Directors Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder, and Matt Reeves have all delivered different cinematic iterations of the Caped Crusader across several decades. Batman Forever, Batman Begins, Batman v Superman, and whichever film featuring the Dark Knight audiences remember come to mind.

Of course, these films are only complete with their villains. Every Dark Knight-centered film captures a showdown between the hero and the bad guy. It’s an expectation from producers to keep the action intriguing; more than one evildoer might present themselves as a threat. This spells more fun for the audiences, watching as cruel fiends put Bruce Wayne and his friends in danger.

While audiences know of the many versions of the Joker and Bane, Batman movies additionally include many other comic book baddies. However, DC Comics highlights plenty of villains not yet conceived through cinema. So, before James Gunn and Peter Safran introduce the world to the new DC Universe, these villains could land on the silver screen in due time.

Hush

Once a friend of Bruce Wayne, Thomas Elliot dove down a sinister path in the DC Comics. Born with twisted views, Elliot tried killing his parents before Wayne’s father intervened, thwarting the child’s plans. From there, Elliot viewed Wayne as a threat, mainly due to the latter’s unfortunate incident involving his parents.

Thomas Elliot garnered surgical skills and eventually granted himself a doctorate, thus becoming Dr. Thomas Elliot. Instead of abiding by doctors’ protocols, Elliot, now Hush, applies plastic surgery onto himself to replicate Wayne. Hush links up with other villains in Gotham City throughout several storylines, yet he possesses an affinity for killing Bruce Wayne.

Not only does Hush terrify on the page, but he’s also a grounded baddie who doesn’t delve too much into the supernatural. When Christopher Nolan directed his Dark Knight trilogy, some fans wondered when Hush could show up. Given Nolan’s approach to realism, Hush fits right in, complemented by the trilogy’s motifs of terror and nightmares.

Doctor Death

One of Hush’s temporary allies, Dr. Karl Hellfern, also goes by the alter-ego Doctor Death. Hideously disfigured yet impeccably skilled with chemistry, Hellfern mobilized vicious chemical agents that affected victims’ bodies. Once, he aided Wayne Enterprises with scientific research, though this collaboration quickly fell apart when Hellfern received termination.

Furthermore, Doctor Death became Batman’s first supervillain in the comics. While he endured many interpretations, Hellfern usually appears with a gas mask.

In hindsight, Doctor Death’s presence evokes the terrifying madness that many on-screen villains exemplified before. Scarecrow, the Joker, and Doctor Poison from the Wonder Woman adaptation come to mind. Doctor Death offers a prescription of fright strong enough to stir fear into filmgoers.

Firefly

Gotham City criminals look down on their city with absolute hatred, and Garfield Lynns is a notable foe. Originally depicted as a minor villain, Lynns grew into notorious activity and became Firefly. As the name implies, Firefly’s whole deal revolves around pyrotechnics. A pyromaniac, to the fullest extent, Lynns flies around Gotham committing arson. Evidently, this catches Batman’s attention.

Later iterations produce emphasized storylines that flesh out Firefly’s character. While a director faces a challenge to stretch out a pyromaniac’s justified presence in a movie, anything goes in the DCU. The canceled Batgirl film would have featured Firefly as the villain, played by Oscar-winner Brenden Frasier.

Man-Bat

Dr. Robert Kirkland Langstrom is another failed doctor within Batman’s Rogues Gallery. Langstrom’s origin follows a more straightforward outline, with his villain name mirroring the Caped Crusader’s primary moniker. Unfortunately, Langstrom doesn’t become Batman; he transforms into a batlike monstrosity after attempting to cure his impending deafness.

Now consumed with hunger for a reverse treatment, Langstrom terrorizes Gotham as the winged Man-Bat. Throughout Batman’s history, Man-Bat appears as an uncontrollable abomination Batman must subdue. Though a monster, Langstrom’s other storylines involve familial themes with a wife and child.

Langstrom’s otherworldly presence as Man-Bat proves an entertaining addition to Batman’s mythology. Producers aimed for a Man-Bat appearance in the films, ultimately falling through. However, a Batman Forever deleted scene sees a demonic bat instilling fear into a dreaming Bruce Wayne.

The Ventriloquist

Big things come in small packages, and Arnold Wesker’s multiple personalities represent this adage. Timid on the outside, Wesker spills his criminal personality onto puppets, mainly the cigar-chewing Scarface. Paired and influenced, the Ventriloquist deceives any bystander as an average artist, only to dispense death by ventriloquism.

