Barry Keoghan teases return as The Joker for The Batman 2?

Last Updated on December 29, 2023

As we learned immediately, there was far more to the Unseen Arkham Prisoner in 2022’s The Batman than the credit would suggest. That prisoner turned out to be none other than The Clown Prince of Crime: The Joker. As briefly depicted in the movie, Barry Keoghan’s Joker gives his own menacing laugh that all but cues up the character for the planned sequel. So, we’ll get the Oscar nominee back in the role that has won two actors statues, right? Not surprisingly, Keoghan is keeping his cards – the joker included – close. In a recent interview with Canadian outlet CTV, Barry Keoghan was asked how The Joker fits into The Batman sequel. This is met with a giggle before coyly saying, “Um…I can’t really say anything about that, my man, but um…you know…it would be exciting, wouldn’t it, to see The Joker come to life again?” He stares at the interviewer for a moment before saying, “My smile says it all, you know what I mean?” You can watch the clip below:

Well, of course we don’t know what you mean – but that just adds to the intrigue. And so, too, did the deleted scene between Batman and The Joker that was released soon after the movie came out. While Robert Pattinson has shared some of his own thoughts about the sequel – which is set to come out on October 5th, 2025 – so many of us were left hanging by the tease of Barry Keoghan’s Joker. Sure, the character has been done repeatedly – Joaquin Phoenix will reprise him in next year’s Joker: Folie à Deux, slated for almost one year to the day ahead of The Batman 2 – but it really is difficult to imagine any set of Batman movies without his most iconic nemesis. Think about it: how much do you really want Calendar Man to be the primary antagonist?

As we also know, Barry Keoghan initially tried out for The Riddler, a role that would go to Paul Dano. On his failed audition, he said, “I just made it up. I wanted to make it Kubrick-y: symmetrical, the X on the back, the square doorframe, everything square. I just wanted swag to come across. Swag and endearing. It was just me giving my idea. And then I’s like, I’ma send this in!”

How big of a role do you want Barry Keoghan’s Joker to have in future Batman movies? Give us your thoughts below!