One of the main questions being asked about Matt Reeves’ “The Batman: Part II” is who the villain might be this time around. There’s been lots of speculation, but no answers coming in from Reeves or DCU boss James Gunn.
We know that Colin Farrell’s Penguin will briefly appear (in “five or six scenes”) and that Barry Keoghan’s Joker might have a cameo again as well, but there’s still been no concrete antagonist announced. It should be mentioned that there’s also a Clayface movie being shot soon, but there’s been no indication that character would be part of the Batman sequel, especially since he’s part of Gunn’s separate DCU.
The Hot Mic’s Jeff Sneider might have the answer — he is now hearing that an unlikely candidate has emerged, and that Mr. Freeze could be the villain in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman 2.’ Sneider does clarify that it’s just a rumor he’s heard.
Rgeardless, it does makes sense. Reeves recently confirmed that ‘The Batman 2’ takes place in the winter, and if there’s a villain that’s not been used in 21st century Batman movies then it’s Freeze. Then again, Freeze’s fantastical elements would go against what Reeves has described as his more “grounded” approach on Batman.
Mr. Freeze was last, and very infamously, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Joel Schumacher’s hilarious “Batman & Robin.” The performance earned Schwarzenegger a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actor, but he lost the award that year to Dennis Rodman for his turn in “Double Team.”
That was almost 28 years ago, and nobody’s dared touch Mr. Freeze since then. The character was not a good fit for Christopher Nolan’s more realist approach to the Caped Crusader, and even Zack Snyder refused to incorporate Freeze into his DCEU movies. Has Reeves finally cracked the code?
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.