The Batman's REAL Villain Is Hiding In Plain Sight

So, what evidence do we have that suggests the Court of Owls will be stalking Bruce Wayne next year? Primarily, the theory has been launched off the back of the greeting card that Paul Dano's Riddler sends to Batman. The main focus on this story came from the riddle inside, where fans set about to solve the puzzle Dano leaves for Bruce. Of course, the Internet being the Internet, the greeting card itself has sparked a lot of speculation due to what it displays on the front.

Bearing a large owl and the message 'from your secret friend' on the front, there is some speculation that the corruption in Gotham city Pattinson is committed to stamping out might not be the product of more familiar criminal institutions, like those of since John Turturro's Carmine Falcone or the Penguin's henchmen, but also from the clandestine Court of Owls.

Now, if a greetings card seems a lot to base a theory on, it's only the most obvious piece of evidence of the Owls you can spot throughout the trailer.

There's also an out-of-focus owl mask or bust hidden in the background on a bookshelf during the brief glimpse of a fight between Zoe Kravitz' Catwoman and the Batman. What's more, when we see Batman using his grappling hook in some of sort of teased gallery scene, there's a man in the background that seems to be sporting a mask that looks very similar to those worn by the Court in the comics. These could all be easter eggs, but considering how much thought is put into these trailers and this film especially, then these little tidbits will certainly be more than coincidental.

With Matt Reeves' version of Batman wrestling with how little impact he's had on the corruption in Gotham, it would ultimately make a lot of sense for the Court of Owls to be revealed as a sort of puppet-master for the large number of villains Bruce Wayne is tackling.

Now, it's likely this won't result in a last-minute, third act shift to the Court as the real enemies. It's unlikely The Batman will make the same cardinal superhero sin of stuffing too many villains into one movie. That said, Reeves has planned a trilogy, and revealing the Court of Owls as the overarching villains of the series is could be a way to connect each flick, and deliver a killer cliffhanger at the end of the first.

Whatever happens, we'll be waiting with bated breath for when the film finally hits cinemas on the 1st October next year.