Is Joker In 'The Batman II'? Why Matt Reeves' Sequel Will Be Unique
The Batman Part II (2028) is a film with a lot of hype, as it's been nearly a decade of anticipation for a sequel to a genuinely good Batman movie. But its growth and popularity are especially unique because it does one thing that no other Batman series has done, at least involving Joker.
The Joker is an iconic Batman villain and possibly the greatest comic book villain ever made. His manic behavior and homicidal psychosis make him the perfect parallel to the logical and stoic Batman. However, even though Matt Reeves knows this, he has instead chosen to make The Batman Part II unique by doing something incredibly risky.
Will the Joker Be in 'The Batman Part II'?
In The Batman (2022), some audiences were surprised to see Barry Keoghan appear as the Joker in an Arkham cell talking to the Riddler. Not only was he heavily scarred, but he was laughing maniacally. When the film got its home video release, it also included a deleted scene where the Joker acts as an informant of sorts for Batman to help profile the Riddler. The history between these two characters is clear, but what's new is that the dangerous toxicity isn't there... yet.
The Batman Part II has heavily teased that Keoghan will return as Joker, but we have yet to get a hard confirmation. As set photos have shown, even if Joker does return, he won't have a massive presence, as there are larger plot points at play, like the Court of Owls (potentially). This also adds to the mystery of the character because if Joker does appear in some capacity, he would've been waiting to be Batman's greatest challenge of all.
It says a lot, though, that even though Keoghan's Joker was only briefly in The Batman, he has managed to garner a massive presence with audiences. We want to know more about this iteration of the character while keeping Matt Reeves' tone intact, which is something that other Batman media lost either at the start or along the way
Past Batman Movies Leaned on the Joker Too Much
Before The Batman, two other movie franchises explored Batman in different ways. Batman (1989) was the first major film since the '60s and was much darker in tone. It also gave us Jack Nicholson's Joker, who was a pitch-perfect representation of the Clown Prince of Crime. But as the sequels went on, the other villains could never shake that Joker-style performance, with Batman Forever's (1995) Two-Face being a great example, as the only difference between him and Joker was the gimmick. Joker's influence also remained with Batman after he died, and it became a shadow over the series where no other villain was ever as interesting.
Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy also gave us Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), in which we saw a grounded and anarchic take on the character that redefined him for a modern audience. He felt real, had something to say, and was scary while still being funny. It was an iconic performance that also made its sequel and previous film pale in comparison. As a result, we love those films more for the villain than the hero, which, to some, could be a problem.
Matt Reeves' Movies Set New Precedent For the Batman Character
Matt Reeves is doing something totally different with his Batman movies, something that needed to happen a long time ago. Now, we are seeing what happens when a Batman universe has the Joker but doesn't give him too much attention. Some great villains in Batman's mythos never get the proper treatment because people always want Joker.
Now, Reeves is giving us Joker but making us wait while forcing us to remember the other compelling foes that still exist. It's a simple strategy, but one that keeps a single character from taking over such a rich world. It's why it's easier to love the Penguin and Riddler on top of a stellar script and performance.
Batman needed a change of pace with these villains because it's so easy to forget how many of them there are. Each enemy challenges a part of Batman's character. While the Joker is the most prevalent, some are actually more engaging than others. Reeves' films show this perfectly and remind us that while seeing the Joker is great, we can't forget the other great names that challenge the Dark Knight as well.
