Batman Villains Who Deserve A Solo Movie or Show

Since James Gunn and Peter Safran have been put in charge of DC, it feels like anything is possible really. with the main DCU timeline and also the Elseworlds label, there really isn't anything that we couldn't see on our screens in the future. The future around the character of Batman speaks volumes for that.

Gunn is planning of continuing Matt Reeves' Batman world whilst making plans for his own Dark Knight in the DCU. With having two avenues to go down, that means that there's a lot of ways DC can take things for Batman' Rogue Gallery. Reeves' The Penguin series has proven popular. Todd Philips' Joker films have been a hit with fans (well, maybe not that sequel).

So, with that in mind, what characters should we hope to see in their own solo stories? Let's have a dive into that, shall we?

The Riddler

The character of Edward Nygma has always been a bit of a favourite for Batman fans. Across comic books, video games, TV shows and of course movies, The Riddler has been a real staple of the villain line-up.

So, who is to say we won't see him getting a solo adventure at some point?

We can't imagine we'll see Paul Dano's Riddler getting his own show or movie, given that he's locked up in Arkham and we've kind of seen him at his worst really. the DCU timeline is likely the best chance of doing something for this character on his lonesome.

We'd probably want to see something a bit more comic accurate - yes, we want the the suit. The hat. the cane. Oh, the cane for sure! We want to see The Riddler in all of his comic book glory. This is a character who's ego speaks volumes so it needs to be on display.

Speaking of his ego, that should again play into his story. This is a character who's intellect has him thinking of the smartest person in every room. This shouldn't be a villain we feel sympathy for in the same way we kind of did for Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck/Joker. Maybe more towards Oz Cobb/The Penguin. This a guy who we shouldn't be a huge fan of, with no tragic background. He's someone who is too smart for his own good and likes to rub it in, especially with his crimes. Think Sheldon Cooper with a lot more of an evil side.

Two-Face

Gotham's own district attorney, Harvey Dent. This is a character that has, again, been a favourite amongst fans across all DC mediums.

Personally, I think this character is overdue a solo project. Especially knowing that it would be a pretty solid story. For anyone who isn't aware, the most well known backstory for Dent has him as someone with some split personality issues in his past, but he's always fought it and been seen as a white knight for justice. This had him working up to being the district attorney of Gotham City. That is until his face is mutilated in an attack from Gotham's criminal underworld, which leads him to embracing his split personality and becoming the criminal known as Two-Face.

This is definitely a project that would work in Matt Reeves' Batman universe, very much fitting in with the tone of that world. Also remember that the city's D.A was killed in The Batman, so that job is vacant. What if we see him get introduced in The Batman Part Two? He could make it out of the film in one piece, teeing him up for a TV series that sees his terrible fate in the first episode.

This could truly be a tragic show that really has us feeling for the villain. Very much like a Darth Vader-type character. He was pushed into being a villain. It wasn't something he was born to be. It would be interesting to see him having some kind of turbulent childhood maybe, which birthed his split personality. Then in adulthood he is double crossed by both the mob and his own police force (remember, Reeves' universe has the police force in the mob's pocket for the most part). This can then have Dent pushed too far and the using his extensive knowledge of the system to build his own criminal empire.

Come on, "Two-Face" has so much potential for DC's future. Want a reference point? Take a look at his two-part (no pun intended) story from Batman: The Animated Series.

Man-Bat

We're stepping more into the monsterverse with what this villain could bring to the table.

Man-Bat originates from Doctor Kirk Langstrom, a scientist who specialises in bats and tries to splice their sonar abilities to reverse his growing deafness. The side effects of his research have him transforming into a monstrous giant bat creature.

Now, we've seen this kind of thing a million times. The Incredible Hulk. Beast in X-Men: First Class. The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man. Even Morbius: The living Vampire (but let's not count that misfire). It's a classic story of of a man trying to improve mankind, with his morality and physiology paying the price.

However, with what the DC universe has to offer, this could really be something fresh, in the same way that they're bringing the upcoming Clayface movie to life. This is maybe a character who is too fantastical for Reeves' universe, but you never know.

Mr Freeze

Its another tragic story with this guy for sure. Doctor Victor Fries, an expert in cryogenics, becomes desperate when his wife and love of his life, Nora, falls prey to a deadly disease. He puts her into cryogenic sleep to preserve her life and turns to crime in order to find a way to save her life.

Much like the majority of our other villains, it's a character we know quite well, and has a lot of potential. This is a character who isn't a bad person, but feels he needs to be in order to protect someone he loves. Kind of in line with Breaking Bad's Walter White, but with less of those psychotic undertones.

This would have enough depth to deliver a killer villain story, but also pull at our heart strings if done with care. You don't want to walk away from a movie or series about Mr Freeze thinking "that guy is EVIL, it doesn't get worse". It would need to be more like "he's bad, but poor Victor".

It has been rumoured that Freeze could be the villain of The Batman Part Two, but everyone is leaning more towards Hush after those hints from the first movie. Maybe not 1997's Batman & Robin, but like Two-Face, Batman: The Animated Series has certainly proven how well a Mr Freeze story can be done.

Ra’s Al Ghul

It's since 2005's Batman Begins that we've come to know this character a lot more. Ra's al Ghul is the centures old leader of the League of Assassins, a criminal organisation who have operated from the fictional land of Nanda Parbat.

For those who aren't all that familiar with the character's longivity, Ra's has a pool of water known as the Lazarus Pit at his disposal, which has allowed him to live for centuries and lead his assassins to interfere in various historical events.

This project has a lot of potential in that it would actually have enough material to span more than just one season or movie. As we've said, Ra's has been around for quite some time. It would be cool to have a show or film series that follows him and his activities across multiple eras in history. We could watch him build up his league, bring up his daughters (Talia and Nyssa), and even be a part of historical events e.g. the JFK Assassination, World Wars One & Two and so on.

Scarecrow

We're heading into horror territory with this guy. Doctor Jonathan Crane is another villain who became more mainstream thanks to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.

This is a psychiatrist who has a bit of an obsession with understanding the concept of fear and utilising it. As we've seen in few movies and TV shows over the last 20 years, Crane can be shown as quite a terrifying force, and it would be great to see him at the forefront of his own movie or TV show.

As I've alluded to, DC is also happy to step into horror territory with Clayface being in production, so why not give Scarecrow the same treatment?

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Do you think other Batman villains some time in the spotlight? Have we missed a few? Let us know in the comments section!