Like many other members of Batman’s Rogues Gallery, the Ventriloquist appears in Batman: The Animated Series and other visual adaptations. Ventriloquist Andrew Sellon portrays Arnold Wesker in the Gotham series, though Warner Bros. shows little interest in a cinematic take of the character.

Deacon Blackfire

Cults always fascinate audiences, especially those in Gotham City. Under Gotham’s cement lies Joseph Blackfire’s attempts to brainwash the powerless with his sick cults. Known also as Deacon Blackfire, Joseph administers outlandish beliefs many fall victim to. Luckily for the Gothamites, Batman swoops and saves those who stand in Blackfire’s manipulation.

Considering these characteristics, utilizing Blackfire for a Batman movie sounds like a good time for everyone. Especially with Matt Reeves’ modern iteration of the Dark Knight, Blackfire makes a worthy adversary for the movies. Cults already bestow their unwanted presence every day, so why not take a cinematic jab at them with Batman as the hero?

Noctura

The thief, Natalia Knight, prowls the streets of Gotham in search of jewels. Her personality shines through when she contacts a radioactive laser, which affects her skin’s pigmentation. Frustrated by her new condition, Knight falls into a life of crime. At one point, she joined the Suicide Squad in DC Comics.

Noctura isn’t the only villain terrorizing Gotham City streets. Her brother, Anton Knight (Night-Slayer), also dabbles in crime, and the two run into Batman occasionally. Moreover, both characters underwent different interpretations via Earth-One and New 52, giving readers multiple renditions.

Though Nocturna (sometimes referred to as Natalia Mitternacht) appears in the Arrowverse, she’s yet embraced the silver screen. She’s even popped up in The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries! The door remains open for Nocturna to introduce herself to cinephiles.

Night-Slayer

It’s only worth mentioning Night-Slayer since Nocturna runs amok in Gotham City with her brother. Born Anton Knight, Night-Slayer is one of the few villains who succeeded in impersonating the Dark Knight. This accumulated one day when Knight stole Batman’s batsuit, allowing the amateur criminal to temporarily derail the Cowled Crimefighter’s reputation.

Night-Slayer’s gigs don’t stretch as far as Batman’s other masked antagonists. He specializes in thievery, much like his sister, yet there’s no skin condition to fight for. Anton Knight merely commits a crime because he likes to do so. His father, Charles Knight, raised his children with illegal money.

Given Knight’s bloodline, many speculate why the criminal family isn’t in a Batman movie. Concerning Nolan’s Dark Knight films, the criminal underworld of Gotham is perfect for an Anton Knight portrayal. Future adaptations could fix the Night-Slayer in an opposing role.

Lew Moxon

Mobster Lewis “Lew” Moxon stands out as an atypical villain in Batman’s Rogues Gallery. He works exclusively with the sketchy underworld plaguing Gotham City, supported by allies such as Salvatore Maroni. What flies over some fans is the fact that Lew Moxon played a direct role in Batman’s inception.

Bruce Wayne lost his parents to Joe Chill years before donning the iconic cowl and cape. At the time, Bruce grieved without realizing that Chill committed the murder under Moxon’s orders. This ultimately points the finger at Moxon, who gives Chill’s name to Batman upon a deathbed.

Audiences recognize Joe Chill by his appearances in the DC Extended Universe and Batman Begins. Though he’s primarily written as the Waynes’ murderer, other versions see him avoiding the drama altogether. Nevertheless, it’s a treat knowing Moxon orchestrated the murder, pinning him as a spineless soul in Gotham’s rotten streets.

The Court of Owls

While mobsters and petty criminals terrorize Gotham’s streets, far more sinister activities lie beneath them. The servants of Barbatos are a secret group consisting of Gotham’s elite. Excluding Bruce Wayne from the equation, these servants, known as the Court of Owls, mask their appearances and use Talons as assassins.

Many Gothamites remain unaware of the Court’s dealings. To them, the Court of Owls sounds like just another cult. In truth, the Court controls the city, casually pulling strings to shape Gotham’s future. However, when Bruce Wayne announces positive changes for the town, the Court considers him a threat, thus proclaiming Wayne as an enemy.

The Court of Owls has become one of DC’s popular non-supervillain groups. Television, animation, and video games took turns interpreting the society. It’s only a matter of time before someone utters their name in the DCU, igniting theories about Gotham’s questionable history and presence.

