The Batmanis now in theaters, and with it comes the start of a planned Gotham universe of sorts, a concept that co-writer and director Matt Reeves has spoken openly about, as have Warner Bros. For example, a slew of DC series set in the same world asThe Batmanhave been officially announced and are in active development, including a Penguin prequel show starring Colin Farrell.
Another HBO Max series that was announced was centered on Gotham PD, but Matt Reeves recently revealed that this has transitioned into a spinoff set at Arkham Hospital, where the Riddler was housed at the end ofThe Batmanand where this universe’s Joker is as well. This iconic comic book location is a great launchpad to introduce many of Batman’sfamous antagonists into this universe. Here are five villains that would fit perfectly into the Arkham show.
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Hugo Strange
Hugo Strange is a major villain in the comicsthat hasn’t yet been explored too muchin live action. Strange has a few different backstories in the source material, but in recent years, he’s often portrayed as a medical doctor or psychiatrist, meaning that his inclusion in the upcoming Arkham series feels almost natural. Although Strange is yet to appear in a Batman movie, he was played by BD Wong inGotham, where he worked at Arkham Asylum and interacted with many of the array of Bat-villains. Wong’s role was one of the highlights ofGotham, arguably increasing the popularity of Hugo Strange as a character and making him more grounded and believable, something that Matt Reeves clearly values.
Scarecrow
Scarecrow is one of the most famous Batman villains, in part due to his role in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, where he was played by Cillian Murphy. The character’s real name is Doctor Jonathan Crane, and his origins have largely remained consistent over the years. Crane is usually depicted as a college professor of psychology who uses toxins and hallucinogensto prey on the fears of the people of Gotham. Video game fans will remember Batman’s worst nightmares coming to life when he ingested Scarecrow’s toxins at several points in the Arkham games, and this character would again be a perfect fit for the upcoming series.
Professor Pyg
It’s unclear who will appear in the Arkham show at this time, but if the current residents of the hospital are any indication, it seems the series will be full of serial killers and murderers. As such, a more recent Batman villain would fit in nicely here in the form of Professor Pyg, a serial killer that wears a pig mask as he hurts his victims.
Given that the Riddler and Joker are both in Arkham as of now and are serial killers in this universe, it would be interesting to have another similar character in the mix, especially as Pyg is arguably not as intelligent as Edward Nashton and is more unhinged than the Clown Prince of Gotham. Pyg was used inGothamas well,showing just how many villains that show brought into their world, but he was vastly different from many of his comic book appearances. InGotham, Pyg was revealed to be a hitman, taking away the unhinged angle from his character and transitioning him into a more cool and calculated bounty hunter of sorts.
Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter is arguably the villainthat has been adapted and changed the most over the years. At times, he’s portrayed as anAlice in the Wonderlandobsessed serial killer, like inGotham, but he’s also been shown to be a scientist who often uses his patients as victims. The serial killer angle seems more plausible here given that Reeves turned the Riddler into a Zodiac killer type character, but it’s also possible that Mad Hatter is used in a similar way to Hugo Strange, as someone who is not a patient at Arkham but,based on his behavior as a villain, really should be.
Killer Croc
Killer Crocis the hardest villain on this list to bring into this Batman universeas the basics of the character seem a little far-fetched. Croc is often said to be a wrestler or athlete that contracts a skin condition that makes him look like a crocodile, which in turn causes him to have a breakdown in his mental health and, ultimately, leads to his life in crime.
It seems unlikely that Reeves would make a character look exactly like a crocodile as it is a little too far-fetched of a backstory for a villain to go up against Robert Pattinson’s Batman, but there are some unique ways to go about adapting him. A skin condition is not an unrealistic occurrence by any means, so playing on this and making Killer Croc’s appearance more realistic and less animalistic means he can be brought in, and the Arkham show would be a great place for this.
The Batmanis out now in theaters.
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