22 Years Later, The Batman 2 Can Finally Deliver On an Unfulfilled Christopher Nolan Villain Tease

Christopher Nolan hinted at bringing one deadly Batman villain to the big screen in 2005, but never fulfilled that promise. However, it looks like this villain will finally get his chance to shine in The Batman 2. The next Batman movie was rumored to include Harvey Dent’s Two-Face, but it seems he won’t be the villain, since the latest rumors indicate that Matt Reeves’ sequel will have a villain who has never been a main bad guy in any movie, although he appeared twice so far. If this is true, and Sebastian Stan isn’t playing Dent, it could offer up a deadly fresh story for Batman in the new movie.

In Nolan’s first Batman movie, Batman Begins, Tim Booth played Victor Zsasz in what was nothing more than a glorified cameo. It was 15 years later that Chris Messina played Zsasz in the movie Birds of Prey, as he was a henchman for Black Mask. While his role in Birds of Prey was a lot bigger, the new rumors are that he will be the main villain in The Batman 2.

Victor Zsasz Has Been Wasted So Far In DC Movies

Matt Reeves’ Batman world is very different from that of any movie franchise before him. Tim Burton was more about the gothic atmosphere, Joel Schumacher was about bringing the colorful fun to the franchise, Christopher Nolan was more of a crime movie aesthetic, and Zack Snyder was more about the epic scope. However, Reeves has created a dark and grimy world that has Batman fighting more real-world villains. In the first movie, it was a man who deemed himself an influencer to sway people to his way of thinking in Riddler, as well as regular crime lords like Falcone and Penguin.

Victor Zsasz isn’t flashy at all. He is a mass murderer who thrives on killing and keeps a running total with marks engraved into his body. He has been seen in the Batman: Arkham video games and the live-action TV series, Gotham, played by Anthony Carrigan. He was also played by Alex Morf in Batwoman on The CW. However, he has been very misrepresented on the big screen. In Batman Begins, Victor Zsasz is in a scene where Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow) suggests that Zsasz be transferred to Arkham Asylum rather than jail. He then showed up later during an escape attempt to go after Rachel Dawes until Batman saved her. It totaled barely over a minute in running time.

He had a much bigger role in Birds of Prey, as he was a real henchman here, sent by Black Mask to retrieve the diamond that Cassandra Cain had stolen. He then appeared repeatedly throughout the movie as he kept trying to get the diamond and make Cain, Dinah Lance (Black Canary), and Harley Quinn pay for betraying his boss. However, he is quickly killed by Helena Bertinelli (The Huntress), ending his time in the DCEU.

Victor Zsasz Is a Perfect Batman Villain in Matt Reeves’ World

While Christopher Nolan used Victor Zsasz in name only and for only two quick scenes, Matt Reeves has a chance to redeem the villain in The Batman 2. The biggest rumor now is that Sebastian Stan is playing Zsasz rather than the assumed Harvey Dent in the new movie. It seems that Harvey Dent will still be part of the movie, and that Brian Tyree Henry will play him in the movie. Furthermore, it seems that the Court of Owls will be part of the storyline, with Charles Dance rumored as the main leader of that group of the hidden Gotham elite who have controlled Gotham for centuries.

This is pure speculation for now, but it could mean that Victor Zsasz is a serial killer whom the Court of Owls either uses or manipulates to kill their enemies for them. As a group with control over the police and courts, they could easily work to keep Zsasz out of jail and on the streets, where he can continue to help them achieve their goals. It would also be a great role for Sebastian Stan, who showed in the horror movie Fresh that he fits a role like this perfectly. Zsasz doesn’t have a costume or a gimmick. He is just a brutal killer, and that seems like the exact villain who should face Robert Pattinson’s Batman in this world.

It also works great since The Batman ended with Gotham City devastated, and Victor Zsasz has his pick of unhoused people to choose from to build up his list of kills. If Sebastian Stan is playing Zsasz rather than Harvey Dent, and he is the same brutal killer that debuted in Batman comics in the 1990s, The Batman 2 can finally pay off the tease that Christopher Nolan offered two decades ago.

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