Barbatos

The Court of Owls worships Barbatos, the Bat-God of the DC universe. This Dark Multiverse character is a pure product of the World Forge, built on destroying worlds and Bruce Wayne. Knowing only destruction, Barbatos murdered their creator, Alpheus, the World Forger. He enacted a new reign of misery in the Dark Multiverse from there.

From an initial glance, it’s easy to see the connections between Batman and Barbatos. Both resemble batlike characteristics and a closeness to darkness. Upon further inspection, Barbatos claims to be the same Monarch Bat responsible for scaring a young Bruce Wayne. Moreover, their tagline reads, “The Bat Behind the Bat,” hinting at Wayne’s personal attachment.

Regarding Bruce Wayne’s background, including Baratos in the picture feels almost rudimentary. Whichever the case, Baratos isn’t a villain many moviegoers recognize.

The Batman Who Laughs

Staying on the topic of the Dark Multiverse, The Batman Who Laughs has yet to appear in a film. Designated as Bruce Wayne of Earth-22, The Batman Who Laughs implies precisely what readers expect: a Joker-infused Dark Knight. While born similarly to Earth-One Bruce Wayne, the Earth-22 version developed into a monster, killing his allies and Bat Family members.

The Batman Who Laughs embodies absolute lunacy. Not only does he bask in destruction, but he’s also part of Baratos’ villainous administration. This allows the evil Wayne to recruit Dark Knights from other worlds, thus commencing new waves of chaos.

Anyone can understand the practical reasons why The Batman Who Laughs doesn’t appear in a film. Besides his supernatural origins, his actions shock readers not accustomed to Bruce Wayne breaking bad. A scene in one story shows Wayne gunning down his Bat Family under the Joker’s influence. A violent demonstration may turn some viewers off if Earth-22 Bruce Wayne committed such actions on the big screen.

Red Hood

While the Dark Multiverse introduces wild ideas like an evil Batman, the regular multiversal timeline showcases more grounded topics. One includes Jason Todd as the Red Hood, who took the name after the Joker ditched the crimson helmet. By taking up the Red Hood alias, Todd hung up his Robin outfit. In turn, he submitted to particular vigilante dealings, becoming an anti-hero.

Considering these points, including Jason Todd in a film narrative offers a reward for the trouble of assembling a script. Audiences know about Richard Grayson and his take on Robin, eventually becoming Nightwing. There are other Robins, too, yet Jason Todd is incredibly complex. He’s a tragic hero, a byproduct of Gotham’s endless crime.

While Robin stood alongside Batman on more than one occasion in film, Mr. Grayson always takes up the mantle. It’s never Todd, nor even Damian, Bruce Wayne’s son. In truth, movies could show more than one Robin on-screen, so the potential of including Red Hood is high regarding the DCU.

Batzarro

The Masked Manhunter takes his job seriously as Gotham’s guardian. So, where does his hilarity play in the comics? It usually concerns the World’s Worst Detective, Batzarro. Affiliated with Superman’s reverse villain, Bizarro, Batzarro follows the same imitative structure, modeling himself after Batman. Though many suspect Batzarro came from Bizarro’s hands, the Joker actually created him in hopes of killing Batman.

Unlike his Bizarro counterpart, Batzarro isn’t featured in live-action projects. His unique and bizarre personality could appeal to audiences hungry for immediate comic relief. With a name like Wayne Bruce, one can only assume what shenanigans Batzarro specializes in. Even if Batzarro doesn’t appear on Batman’s primary list of big baddies, he’s entertaining to learn and read about.

Hugo Strange

The Batman Arkham games highlighted Hugo Strange as one of the primary antagonists working against Batman and Gotham City. In the comics, Strange and his breed of Monster Men frighten Gotham citizens, often causing trouble at Stange’s expense. Due to his obsession with the Dark Knight, Strange even created his own batsuit to become Batman at one point.

Hugo Strange’s villainy doesn’t cease with the fall of his Monster Men. After evading death on more than one occasion, Strange manipulates the sick and lonely into doing his bidding. However, Strange’s obsession leaves him as a patient at Arkham Asylum after his tenure as a psychiatrist concludes.

Actor B.D. Wong portrays Hugo Strange in the Gotham TV series. With Matt Reeves directing new Batman content and James Gunn and Peter Safran running the DCU, Strange will have a big likelihood of appearing in movies. Of course, he does appear in The Lego Batman Movie, as do many other villains suited for brief appearances.