The Batman: 7 Challenges Matt Reeves Must Overcome

5. Finding The Right Villain

Matt Reeves The Batman
DC Comics

Everyone knows that Batman has one of the best rosters of villains in comic book history. They’re a compelling mixture of disturbing, wacky and just downright evil giving Reeves plenty of choice when it comes to selecting who will be going toe to toe with the caped crusader.

Perhaps more than anything else, this is an essential element to getting The Batman right. Look anywhere on the Internet and people are posting wishlists containing obscure villains (Calculator or King Shark anyone?) and demanding a change from the mainstays. While this certainly has its appeal, any film-maker that heeds the "advice" also runs the risk of having to dedicate a larger amount of screen time to actualyl establishing who the hell Batman’s actually up against and why.

Their best bet would be to look at someone like The Penguin or Mr Freeze, both of whom are crying out for a reboot after reduced to laughable parodies by Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger respectively. Even the less dedicated Batman fans would recognise a villain of this level, negating a total rehash of their origin.

There are also rumours of the film being set in Arkham Asylum with a larger number of villains making an appearance. If this is true and Reeves can successfully pull off the casting, dedicate the screen time that each deserves and still make an enjoyable Batman movie then we’re really onto something special.

Contributor
Contributor

A pop culture mad writer from the North East who loves films, television and debating them with whoever will listen. Follow me on Twitter @Johno_Patterson