The latest rumor surrounding Matt Reeve’s highly anticipated film The Batman Part II is that actor Brad Pitt is circling the project for an undisclosed role. It’s an exciting and unexpected update to the project, which is set to begin production soon (which would also explain the recent casting news reports). Most recently, it was reported that Scarlett Johansson was in final talks to nab a big role in the upcoming movie. Now, the idea of Brad Pitt also joining Reeves’ ambitious sequel is incredibly exciting, especially since the prestige actor has avoided the comic book genre up until now.
One of the roles that has been speculated that Pitt will be taking on is that of Dr. Jeremiah Arkham, a lesser-known Batman villain from the comics. Created by Alan Grant, Dr. Arkham is the head of Arkham Asylum who eventually develops a madness of his own. The history of Arkham Asylum in the comics is famously dark, and it has allowed creators to develop a rich history for the institution that houses some of the most famous villains in Batman’s rogues’ gallery. Both The Batman and its spin-off series, The Penguin, have hinted at the darker implications of Arkham, and this latest casting rumor could hint at a much darker sequel.
The Seeds Have Already Been Planted for an Arkham-Centric Batman Sequel
Brad Pitt as Dr. Arkham would create an entirely different kind of antagonist than what has been seen in Batman films up to this point. While Paul Dano’s Riddler provided both a mental and existential challenge for Bruce Wayne/Batman and helped the character find his purpose as a vigilante, using Dr. Arkham could result in a more intense film that looks at the corrupt institutions that abuse their powers. Pitt is an actor with incredible range, and although he often plays less morally ambiguous characters, the chance to play a more cerebral villain with a whole asylum of individuals at his disposal has to be exciting.
Matt Reeves has also teased who the antagonist for the sequel would be, saying that the character hadn’t been done in a live-action Batman film before. Dr. Arkham is someone who definitely fits that category, and would also continue the trend of the past two projects in The Batman Epic Crime Saga, in which the villains of the story play a key role in unearthing the deep-seated corruption and generational trauma of Gotham City and its inhabitants. The people in power of Gotham more often than not have a dark history of secrets, and while much of it was seemingly exposed in the first film, there is also the matter of Arkham Asylum, a place that was also the subject of heavy focus in The Penguin.
Referred to as Arkham State Hospital in The Batman and The Penguin, the institution has already been confirmed to have a connection to the Wayne family. Reeves’ first Batman film revealed that Bruce’s mother, Martha, was institutionalized there at some point, and was also herself a child from the Arkham family. Covered up by Thomas, this newly discovered history of the Waynes could carry over into The Batman Part II, making Dr. Arkham have a familial connection to Batman himself and giving the movie an antagonist that is closer to the character than any other villain in previous iterations.
With Pitt’s Rumored Role, ‘The Batman Part II’ Could Explore Darker, More Complex Themes
Brad Pitt as Dr. Arkham could create an interesting dynamic, starring opposite Robert Pattinson and having a sequel that revolves around a cat-and-mouse game between the world’s greatest detective and an antagonist who abuses the institution his family founded. The actor could also use his well-known charisma to his advantage in the role, lulling audiences into a false sense of security before showing his much more intense true colors later on in the story. The comics have shown Dr. Arkham as someone willing to exploit patients at Arkham and feign innocence, which would also allow The Batman Part II to use more than one villain for Batman to go up against.
There’s also the matter of the canceled Arkham show, which Matt Reeves had been developing before it was reported that the scrapped ideas for the show were incorporated into The Penguin. It would also make sense that the ideas involving Arkham and its history would end up being saved for a sequel, rather than a television show that doesn’t feature Batman. Should Dr. Arkham be the role Pitt is circling, then The Batman Part II will shift away from a single villain, instead exploring the dark idea of turning Arkham Asylum into the true villain.
The Penguin has already showcased how the institution is abused by people in power. Pitt as Dr. Arkham and the central antagonist could allow Reeves to use the film to interrogate and examine how Gotham treats trauma, mental illness, and the fine line between villain and victim. The very idea of a place like Arkham, which is supposed to be for rehabilitation, is instead being exploited and becoming a breeding ground for villainy would make the sequel so much darker than Reeves’ first film. This could all be done while keeping in line with the grounded nature of the world the filmmaker has already established.
‘The Batman Part II’ Could Defy Comic Book Movie Conventions With Brad Pitt’s (Potential) Casting
Even if Brad Pitt ultimately doesn’t join the cast, the very concept of it, along with Johannson’s involvement, suggests that Reeves and the rest of the team behind the sequel have high ambitions for this upcoming movie. Pitt isn’t an actor who usually sings on for roles in comic book movies, let alone as a villain. Should the actor end up bringing Dr. Arkham to life, it would signal that fans are in for a much more complex, dark, and exciting sequel that will push Batman to his absolute limits.
The moral and psychological weight of The Batman had to do with the wrong kind of influence the hero had on other characters, unintentionally inspiring the Riddler and his bloody crusade against corruption. The Batman Part II could become much more introspective, upping the action and stakes while also having a captivating villain in the form of Dr. Arkham. Pitt’s involvement, while not confirmed, would just cement this sequel as being unlike anything currently being made in the comic book movie genre.
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