12 Villains Who Must Appear In Affleck's Batman Movie
Who needs restraint?
Despite those early rumours that Ben Affleck's stand-alone Batman movie was going to be an adaptation of Under The Red Hood, it seems Warner Bros have something different planned. According to Birth Movies Death, Affleck's Batman will include "many, if not most, members of Batman's rogue's gallery". That's the kind of tease that turns will turn even the most cynical critics of Batman v Superman into quivering fanboys again.
Now, there's every possibility that we will still see the Under The Red Hood storyline used as a foundation and the incorporation of The Long Halloween's detective story focus. In that respect, the villains would amount to no more than cameos encountered on Batman's attempts to hunt down the "new" unknown villain who turns out to be Jason Todd. But it's far more exciting to instead take the rumour as an indication that Affleck might actually be adapting Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth.
That would mean important roles for the villains, and a real reason to have them involved beyond multiple Hannibal Lecter style cameos behind bars. And the idea of one giant action epic with the Dark Knight having to negotiate a claustrophobic maze of threats and familiar faces would be the perfect way for Warner Bros to prove that they actually do understand Batman and his fans.
Whether it's Under The Red Hood, Arkham Asylum, Hush or something else entirely, the promise of lots of villains means finding a balance of Batman's Rogues Gallery is both a challenge and a fanboy pleasure with potentially massive rewards...
12. Poison Ivy
It's about time someone claimed Poison Ivy back as a classic character after Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin turned her into a horribly written cartoon figure. It's also about time we got to see a strong female villain in a comic book movie - which not even Christopher Nolan managed in his trilogy.
She might have a uniquely peculiar set of skills, but her popularity in the comics proves that supposed silliness isn't a detriment to fandom. There's also a lot to be said about her powers, provided the effects work is actually up to the question.
The promise of lots of villains could also mean Affleck and Geoff Johns are adapting Hush, which would fit the call for lots of villains and give Ivy a key role. Her mind-control plot to take down Batman (obviously adapted without Superman), would make a great opening set-piece.