All eyes are on “The Batman — Part II,” which is set to hit cinemas in late 2025. But will the Joker actually return? Unlike Barry Keoghan, who remains coy about what his future in Gotham City looks like, Reeves has shut down speculation about a Joker return — sort of.
Following the release of “The Batman,” Reeves explained to Variety that Keoghan’s inclusion as the Joker wasn’t to set up future sequels. “It’s not an Easter egg scene,” Reeves explained. “It’s not one of those end credits Marvel or DC scenes where it’s going, like, ‘Hey, here’s the next movie!’ In fact, I have no idea when or if we would return to that character in the movies.” Reeves has reiterated this sentiment countless times, suggesting that Keoghan’s inclusion was a pure one-off.
Despite having filmed two scenes involving Keoghan’s Joker, Reeves was hesitant to have them in the final cut because of pacing issues. Ultimately, the director explained to Variety that he decided to only keep the scene between the Joker and the Riddler (Dano). Clearly, Reeves isn’t married to the idea of the Joker popping up, but Keoghan is… In early 2023, Keoghan appeared on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, expressing hope that there’s room for him in the sequel. “Obviously I’d love another crack,” Keoghan told host Josh Horowitz. “I’ve got a ton of back work done on him. If an opportunity does arise but, you know, they make the call, and I’ve got to respect that.”
