In 2022's The Batman, The Riddler was defeated by the Dark Knight and locked up in Arkham for his crimes. Then, in the closing moments of the movie, the twisted killer made a new friend, who we'd later discover was Barry Keoghan's Joker.
Warner Bros. released an extended deleted scene from the movie while it was still in theaters, showing Batman visiting this much darker take on the Clown Prince of Crime in Arkham to see if his twisted mind could help track down Edward Nashton. It turns out the vigilante had placed the villain behind bars during his "Year One" in Gotham City, setting the stage for an inevitable rematch between the two arch-nemeses.
It's previously been reported that The Joker will return in The Batman Part II, though it does feel like Reeves could be planning to make the Caped Crusader's greatest foe the focal point of a potential third movie.
Now, in a report from Box Office Pro France, it's revealed that the upcoming sequel was part of a presentation from Warner Bros. at Studio Show. Very much like CinemaCon, it's an event where movie studios discuss their future releases, and it seems Keoghan's return as The Joker was confirmed by WBD executives (ScreenRant reached out to Warner Bros. for comment, but received no response).
While Batman's focus will seemingly shift to villains like Two-Face and Victor Zsasz in The Batman Part II, if The Joker and The Riddler end up taking centre stage in Part III, we could be in store for Reeves' take on "The War of Jokes and Riddles."
As the name suggests, it featured a war between the Joker and the Riddler in Gotham City during—and this part could be very relevant—Batman's second year as a vigilante.
"It's a big one, but I am going to say that, if the opportunity came about, yes, I'd love to explore, and given the opportunity, really dive into it," the Irish actor said in late 2024. "But I have not been contacted, I've not heard anything." Since then, the Hollywood trades have similarly mentioned plans for the Eternals star to reprise the role next year.
Directed by Matt Reeves from a script by him and Mattson Tomlin, The Batman Part II stars Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, Charles Dance, Jayme Lawson, Gil Perez-Abraham, Sebastian Koch, and Brian Tyree Henry.
The Batman Part II is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2027.