Batman‘s next movie will adapt a major storyline from the comics, which means that several players who appeared in the DC story are likely to show up in the film. The upcoming Batman movie in question happens to be the first of a 4-part adaptation of the iconic Batman: Knightfall event. The animated movie is called Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall.
In the story adapted for the film, Batman’s Rogues Gallery is freed from Arkham Asylum, which leads to the Dark Knight going through a gauntlet of villains before fighting one of his biggest foes, getting broken, and having to find his way back. As such, the list compiles the most likely villains to play a decent role in the film series.
Bane
Bane is the main villain of the comic book storyline, and he has already been confirmed to serve in the same role in Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall. The story revolves around Bane breaking out Batman’s villains from Arkham Asylum in an attempt to tire the Dark Knight out. Batman has to track the escapees.
That leads to a gauntlet that slowly exhausts Batman, with the hero weak by the time Bane confronts him. Due to that, Bane is able to not only defeat the Dark Knight but truly break him down, both physically and mentally. DC fans should expect the iconic image of Bane breaking Batman’s back in the movie.
Azrael
Like Bane, Azrael is one of the most important characters in the event, which should translate to the 4-part animated Knightfall saga. DC’s next Batman movie should slowly set up Azrael to have an increasingly bigger role in the franchise as the story moves forward, showing how the character, a hero at the start, is trying to find his place.
Given that Azrael becomes Batman after Bane breaks Bruce’s back, that event could be what the upcoming Batman movie ends with, setting up the sequel. As the story goes, Azrael becomes unstable, a violent anti-hero, and eventually a downright villain that Batman needs to stop when Bruce returns to his role. As such, Azrael is included here with the villains.
Scarecrow
Scarecrow is one of the villains released from Arkham by Bane at the start of the Knightfall storyline. Interestingly, Jonathan Crane does not act alone in the storyline, as Scarecrow teams up with the Joker in a plot to kidnap Mayor Krol and push Batman to the brink of exhaustion. Their efforts greatly contribute to Batman’s downfall.
After being exposed to Scarecrow’s fear gas, Batman is forced to relive the death of his second Robin, Jason Todd. The event is deeply traumatic for Bruce. Ultimately, it is that kind of psychological warfare that leads Batman to being broken before he even fights Bane, which happens shortly after. Scarecrow leaves a mark.
The Joker
After talking about Scarecrow, I have to tap into how the Joker is another villain that should be part of DC’s next Batman movie. After all, the two foes are part of a team in their schemes in the Knightfall storyline to weaken Batman. Due to their key nature, the Joker has to appear.
Later in the story, the Joker ends up returning to prove a point. As he is Batman’s biggest villain, it is interesting to see how the Joker can tell that Bruce Wayne is not the man behind the cowl, with Azrael taking his place, after Batman’s defeat by Bane. Joker will likely play the same role in the film.
Victor Zsasz
Victor Zsasz presents a draining test for Batman. As one of the villains freed by Bane from Arkham, Zsasz is truly deranged, immediately thinking about killing as many as he can. Obviously, Batman can’t let that happen, which leads to a fight between them when Zsasz goes into an all-girls boarding school and threatens them while waiting for Batman.
Zsasz tries to toy with Batman while they fight, but he eventually says the wrong thing by comparing them, pretending that Batman and he were similar. That leads to Bruce using all his violent training to defeat the villain. After the fight, Batman collapses from exhaustion. Such a key moment that shows Batman’s limits makes Zsasz needed for the movie.
Catwoman
Truth be told, there is a chance Catwoman might not appear in the Batman movie, as Selina Kyle only really plays a role in the story later on, which could be covered in the sequels. However, given the popularity of Batman and Catwoman’s relationship, as well as how many villains he will go through in the first film, Selina could be set up.
Based on the Knightfall comics and the sheer amount of ground the first film needs to cover, I don’t see Catwoman having a major role if she were to appear. At most, Catwoman could have a cameo that shows she will be very much a part of this story, building anticipation for the sequels, particularly with fans who haven’t read the original DC Comics event.
The Riddler
The Riddler has had a bit of a resurgence as of late, as the villain was the main foe Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne fought in 2022’s The Batman. While Paul Dano’s Riddler could return soon in live-action, the character is likely going to appear in Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall before 2027’s The Batman 2.
That is due to how the Riddler is one of the villains freed from Arkham in Knightfall. The escaped inmate is one of the many characters Batman goes up against before fighting Bane. The Riddler takes over a television studio and sends out riddles before being stopped by Batman and Robin. In the event’s lead-up, Bane injects Riddler with Venom.
Two-Face
Two-Face’s key role in the storyline comes in the form of a flashback, as Tim Drake looks at a broken Bruce Wayne and claims that he should have helped him sooner, particularly mentioning Two-Face. We then learn that Harvey Dent had set a trap for Batman and then held a trial for the Dark Knight.
The story explains how Two-Face is still mad about Batman for changing his opinion about Harvey Dent. The villain tries to break Batman down mentally, questioning his sense of justice. Two-Face eventually deems Batman guilty and shoots him, but the Dark Knight breaks free in time. Given the flashback’s role in the timeline, Two-Face’s story could be folded into the 2026 movie.
Firefly
Given the destructive power of his flames and how a confrontation with the character should look good onscreen, I believe that Firefly will be one of the Arkham escapees whom Batman fights in the animated movie. Firefly is successful in burning down a couple of places before being stopped by Batman at the Gotham Zoo.
Out of all the villains on the list, Firefly is one of those I’m expecting to play a smaller role in DC’s next Batman movie. The villain can make for a cool fight with epic visuals, but that should not last long. With bigger villains in the gauntlet set up for Batman in Knightfall, Firefly should be a stepping stone.
Killer Croc
Finally, the last villain on the list is Killer Croc. In the lead-up to Knightfall, Killer Croc and Bane had a major altercation. The latter breaks the former’s hands. As a result, when most of the villains later released from Arkham by Bane are busy laying waste to Gotham City and escaping, Killer Croc targets Bane.
Bane then breaks one of Killer Croc’s arms again in their rematch, though the fight is more balanced. Given how Croc plays an early role in Bane’s storyline, I feel that the character is nearly a lock for DC’s next Batman movie. Having Bane easily take him out would set up how dangerous Bane is ahead of breaking Batman‘s back.
Batman
- Created by
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Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- First Film
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Batman
- Latest Film
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The Batman
- Upcoming Films
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The Batman Part II
- First TV Show
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Batman (1966)
- Latest TV Show
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Batman: The Brave and the Bold
