Credit: DC StudiosMatt Reeves has the daunting task of restarting the Batman universe, and he certainly captured the attention of many fans worldwide. Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of the Dark Knight went well, leading to Warner Bros. allowing Reeves to create his own universe within the confines of the DCU. With the sequel coming up, Reeves wants to “push it farther.”
Related: ‘The Batman’ Spinoff Has Been Shut Down
The first film painted Batman in a new light, as the hero was in year two of his attempted crime stoppage in Gotham. However, his naivety allowed The Riddler (Paul Dano) to win, destroying and sinking the city. This will also lead to the rise of The Penguin, which will be showcased in a spinoff series for Max.
So far, we got to see Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), The Penguin (Colin Farrell), The Riddler, The Joker (Barry Keoghan), and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) all appear in the first film. Though they had varying levels of exposure in the film, it was a huge amount of the Rogues Gallery that Batman normally squares off against. A huge list of villains can show up anytime, but Matt Reeves is planning to take things a step further.
The director sat down with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, who has a podcast all about filmmaking. Reeves told audiences what he plans to do with his anticipated sequel.
Matt Reeves Wants ‘The Batman 2’ To Go Farther
While speaking with Roger Deakins and his brother James Deakins on the Team Deakins Podcast, Matt Reeves went into some details about The Batman 2. One of those details he explained was discussed with his current cinematographer, Greig Fraser. Fraser served in that role for the first film and has been asked back to act as the cinematographer in the second. According to Reeves:
“And when you find someone who you love working with, you just wanna … ‘Come on, please, let’s keep working together … How much farther can we push it?’ Like, I’ve been talking to [The Batman cinematographer Greig Fraser] about — I’m trying to write the next movie now with my partner, and we’re doing this thing — and he’s, like, going, ‘Let’s just push it farther.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that would be really exciting to do.'”
We are unsure what he means by pushing things further, but The Batman already had some unsettling moments. For starters, The Riddler was a complete psychopath that had no issues with killing. That is not to say that the villain has not done so in the past, but this was the first time he was portrayed as a cold-blooded killer.
Also, we got to see the ugly side of organized crime in Gotham, as Carmine Falcone murdered a woman via a videotape recording. Things were very dark, and we might get an even bleaker sequel.
How Matt Reeves Can Take ‘The Batman 2’ Farther
One of the ways that Matt Reeves can take The Batman 2 further is by bringing in some of the villains that fans have been asking for. We have reported that Clayface would appear in live-action for the first time. Though the villain is far from being grounded, which is the mood that Reeves’ Batverse has, he could still work.
Clayface is known as Basil Karlo, the first iteration of the character. Though he did not have supernatural powers, he did adopt the moniker Clayface when he dressed up in a costume from a past film he appeared in. He went on a killing rampage when he was recast in a hit film, using the costume to hide his identity.
This could be how Clayface is first introduced in a live-action Batman film. Then again, fans want to see the Matt Hagen version, which finds a way to morph his body into all shapes and sizes. Initially, he came into contact with protoplasm, that changed his DNA. However, the Batman: The Animated Series version had his DNA mixed with a compound called Renuyu. This compound allowed Hagen to become the monstrous Clayface that we all love.
There are other obscure villains that Reeves can introduce that would be a hit. For starters, Victor Zsasz. Though the villain has appeared in minor roles throughout the Batman live-action films, he has not yet been fully developed. He is a serial killer that marks his body for every kill he accomplishes. Considering The Batman has already showcased a much more violent universe, Zsasz would be the perfect villain to take what The Riddler did but amp it up.
Another huge thing that Reeves might do to take The Batman 2 further is allow Batman to break his killing rule. He might be stuck in a situation where he has no choice but to take someone’s life. While we don’t presume this would happen, Pattinson’s young career could see him tortured by breaking this rule.
Related: Clayface Could Be “Big Addition” To ‘The Batman 2’
We think Reeves simply wants to take things farther from a cinematography sense, but we hope his goals are to offer another Batman chapter that will hit just as hard as the first film did.
What should Matt Reeves do to take The Batman 2 even further? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!