8 Ways The Batman Part II Was Set Up In The First Movie

Okay, so The Batman – Part II is happening – 2027, mark your calendars! As a viewer of the first film, it’s clear now that a lot of what we saw wasn’t just standalone plot points. It feels like director Matt Reeves was carefully laying groundwork for Robert Pattinson’s future as Batman, planting seeds for storylines we’ll see unfold in the sequel. It wasn’t just about solving one mystery; it was about building a larger, ongoing narrative.

Now that we’ve seen this new take on Gotham and Batman in the first film, The Batman – Part II has a lot of potential for a thrilling continuation. With flooded city streets, the introduction of new enemies, and a growing scope for Batman’s work, director Matt Reeves has built a world that’s ready for bigger and more intense stories.

Here are eight subtle ways The Batman (2022) hinted at what’s to come in the sequel, including possible conspiracies, new villains, and unresolved conflicts.

The Joker’s Debut In Arkham

During the final act of The Batman, a surprising connection forms between Paul Dano’s Riddler and Barry Keoghan’s Joker while they’re both at Arkham Asylum. Their short conversation strongly suggests bigger plans are in the works, and their developing bond hints at a possible future partnership. This also implies that the chaos in Gotham is far from over.

The way Joker is presented at the start of the movie implies he’d been operating in Gotham for quite some time before Batman had been fighting crime for two years. This was later confirmed by director Matt Reeves, who released a deleted scene showing Batman consulting with a younger version of the Joker in Arkham Asylum. In the scene, Batman seeks the Joker’s insights into the Riddler’s motives, revealing that Batman had already apprehended his enemy about a year earlier.

It would be really interesting to see the dynamic between Batman and the Joker continue to evolve in The Batman – Part II.

Gotham’s Power Vacuum After Falcone’s Death

Image via Max

In the 2022 film The Batman, when The Riddler killed Carmine Falcone, it threw Gotham City’s criminal world into chaos. Falcone’s death triggered a new wave of problems for the city, creating a significant power vacuum because he held so much control over both the criminal underworld and Gotham’s corrupt systems.

Similarly, the conclusion of The Batman hinted at a future for Colin Farrell’s Penguin, a storyline that’s now being explored in the 2024 spin-off series dedicated to the character.

The Penguin series has successfully filled the void left by Carmine Falcone, with Cob taking over his criminal empire and expanding it. Now, the next Batman film will show Robert Pattinson’s Batman facing the fallout from Falcone’s downfall and the resulting chaos in Gotham – exactly the situation Bruce Wayne anticipated, as hinted at in the first film’s ending.

Gotham’s Flooded Aftermath

The massive flood in Gotham, orchestrated by the Riddler and his team, wasn’t just about destruction. It represented how deeply the city was overwhelmed by its own problems and dishonesty, essentially drowning in its own corruption.

Things in Gotham are a total mess right now – the streets are overrun, people are being forced from their homes, and crime is just exploding (you can really see The Penguin’s influence!). I’m hearing that The Batman – Part II is going to pick up just a few weeks after all this, and I’m expecting it to really dive into the wreckage and the slow process of rebuilding. Honestly, it sounds like they’re taking a lot of inspiration from the classic ‘No Man’s Land’ storyline – that whole idea of a city cut off and struggling to survive. I’m really excited to see how they pull that off on the big screen.

This new take on Gotham could be the most dangerous yet, with reorganized criminal groups and emerging villains taking advantage of the unrest. This makes the city’s problems and its fate even more central to Reeves’ Batman story than we’ve seen in previous films.

Catwoman Leaving For Blüdhaven

At the end of the movie The Batman (2022), Zoë Kravitz’s character, Selina Kyle, left Gotham City. She was heading to Blüdhaven, a city that’s known as the future home of Nightwing in the comics. Her departure and the uncertain future of her relationship with Batman suggest she might return in a later film.

I’m really curious to see how they handle Catwoman’s role in the next Batman film. Maybe Bruce will explore other relationships from the comics – I’ve heard rumors about Vicki Vale or Silver St. Cloud potentially becoming love interests, which could be interesting.

Batman’s New Crusade – Vengeance Isn’t Enough

Watching The Batman, I realized Bruce finally understands that just striking fear into criminals isn’t the answer for Gotham. It’s not enough. The good people of the city, the ones who haven’t done anything wrong, they need something to believe in – they need hope and actual justice, just as much as the bad guys need to fear the consequences of their actions.

Batman’s rescue of citizens during the Riddler’s flood is a pivotal moment for him. It solidifies his role as Gotham’s protector, showing he’s become a beacon of hope and realized he needs to be more than just a force of vengeance.

We can expect a more developed Batman in the sequel, having moved past the initial focus of his fight against crime.

Teases For Hush, A Major Batman Villain

Viewers of the recent Batman footage likely recognized the name “Elliot” as connected to a scandal involving Thomas Wayne. The footage hinted at Wayne attempting to suppress a story about his wife’s past. This scandal ultimately led to the murder of reporter Edward Elliot by Carmine Falcone, after Elliot refused to accept a bribe to stay silent.

Many believe this is a reference to Hush, the Batman villain also known as Tommy Elliot. It seems like a deliberate detail, and given that The Batman explores themes of family history and wrongdoing, Hush would be a fitting villain for a future movie.

Tommy started as a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, but later became an adversary, tormenting Bruce as Batman through psychological manipulation.

Given the potential for uncovering more of the Wayne family’s past, the next Batman film could explore themes of paranoia. A compelling villain could be someone who knows Bruce Wayne’s dual identity, possibly even the son of Edward Elliot seeking revenge.

Teases For The Court of Owls

A compelling new group of villains could emerge from Gotham’s wealthiest and most powerful citizens: a secret, corrupt society known as The Court of Owls. This hidden group could come to light after Falcone’s downfall, potentially throwing Gotham into even more chaos. They might directly oppose Batman, or even find themselves at odds with someone like Penguin.

The Court of Owls is a recent addition to Batman’s enemies, a powerful and secretive group that controls Gotham from the shadows. They use deadly, resurrected assassins called Talons to enforce their will and manipulate the city’s past and future. It would be fantastic to see them play a significant role as the main villains in The Batman – Part II.

“Gotham Loves A Comeback Story”

While talking with Joker in Arkham Asylum, the Riddler, played by Barry Keoghan, chillingly remarks, “Gotham loves a comeback story.” This suggests that both characters could return in future Batman films to cause more trouble in Gotham.

With Gotham City trying to recover and improve, it’s easy to imagine the next installment of Matt Reeves’ Batman story focusing on classic villains who could hinder the city’s progress.

As a huge fan, I’m really excited to see how they connect all the little hints and groundwork they laid in the first movie with what’s coming in The Batman – Part II. It’s going to be interesting to see which story elements they actually end up developing further!

The Batman – Part II releaes in theaters on October 1st, 2027

2025-11-09 01:51