Warning: Major spoilers for The Batman ahead.
The Batman is officially here and fans are hooked on Matt Reeves’ adaptation, with many dubbing it the best ever film about the Caped Crusader.
Robert Pattinson takes on the role of Bruce Wayne in the new movie, alongside Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, and Colin Farrell as Penguin.
However, there’s one surprise cast member that many never saw coming.
This is your last spoiler warning if you haven’t seen it!
Who is the new Joker?
In the last scenes of the movie, we see The Riddler in Arkham Asylum, speaking to another inmate, whose face is mostly hidden.
The unhinged cackles that follow suggested that a new actor has been introduced as the Joker, with director Matt Reeves later confirming the news.
While we didn’t see his face in the movie, the man in question is Eternals actor Barry Keoghan.
Barry, 29, hasn’t publicly confirmed his role, but recently spoke out on being part of the ‘Batman universe’.
‘I’m a fanboy of these movies, and especially the Batman universe. So to be in that world, I’m still pinching myself. [Matt Reeves is] a filmmaker I hugely admire as well,’ he told Esquire Middle East.
‘And to get to walk alongside him and see how he works, and seeing much like [Eternals director] Chloe Zhao, how comfortable he makes you on set, and he gives you the time you need and what you want.
‘I’m in such a blessed position. And to get to work alongside Colin Farrell again—I know I wasn’t with Colin in that scene, but that cast as well… Zoë, Rob, all of them.’
What does it mean for future films?
It’s already been confirmed that there will be at least one sequel to The Batman, with producer Dylan Clark previously saying: ‘I will go on record and say that it will be less than five years.’
However, director Matt told Variety that he’s got ‘no idea’ if we’ll see the Joker in another movie.
But he did confirm that he’s looking into spin-offs and an HBO TV series, so we’re sure it won’t be a full five years until we see more of his Batman universe.
While he’s keen for one project to focus on Colin’s Penguin, he didn’t rule out exploring more of The Joker and The Riddler’s futures in Arkham Asylum.
‘There are things we’ve talked about there,’ he told Variety. ‘So it’s very possible. It also isn’t impossible, that there is some story that comes back where Joker comes into our world.’
If we get a third film, some fans have said they would rather Barry’s Joker be kept back until then, leaving room for something new in the second film.
Of course, fans have weighed in on what could happen in future films. One viewer detailed their theory for the sequel on Reddit, saying that Bruce will reopen the Wayne Orphanage in Gotham, while criminals break out of Arkham in an attempt to take power after Falcone’s death.
They speculated that Robert’s Batman will meet his new Robin and that the third film could feature William Cobb, better known as The Talon, hoping for a movie adaptation of Red Hood and Talon.
However, others have hit back at the idea that we’ll ever see a Robin in the Reeves movies.
Only time will tell!
The Batman is out now.
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