The Batman 2’s Best Villain Theory Can Rebuild The Genius Joker Trend Nolan Started

While Barry Keoghan’s Joker likely won’t be the main villain of The Batman- Part II, an exciting new villain theory may rebuild the genius Joker origins from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy with Heath Ledger’s version. As Robert Pattinson’s Batman continues to evolve in Gotham City as the Caped Crusader, it’s been theorized that a dark and secret group may be perfect for his second chapter. Likewise, it could also help set the stage for the Joker’s debut in the third movie of director Matt Reeves’ intended Batman trilogy.

Although The Batman’s key Joker sequence in Arkham Asylum was cut from the theatrical release, it was later released online by Reeves. As such, it’s been confirmed that an early version of The Joker played by Barry Keoghan was captured by Bruce Wayne during his first year as a vigilante, having yet to fully evolve either. While not much is known about this version of the Joker, the debut of the Court of Owls in The Batman- Part II could ensure that Joker’s origins remain a mystery going forward.

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The Batman 2’s Villain Theory Could Reset Joker’s On-Screen Origins Back To The Nolan Era

The Court of Owls

Introduced in 2011 with DC Comics’ “New 52” publishing relaunch, the Court of Owls is a secret group compromised largely of Gotham’s masked and anonymous elite. Having shaped the fate of Gotham from the shadows since the city’s very inception, they’d managed to remain nothing more than myth and legend for years until they were ultimately discovered by Batman. As such, the Court and their deadly Talon assassins are quite high on the lists of The Batman- Part II’s best potential villains, and Pattinson himself has said he’d love to see the Court of Owls featured in this new trilogy.

The Court of Owls’ history in the comics could have intriguing implications for the origins of The Batman’s Joker. In Batman: Endgame, Batman gets the chance to interrogate one of the Court’s Talons who seemingly confirms the true origin story of the Joker as “The Pale Man of Gotham”, a more supernatural being who’s haunted the streets of Gotham for decades.

However, Batman ultimately debunks this theory, thereby resetting Joker’s origins with more ambiguous details going forward. This is most often Joker’s typical default in the comics and most notably in the Dark Knight trilogy where Heath Ledger’s Joker continually changes his origins with no definite backstory. As such, the same idea could be executed for Keoghan’s Joker as well in The Batman- Part II.

Why The Batman’s Joker Is Better Without A Specific Origin Story

The Mystery Is Far More Frightening

With Batman being such an accomplished detective, the idea that his arch-foe is such a mystery to him is far more frightening. It makes Joker more unpredictable in the long run, as there’s nothing from his past the Caped Crusader can learn or use. As such, the potential for Batman to try and seek out the Joker’s origins from the Court of Owls only to come up empty is very compelling compared to giving Keoghan’s Joker a more definite past and backstory.

Additionally, it can be yet another way to help differentiate The Batman’s Joker from Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck who certainly does have a clearly defined origin as envisioned by Joker director Todd Phillips. It’s a compelling concept in its own right, albeit in its own universe with a more isolated story compared to The Batman- Part II and beyond with Reeves’ trilogy.

The Batman – Part II

Not Yet Rated

Action

Crime

Thriller

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.

Director

Matt Reeves

Release Date

October 3, 2025

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures , DC Films

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

Robert Pattinson

Franchise(s)

Batman

prequel(s)

The Batman