Amazon’s upcoming Batman: Caped Crusader animated series is set to feature two villains I’d really love to see in Matt Reeves’ The Batman trilogy starring Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight. With spin-off series like The Penguin and two more chapters still on the way, there’s so much room for Reeves’ Gotham City to expand and be fleshed out. This includes additions to The Batman franchise’s current roster of villains, and I’m hoping they take a page out of Caped Crusader’s book.

Coming from Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm with both Matt Reeves and J.J. Abrams producing, Caped Crusader intends to introduce a Batman during the 1940s, aligning The Dark Knight and his world closer to DC’s Golden Age of comics. Batman: Caped Crusader’s new trailer also promises plenty of exciting twists and turns, particularly with its villain roster such as an all-new Harley Quinn with new origins and a 1940s version of Onomatopoeia. However, I’m most excited by two foes in particular whom Reeves should also look to use in his live-action The Batman trilogy.

Batman: Caped Crusader Features Hugo Strange (With A Twist)

Younger And Seemingly Working With Clayface

While the first trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader features a plethora of villains in this incredibly noir-1940s version of Gotham, a notable addition is Hugo Strange. A dark psychologist and criminal scientist who turns to a life of crime himself, Strange also develops an obsession with proving himself Batman’s superior, wanting to one day replace The Dark Knight. Best known for his role as a primary antagonist in Rocksteady’s Arkham City, Strange was the very first villain who learned Batman’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne, having first appeared in Detective Comics #36 (1940), only 15 issues after Batman’s first appearance.

Although Hugo Strange is usually depicted as bald and bearded, this version of Strange looks to be younger to match this early period of Batman’s crusade. However, the trailer also sees Strange with a distinct imprint of a fist having disfigured the flesh where his mouth should be, the implication being that this may indeed be the shape-shifting Batman foe Clayface who’s simply posing as the villainous psychologist. That said, I’m just as excited to see Basil Karlo, the former actor turned clay monster who uses both his powers and talent to impersonate and deceive.

Why Hugo Strange And Clayface Are Perfect For Matt Reeves’ Batman Movies

The Perfect Mix Of Grounded And Fantastical DC Villains

Beyond Caped Crusader, I’m also hoping to see both Strange and Clayface in future chapters of The Batman trilogy, potentially even working together as they’re teased in this upcoming animated series. Together, Strange and Karlo could provide the perfect mix between the more grounded and fantastical elements of the Batman mythos. Although more recent live-action Batman projects have skewed more toward realism, Matt Reeves’ The Batman trilgoy could be the one to strike the balance on screen that already exists on the page. At any rate, here’s hoping that Batman: Caped Crusader will in part serve as a sort of preview of what’s potentially to come in live-action.

Batman: Caped Crusader is set to begin streaming August 1st on Prime.

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  The Batman Part II

  The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.

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  Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)

  Wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne, transformed by tragedy, takes on the mantle of Batman to combat the rampant corruption and crime in Gotham City. His vigilante actions attract both allies within the GCPD and City Hall and deadly adversaries, leading to unforeseen consequences. The series delves into the noir roots of Batman, exploring the psychological depths of Gotham’s inhabitants.