wasted in Batman films thanks to their first live-action appearance in Batman & Robin. The film is largely considered one of the worst Batman movies in history, primarily due to its over-the-top, campy tone, its incredibly silly depictions of its characters, and the overall lack of seriousness, plot, or character arcs. Sadly for two great villains, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy were caught up in this.

Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy were portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Thurman respectively in Batman & Robin, and while both were somewhat praised for hamming up their performances to match the tone of the film, they were not good adaptations of the characters. The overall powers of both were well translated from Marvel Comics, as were their backstories, but they were done with such an absence of earnestness that the film drastically failed regarding story and character.

As a result, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze were widely mocked and often turned into internet memes and jokes. Since then, neither of the villains has appeared in a live-action Batman movie. Evidently, I find this a major disappointment, which has only been compounded by the reveal that two iconic villains of Gotham’s Dark Knight may not appear in The Batman Part II either.