10 Batman Animated Series Storylines That Would Be Perfect For The Batman 2 & 3

One source of inspiration for The Batman was the iconic Batman: The Animated Series, which may also inspire the storylines of The Batman Part II and even a potential third film. The Batman replaced the canceled Ben Affleck solo Batman movie, and introduced viewers to a new interpretation of the Batman mythos by Matt Reeves, starring Robert Pattinson. The film is not set in the DC Extended Universe and rather than directly bringing the comics themselves to life like Affleck’s iteration, The Batman creates an even more grounded and realistic iteration of the Batman mythos than Christopher Nolan’s beloved Dark Knight Trilogy.

Robert Pattinson has noted that the DC Animated Universe’s iteration of Batman had a particularly strong influence on his performance. The Batman Animated Series is popularly seen as one of the definitive adaptations of the Batman comics, so it could easily provide inspiration for the plot of the next chapters in Reeves’s The Batman franchise. The following 10 Batman Animated Series episodes – if reworked to fit into Reeves’s grounded universe – provide perfect potential storylines for The Batman Part II or third The Batman movie.

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10 The Batman 2 Could Give Robin A Proper Origin

Robin’s Reckoning

Batman adaptations often struggle to properly adapt Robin, who is one of the most important supporting characters in the Batman mythos. The 1960s Batman TV series, Young Justice, and the DCEU (despite Robin’s absence) understood Robin’s important, quasi-parental dynamic with Batman, but the films either avoid including Robin or – in the Schumacher duology’s case – do not adapt the character properly. The Batman Animated Series two-parter “Robin’s Reckoning” is a comic-faithful adaptation of Dick Grayson’s Robin origin, and it is grounded enough to fit in the Reeves The Batman universe. The Batman Part II could continue Batman’s character growth by having him fight crime alongside a competent protégé.

9 The Batman’s Joker May Warrant A New Harley Quinn

Mad Love

As seen in the ending of The Batman, The Joker not only already exists in the Reeves universe, but he also has an established history with Batman. With no need to introduce The Joker, The Batman Part II could nevertheless give the Clown Prince of Crime a more prominent role by adapting Mad Love, a tragic and dark episode from the Batman Animated Series that explored the origin of Harley Quinn and her abusive relationship with The Joker. Since Harley Quinn is already set to appear in Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s Joker, The Batman’s iteration of Harley would need to differentiate her from Lady Gaga’s version.

8 Scarecrow Would Be A Fitting Foil To Robert Pattinson’s Batman

Nothing To Fear

The Scarecrow would be a perfect fit for Reeves’s The Batman universe. Not only is the Scarecrow’s signature weapon (a terror-inducing poison) relatively believable, but his obsession with the psychology of fear makes him a natural foil for Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Moreover, The Batman sees Batman transition away from solely terrorizing Gotham’s criminal underworld and become a symbol of hope to its citizens. Adapting Scarecrow’s Animated Series introduction, “Nothing to Fear,” would allow a The Batman sequel to introduce a new costumed criminal who uses fear against his enemies (and the innocent), perhaps having been inspired by Batman.

7 A Grounded Take On Poison Ivy Would Fit The Batman’s Universe

Pretty Poison

Similar to Scarecrow, Poison Ivy can be a relatively believable character in The Batman’s universe, especially if a sequel uses her debut episode of the Animated Series, “Pretty Poison,” as inspiration. Before the DCAU established her to have superhuman abilities, Pamela Isley was initially portrayed as only a brilliant botanist and toxicologist who secretly used her skills as the nefarious eco-terrorist Poison Ivy. It would be quite easy to establish Isley as a serial killer who targets politicians and corporate executives who contribute to Gotham City’s pollution and kills them as her alter ego.

6 The Batman Sequels Could Create A Grounded Iteration of Clayface

Feat Of Clay

With Clayface rumored to be an antagonist in The Batman Part II, a natural source of inspiration for its story would be “Feat of Clay” parts 1 and 2. That said, the Animated Series version of Clayface, who is a super strong, shapeshifting, metahuman, would be a departure from the grounded world depicted in The Batman. Of course, introducing a metahuman to an otherwise realistic version of Gotham would challenge viewers and Pattinson’s version of Batman, who would be expecting a more conventional criminal. With this in mind, Clayface could also be depicted similarly to his initial Golden Age comics appearance, in which he is an actor who simply uses disguises.

5 The Batman Universe Can Make A Truly Terrifying Mad Hatter

Mad As A Hatter

While the Mad Hatter has a seemingly silly motif, he is a potentially horrific villain. Jervis Tetch is adept at controlling minds, with some interpretations making him a master hypnotist, while others have him design advanced mind-controlling technology. A sequel to The Batman could make Tetch an expert in one or both of these fields, turning innocent Gotham citizens into his pawns, and having him attempt to take control of Batman’s mind. The film could also look to the Animated Series episode “Mad as a Hatter” for inspiration for Tetch’s backstory.

4 The Batman’s Joker Could Exploit The Mad Hatter’s Technology

Make ‘Em Laugh

In the Batman Animated Series episode “Make ‘Em Laugh,” The Joker steals Mad Hatter’s mind control technology and uses it on famous comedians, turning them into super criminals and putting their careers and lives in danger. The Condiment King – one of the episode’s fake villains – was jokingly suggested by Matt Reeves as a potential villain for The Batman Part II, but the character could work terrifyingly well. Assuming that the Mad Hatter is already established in The Batman’s universe, a sequel could have The Joker steal Tetch’s devices or coerce him to use his manipulative abilities on ordinary citizens, resulting in “criminals” like the Condiment King.

3 A Sequel To The Batman Could Give Hugo Strange His Cinematic Debut

The Strange Secret Of Bruce Wayne

An intrinsically-grounded Batman villain that would be a perfect fit for The Batman’s universe is Hugo Strange. The sinister and corrupt professor is more than an intellectual threat to Batman, as he is also famous for knowing that he is Bruce Wayne. In his Animated Series debut, “The Strange Secret Of Bruce Wayne,” Strange not only discovers that Bruce Wayne is Batman, but also plans to auction the information to Gotham’s underworld. This high-stakes storyline would easily work in a sequel to The Batman, especially with future films and television shows further exploring the criminal underworld of Matt Reeves’s Gotham City.

2 Killer Croc Could Become A Major Threat To Pattinson’s Batman

Vendetta

While Killer Croc is often portrayed as a massive and super strong metahuman, it would be rather simple to keep him relatively grounded in reality in a sequel to The Batman. Waylon Jones could simply be a large, strong, and cannibalistic criminal with a skin condition that gives him a reptilian appearance. Croc’s debut in the Batman Animated Series, “Vendetta,” also sees him methodically attempt to exact revenge on the Gotham police officer Harvey Bullock. A realistic version of Killer Croc with a vengeful scheme would be an excellent storyline for the Matt Reeves Batman universe.

1 The Batman 3 Could Make The Penguin A Tragic Criminal

Birds Of A Feather

The Penguin was already introduced to the Matt Reeves universe in The Batman and will star in the forthcoming TV series The Penguin. With Colin Farrell’s version of The Penguin having a prominent role in The Batman Part II in addition to his own TV series and the first The Batman film, another sequel could have Oswald Cobblepot attempt to put his criminal past behind him like his Batman Animated Series counterpart in “Birds of a Feather.” The animated episode, tragically, had Cobblepot relapse into villainy by the end, but perhaps a future installment in The Batman franchise could take a different approach, giving Cobblepot a genuine redemption arc.