The Batman 2has a solid opportunity to adapt one perfect villain candidate into theDCmovie world - but the nature of said antagonist means they’d arguably only be done full justice by an R-rated version of the film. WithMatt Reeves having recently turned in his script forThe Batman 2, conversations have once again emerged en masse about what villain or villains could appear in the much-anticipated sequel.
SinceThe Batmanuniverse is separate tothe DCU timeline, there is almost limitless potential for who could appear in the film series. With that said, there are still some complications when it comes to who to adapt - in part because one of the most interesting villain candidates forThe Batman 2’s castmight need an R-rated adaptation in order to be both comic-accurate and bigger than what’s come before.
Professor Pyg Could Be A Perfect Villain For The Batman 2
There are a lot of prospective villains who could be effectively utilized by the second chapter in Matt Reeves' epic Batman movie saga. Currently, the only real restrictions for the series are its grounded nature, which inherently limits who of Batman’s rogues gallery can seemingly appear in the movies' stories.
These conditions help to make Professor Pyg seem more of a perfect candidate forThe Batman 2.Pyg’s penchant for carrying out nightmarish surgeries to “perfect” his unfortunate patients makes him inherently horrifying, but realistic enough to make sensefor the gritty world ofThe Batmanstill.
Pyg’s co-creator Grant Morrison has explained that the intention was always for Professor Pyg to be a more grounded Batman villain, stating in a 2009 interview withIGNthat “Professor Pyg isn’t from another world; he’s from here, but he’s very, very sick.”
While a newer addition to Batman’s overall lore - having first debuted in 2007 - Pyg has still nonetheless managed to have a smorgasbord of horrifying moments and interesting storylines that could be adapted effectively in some capacity on-screen. In particular, Pyg’s history of infecting Gotham’s citizens with various things unbeknownst to them could create another harrowing dark secret for Pattinson’s Dark Knight to uncover and investigate.
Pyg would also seemingly be an effective choice in terms of keeping audiences on their toes. Since he’s a less-discussed option forThe Batman’s world - and a less well-known villain in general - Pyg holds some unique story potential that could make him worth adding to the universe in a major or minor capacity.
Professor Pyg’s Story Could Easily Tie Into The Penguin
Pyg’s story also seems like it could work effectively to tieThe Batman, its spinoff showThe Penguin, andThe Batman 2closer together. We learn inThe Penguinthat plenty of people are still deemed missing due toThe Batman’s floods, and that those who go missing are thought to be lost as the result of this tragedy and the aftereffects it’s had on Gotham.
Logistically,this is the perfect timing and excuse for someone like Professor Pyg to enter the scene, since any and all kidnappings could easily be written off as part of this current setup. Similarly, the overall chaos Gotham is still experiencing would make it easier for Pyg to unleash his victims without being discovered.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that, in his original comic story, Pyg starts out by funding his experiments via dealing drugs. As such, it’d be easy to tie his story to either the Penguins' directly, or simply via the introduction of the new drug known as Drops inThe Batman’s world, since the Caped Crusader’s research into Drops could unveil Pyg’s other schemes.
Similarly,The Penguinmakes a figure like Professor Pyg seem more viable for the universe through one Dr. Julian Rush. Given Rush’s obsession with seeing others' fears - and questionable use of hypnosis - it seems this backdrop could easily be utilized to justify how Pyg is capable of warping others to his will.
While it would perhaps be a bit too far for Pyg to be able to create his full “Dollotrons” - especially the animal-human hybrids he creates - it does seem possible that a more rudimentary but still horrifying approach could work here. Indeed, this would allow the universe to follow up on the ideas Rush’s character set in place in dramatic fashion.
I Think Professor Pyg’s Story Might Be Too Dark To Truly Work Without An R-Rating
Professor Pyg has, historically, managed to be unsettling in literally every adaptation of the character ever brought to screens. He’s one of the most unsettling characters to appear inGotham, he has a nightmarish side plot in theBatman: Arkham Knightvideo game, and even 2013’sBeware The Batmanmakes a TV-PG Pyg at least a little creepy.
With that said, all of these adaptations arguably hold back on fully adapting the true unhinged nature and plans of the villain, since to do otherwise would be to bring things into true horror movie territory. Ultimately, someone whose whole gimmick is their unimaginably twisted surgical human experiments is hard to adapt fully without delving into pretty mature territory ratings-wise.
However, if any release was to be capable of doing this, it does seem likeThe Batman 2would have the best chance - though its prior PG-13 age rating forThe Batmancertainly suggests Pyg’s glory days may still be a ways off. That said, it still certainly seems possibleThe Batman’s world could bring Pyg into its fold in some capacity, even if it might have to downplay aspects of the character.
