5 villains who could appear in The Batman 2 (and who should play them)

3 of 4

AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 12: Karl Urban, from the series The Boys poses at the Variety Studio at SXSW 2022 at JW Marriott Austin on March 12, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Variety) /

3. Deathstroke: Played by Karl Urban

Joe Mangianiello made a cameo as Deathstroke in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and while he definitely looks the part and people loved it, I think Karl Urban would bring more depth to the role. He has a reputation for portraying badass characters in nerdy properties, like Judge Dredd (Dredd), Billy Butcher (The Boys) and Eomer (The Lord of the Rings). But let’s throw him one more awesome role as Slade Wilson in The Batman 2.

Narratively, Deathstroke could come in as a hired gun for the Penguin. Farrell is getting his own show that will probably depict his rise to the top of Gotham’s criminal underworld, but he’s not much of a fighter, which is where Deathstroke would come in. Since Batman can deal with Penguin’s everyday muscle with ease, he would need to bring in an elite mercenary to fight the Caped Crusader. I think a proper Deathstroke / Batman showdown would be a great test for Pattinson’s Batman.

US actor Austin Butler arrives for the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 10, 2023. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. Hush: Played by Austin Butler

Hush’s real name is Thomas Elliot. He was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne’s. Elliot showed early sociopathic tendencies and plotted to murder his parents so he could inherit their money. In some versions of the story, Bruce’s father Thomas is a surgeon who saves Elliot’s parents, which prompts Elliot to develop a lifelong hatred for Bruce.

Elliot grows up to become a gifted surgeon himself. He takes on the persona of Hush and comes into conflict with not only Bruce Wayne but also Batman. Hush typically uses his surgical abilities and extreme intelligence to create elaborate scenarios for Batman to overcome. He also disguises his identity by speaking in a low voice and wearing bandages on his face.

Since Hush is usually the same age as Batman, that calls for an actor close to Robert Pattinson’s age; he’s 36. Austin Butler is currently 32 years old and has the deep voice that Hush would need. Butler’s first big role was as the villain Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino’s last film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and he killed it. He is also set to appear as one of the main villains in Dune: Part 2: Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

Home/DC Comics/Movies