Barry Keoghan plays coy about returning as the Joker inThe Batman - Part II. Keoghan debuted as the Clown Prince of Crime inThe Batman, playing a minor role in theDCmovie. The Joker was later given more screen time with the release of a deleted scene where Robert Pattinson’s Batman talks to him about the Riddler. Following his debut, Keoghan’s Joker could come back to play a bigger role inThe Batman - Part II’s story, and the actor has addressed that possible return.
Speaking withVariety,Barry Keoghan commented on a possible return as the Joker in Matt Reeves’The Batman - Part II. The actor mentioned how playing the Joker briefly inThe Batmanwas “an incredible experience.” However, Keoghan did not reveal whether he will come back as the villain inThe Batman - Part II, as he “can’t say much” about the2026 DC movie. Check out the full quote below:
“There we go! I can’t say much. The camera is looking right at me. We’ll see where that goes. Again, it was an incredible experience … and yeah, I can’t say…”
What Role Could Barry Keoghan’s Joker Play In The Batman 2?
The Batman Sequel Should Feature Multiple Villains
So far, director Matt Reeves has only confirmed that Robert Pattinson will be back as Batman and Colin Farrell returns as the Penguin — coming off the character’s HBO spinoff series — inThe Batman - Part II. However, more players from the first movie should also be making an appearance in the anticipated sequel. Characters like Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon, and more could appear. Among them, an Arkham Asylum moment shared between Barry Keoghan’s Joker and Paul Dano’s Riddler inThe Batman’s endingteased that the two could return and team up.
The Penguin series debuts on September 19 on HBO, bridging the gap between The Batman and The Batman - Part II.
The Joker would be a formidable foe for Batman to have in the sequel. However, it could also make sense for this universe to delve into other characters first, allowing the Clown Prince of Crime to grow more inThe Batman - Part IIbefore ultimately becoming the main villain of the trilogy’s finale. Director Matt Reeves' commentary ofThe Batman’s deleted Joker scene revealed that the villain and Batman already knew each other, with the Dark Knight having sent Joker to Arkham in Bruce’s first year as Batman.
That creates a bond between the Joker and the Riddler, with both having a grudge against Batman after he sent them to Arkham Asylum.The Batman - Part IIcould see the characters strike a partnership, eventually escaping from Arkham to take on Pattinson’s Batman in the final movie of Reeves' planned trilogy. With many Batman villains yet to be adapted and the Joker already having had a major presence in multiple live-action Batman films over the years, it is unlikely that he will be the main villain ofThe Batman - Part II, but Keoghan should return in some capacity.
