Batman's Next Movie Teases A Villain Team-Up That Turns The Dark Knight On Its Head

Batman‘s next movie is set to feature a team-up that is completely different from a key part of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, regarded by many as DC’s best movie yet. There have been many live-action Batman movies, as well as animated entries featuring the Dark Knight. Due to that, a good chunk of his villains have been adapted already.

It is a good thing that Batman has one of the best rogues’ galleries in all of comic books. When it comes to Marvel and DC, I believe only Spider-Man comes close to Batman in terms of villains. Both heroes have faced a wide array of foes with diverse powers and backgrounds. That has led to some of DC’s best movies.

That said, even with an extensive rogues gallery like Batman’s, there comes a time when the studio has to reuse villains who have been adapted before. Without doing that, some of Batman’s biggest villains would have to be left behind. As such, Batman’s next movie will use two villains in a major role that reminds me of The Dark Knight with a twist.

The Dark Knight Has The Best Batman Movie Villain

Heath Ledger's Joker with explosives inside his suit in The Dark Knight — Heath Ledger’s Joker with explosives inside his suit in The Dark Knight

When it comes to new Batman movies, every single project released by DC that features the Dark Knight in a lead role is going to be compared to The Dark Knight, whether it wants to or not. The movie directed by Christopher Nolan has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, grossing $1 billion at the worldwide box office — no small feat.

The Dark Knight might not be the most comics-accurate Batman movie, but it is an excellent film that features some impressively effective versions of iconic DC characters. It is dark, gritty, and, surprisingly, Batman ends up taking a backseat to its villain. Heath Ledger, who won an Oscar for his performance as the Joker, is easily one of the best comic book castings ever.

His version of the Joker did everything to break Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne, with Ledger delivering a magnetic performance that made every scene he was in unpredictable. The Joker ended up breaking Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent, making Gotham City’s savior into a villain, aka Two-Face. After indirectly killing Rachel Dawes, the Joker essentially creates Two-Face, sending Dent spiraling towards a darker persona.

Batman’s Next Movie Is Completely Different From Past DC Films

Aztec Batman scene of the hero looking forward

Batman’s next movie is unique, and I’m excited to see just how much this new version of the Dark Knight’s myth will be different from what came before. While Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne will return for The Batman 2 and a new live-action Batman will be cast for the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold, the next Batman movie is animated.

Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires will be released on September 18, 2025. The movie does not take place in Gotham City, nor does it follow the typical Bruce Wayne version of Batman. Instead, the Elseworlds animated film, which means it exists in its own continuity, will be set in Tenochтιтlán during the days of the Aztec Empire.

Instead of Bruce Wayne, Batman’s next movie will see the young Yohualli Coatl take to the night as its version of Batman after his father is murdered. He trains in the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, which is where he gets the connection to become Batman. Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires will feature many DC villains.

Batman’s Next Movie Is Teased To Flip The Dark Knight’s Villain Dynamic

Aztec Batman‘s DC characters include the Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, besides the тιтle character, of course. There are unique twists to every classic DC player in the film, going from name changes to different designs to revamped backstories and more. For instance, Two-Face is the leader of the conquistadors, Hernán Cortés. His face is scratched by Jaguar Woman — Catwoman.

As for the Joker, he will be a priest who descends into madness, going by the name of Yoka. After watching the latest Aztec Batman trailer, I realized how the next Batman movie is going to flip the villain dynamic of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight on its head. Two-Face and the Joker will have a different bond in the film.

The Aztec Batman trailer teases an alliance. The Joker seems to propose a partnership with Two-Face, saying, “Put your trust in me.” While Yoka, aka the Joker, is part of the Aztec Empire, he is wearing conquistador armor when he talks to the already Two-Face version of Cortés. By flipping The Dark Knight‘s villain dynamic, the DC movie goes in an exciting new direction.

Barry Keoghan's The Joker Eyes in The Batman Deleted Scene — A grisly close-up of Barry Keoghan as The Joker in The Batman Deleted Scene

The Dark Knight is currently the only live-action movie to feature the Joker and Two-Face together. However, that could change after Aztec Batman pairs the characters in animated form. The Batman franchise is suitably dark for a version of Harvey Dent to rise in order to help Batman clear Gotham City’s streets. Two-Face would fit in The Batman 2.

Since Barry Keoghan’s Joker was teased to return in the sequel, both characters could be back together in live-action in 2027. Alternatively, Batman’s The Brave and the Bold debut movie in James Gunn’s DCU could also feature the villains. While fans might have to wait to see them together again in live-action, 2025’s Batman movie does so in animation.