What we know and what we want from The Joker in The Batman II

The Batman really shook up the comic scene, bringing us a new approach to the infamous Bat and creating a contemporary landscape where the Dark Knight could really thrive. Unfortunately, with the latest projection of an Oct. 1, 2027 release, they won't even begin filming until the end of this year.

Pattinson revealed in an interview with Mickey 17 costar, Naomi Ackie, "I started out as young Batman, and I’m going to be f-king old Batman by the sequel." While shows like The Penguin were created in the same universe to help bridge the gap between films, the continued delays in filming the sequel have really escalated speculation and intrigue about what might be in store for us when the second movie does come. Namely, what was up with the laughing guy in Arkham with the Riddler at the end of the movie?

Obviously, the mind jumps to the Joker. How many other laughing villains in Gotham do we know? When asked earlier this month if the Joker will be the main villain in the sequel, Robert Pattinson gave the vague response, "Yeah, no, I don't know. Potentially…". In February, Pattinson did report he knew what the film was about, so this could easily be him being coy to conceal the truth. It must also be considered that Robert Pattinson historically loves lying. Rolling Stone even wrote an article about times he made things up to the press, including when he told Matt Lauer about witnessing a clown die in a tiny car explosion as a kid. So we must take everything he says with a grain of salt.

As of November, Barry Keoghan had not been contacted to reprise his role as the laughing man—the Joker (unconfirmed)—in the sequel. But seeing as filming is so far off, that doesn't mean much.

So how much do we know about the Joker's role in The Batman II? Extremely little. So now let's focus on what we want. Or, at least, what I want.

I do not want the Joker in The Batman II

At this point in Batman's collective canon, I do not think the Joker is particularly interesting. There are times for his story and his presence, to be sure. He was necessary for Under The Red Hood to continue Jason's narrative, and I'm happy to let him keep popping up in whatever video games get released—he's a standard boss fight—but after Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, there was really not much left to do with the Joker. César Romero walked so Jack Nicholson could run and then so Heath Ledger could soar. And that should have been where we left the Joker for a good, long while.

Jared Leto's Joker added absolutely nothing to Suicide Squad, made evident by the fact that The Suicide Squad was a much better film. Joaquin Phoenix's Joker was a decent movie—a lot of people really liked it, at least—but it didn't really have anything to do with how the Joker interacts with the rest of the DC canon. Joker as a character interpretation has about as much to the established canon of the Joker as he exists in the greater DC context as the Sonic Bible does to the Sonic the Hedgehog games and movies. Which is to say, VERY little. I'll accept the Joker in Lego Batman for serving us camp and homoeroticism with the Bat. But we absolutely do not need another man to take up the cackle. Especially in the world of The Batman.

What made The Batman so good and different was its focus on street-level crime and real-world detective work. What were the Riddler's motivations? How can this mayoral election make real change? All of that goes out the window when the Joker comes out and just wants to watch the world burn.

Give me Harvey Dent, give me Mr. Freeze, give me Poison Ivy—please give me Ivy, especially with the world in this state of ecological disaster. Give me villains who want something. I do not need or want another Joker.

Whatever happens, we won't be getting anything for another year and a half at least, so I guess we better get comfortable. If you're craving some Robert Pattinson in the meantime, definitely go see Mickey 17. It's extremely good and really highlights Pattinson's range as an actor. Whatever The Batman II has planned, I know he can handle it.