Being a Batman supporting character is a sick gig. For starters, all of his sidekicks get to venture out on their own and become fully-fledged heroes in their own right. Some of them, such as Nightwing and Batgirl, even have enough juice to lead live-action projects, though that doesn’t always mean the world gets to see them. As great as it is to be a sidekick, though, being a Dark Knight villain might be even better. Nearly all of the members of the hero’s rogues’ gallery have live-action appearances under their belt, and in one case, a film duology that still sparks debates to this day.
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Love them or hate them, the Joker movies bring Gotham City to life like never before, with Arthur Fleck striving to expose the truth about his home by whatever means necessary. His crusade sends him to a familiar location: Arkham State Hospital, a more grounded take on the facility. Another Batman spinoff, which is much more beloved than either of the Joker films, boasting a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, takes a different approach, exposing Arkham for what it really is and borrowing elements from a couple of cancelled DC projects.
The Best Batman Spinoff Makes Arkham Asylum a Villain
Like Todd Phillips, Matt Reeves wants his version of Gotham grounded in reality. The Batman doesn’t see its titular character fighting against giant crocodiles or aliens from space. Instead, he finds himself hunting down a serial killer who is coming after the city’s elite. Batman’s investigation forces him to interact with some scummy individuals, including Oz Cobb, aka the Penguin. After initially suspecting him of being the rat the Riddler is referring to in his messages, it comes to light that Carmine Falcone has been putting up a facade, tricking his right-hand man and the rest of the criminal underworld. That doesn’t sit right with Oz, so once Falcone is out of the picture, he tries to take over his empire.
The only thing standing in Oz’s way is the remaining members of the Falcone family, including Sophia, who finally gets out of Arkham Asylum in The Penguin. Sophia isn’t the same person she was when she went in because the staff at her former prison didn’t treat her well, messing with her mind using severe techniques in an attempt to “fix” her. All of the flashback scenes in The Penguin are horrifying because, no matter how lost Sophia is, she doesn’t deserve all the pain she’s enduring. And what makes matters even worse is that she’s back in Arkham after failing to take Oz down. It’s clear that Reeves’ universe will continue to make the dark location a focal point, which shouldn’t be all that surprising, given the filmmaker’s past.
Matt Reeves Has Been Trying to Make Arkham Happen for Years
When Reeves first became involved with DC, it was to direct Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie. Few plot details leaked before the project got scrapped, but all signs pointed to Arkham being an important part of the story, with the Caped Crusader potentially getting stuck inside the prison and having to fight his way out. While the movie had all the makings of something special, the volatility of the DC Extended Universe sent it to the scrap heap. Reeves was handed the reins, and he decided to start over from scratch with a new take on the character. However, he didn’t forget where he came from.
Following the success of The Batman, a spinoff was announced that would have been set in Arkham and explored the characters who call it home. There was a chance that Paul Dano’s Riddler and Barry Keoghan’s Joker could’ve had a decent amount of screen time, as they’re locked up next to each other at the end of the 2022 film. Unfortunately, that won’t come to pass because the show was scrapped. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, because there’s a decent chance that The Penguin returns for a second season and Sophia spends more time in her least favorite place. Maybe she even comes across a few other notable villains and allows Reeves to live out his dream of turning Arkham into more than just a pitstop.
The Penguin is streaming on HBO Max.
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
