Batman‘s next movie is going to make every DC fan’s villain dream come true, as it will include the Dark Knight’s entire rogues gallery. When it comes to the comics, Batman is easily the DC hero with the best villain lineup. The only debate regarding rogues’ galleries relates to Marvel’s Spider-Man. Live-action and animated Batman movies have proven that.
Iconic villains like the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, Bane, and many more have made the jump from the page to the big screen with success. DC’s upcoming movies will continue to adapt Batman villains in different ways, with a Clayface solo film releasing in 2026 as part of James Gunn’s DC Universe. That said, Batman’s entire rogues gallery will also star in a project together.
DC’s Next Batman Movie Is Going To Be The Start Of A Franchise
Initially, The Batman – Part II was set to be released in 2025. However, the film was delayed twice, with the Elseworlds Batman movie now set to arrive in theaters on October 1, 2027. That means that DC fans will now see another Batman movie release before Robert Pattinson returns to the big screen. That film will be the start of a new animated franchise.
Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall will be released in 2026. The animated movie will be the first of the just-announced 4-part adaptation of the classic DC Comics story. The film is directed by Jeff Wamester, who helmed many of DC’s animated Tomorrowverse projects, such as the recent Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths animated trilogy.
The Knightfall event is one of Batman’s classic comic book stories, with elements such as Bane breaking Batman’s back becoming iconic parts of the Dark Knight’s history. The story has been adapted in parts before by Batman movies, with the comic book event focusing on Batman’s loss to Bane and his road to recovery, while Azrael grapples with being Batman in Bruce Wayne’s place.
DC’s Next Batman Movie’s Story Confirms Several Villains Will Appear
With the announcement of DC’s new Batman movie came the official synopsis for Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall. The reveal confirms that “Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum.” As such, fans should expect to see many of Batman’s most famous villains making an appearance in the upcoming movie in some form. Check out the full synopsis below:
“When the mysterious behemoth known only as Bane frees Batman’s entire Rogue’s Gallery from Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader is pushed to his mental and physical breaking point.”
Some of the villains that appear in the comic book event include Bane, the Joker, Catwoman, the Riddler, Scarecrow, and many more. Given how The Batman – Part II‘s villains have yet to be confirmed, it is exciting that we now know Batman‘s next movie will bring many of his best villains to life in 2026 before his next live-action adventure.

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