Robert Pattinson Hints at Joker’s Bigger Role in “The Batman 2”
Robert Pattinson has dropped a tantalizing hint that the Clown Prince of Gotham’s underworld, the Joker, might take center stage in DC’s The Batman 2. Barry Keoghan is poised to reprise his role as the infamous villain, who could orchestrate a daring escape from Arkham, the asylum for the city’s most deranged criminals.
In the first The Batman (2022), the spotlight belonged to the Riddler, brought to life by Paul Dano. The Joker, meanwhile, lingered in the shadows with a fleeting cameo, sharing a cellblock with the Riddler in Arkham. A deleted scene offered more: Pattinson’s Batman grilling the cackling fiend, who slyly pockets a paperclip from Bruce Wayne—a detail fans seized on as a breadcrumb hinting at a future breakout.
Director Matt Reeves seems unlikely to keep the Joker on a short leash this time. Fans are buzzing with hope for a meatier role in the sequel. In a chat with Technikart, Pattinson—now 38—was pressed on whether the villain would return. His coy response?
“Yes. Or no. I don’t know. Maybe…”
He also let slip that filming for The Batman 2 will kick off late in 2025, following his work on Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.
“I’ll dive into The Batman 2 after Odyssey, toward the end of the year,” he said. “I’ve only got a vague sense of the script so far.”
Barry Keoghan, for his part, has expressed eagerness to slip back into the Joker’s twisted grin, though no official call has come his way yet. Reeves has a trilogy in mind, so even if the Joker doesn’t dominate the second chapter, he’s almost certain to leave his mark on the third.
The Batman 2 is slated to hit theaters worldwide on October 1, 2027, while Odyssey arrives on July 17, 2026. Earlier this year, on March 7, 2025, Pattinson starred in Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17, playing a space explorer and his legion of clones.
