It’s become clear that Matt Reeves has big ambitions for The Batman. It’s an original story, but from what we know, it’s woven from various comic book influences. The detective and mystery elements seem pulled from The Long Halloween and Hush, for example, with the exploration of the corruption of Gotham’s elite resembling The Court of Owls. A new report claims that the movie’s third act will add another inspiration into the pic, too, one that will devastate the Dark Knight’s home town.
We know that Paul Dano’s Riddler is the main villain of the piece and according to Giant Freakin Robot, “at the end of The Batman, Riddler will flood Gotham City. It will then turn into a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” Of course, fans will recognize that this appears to be based on a similar event in Batman: Zero Year, in which Riddler does the same thing in a story that’s also set in the Bat’s early days.
What’s more, the conclusion of The Batman will apparently set up a couple of antagonists for the follow-up. Namely, Mr. Freeze and Deathstroke (no, not Joe Manganiello, a new version). Riddler rules over the city in the aftermath of the flood in the comics, but it’s possible that Reeves could merge Zero Year with No Man’s Land for the sequel and depict Gotham as becoming overrun by various villains, including Freeze and Slade Wilson. We’ve already seen that situation play out in TV’s Gotham, but it’d make for a strong premise for The Batman 2.
We’ll have to wait and see if this intel is accurate, of course, but it would be a fascinating twist to the Dark Knight movie formula. We’re used to Bruce Wayne ultimately saving the day and protecting Gotham, so it’d certainly be interesting if The Batman bucks the trend and concludes with the Caped Crusader failing to prevent a flood that destroys the city.