According to a newDC Universetheory, the perfect villain for Matt Reeves' upcomingThe Batman - Part IIhas already been set up thanks to the intense events of the original 2022 movie. In his debut as Bruce Wayne’s Dark Knight, Robert Pattinson took on Paul Dano’s Riddler and came face-to-face with a number of other iconic Batman villains from DC Comics, including Catwoman, the Penguin and even the Joker.The Batmanintroduced grounded versions of these infamous villains, and more are expected to appear in2026’s highly-anticipatedThe Batman - Part II.
The Batmanwas followed by 2024’s hugely-successfulThe Penguinseries and will be followed-up byThe Batman - Part IIin October 2026. WhileThe Penguinmay have set up Colin Farrell’sOswald “Oz” Cobb as a significant threat inThe Batman - Part II, it seems thatseveral other antagonists have also been teased for Matt Reeves' exciting sequel. According to a new DC movie theory, this could include one of DC Comics' most notable members of the Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery, whose origin story might have been perfectly set-up by theevents ofThe Batman.
The Batman Set Up Mr. Freeze As Part 2’s Villain: DC Theory Explained
Victor Fries Made His First DC Comics Appearance In 1997’s Batman: Mr. Freeze #1
Towards the end ofThe Batman, theRiddler’s car bombs destroy the seawall surrounding Gotham and flood the city, killing many citizens and leaving many more in serious danger.The Penguinexplored some of the aftermath of this brutal attack, and it’s inevitable thatThe Batman - Part IIwill reveal even more. A new theory suggests this could be the perfect way to explain Victor Fries' evolution into Mr. Freeze. After debuting inBatman: The Animated Series,Victor Fries' version of Mr. Freezemade his first DC Comics appearance in 1997, and was wildly different to his 1950s counterpart.
The Batman’s Spinoff Convinced Me That 2 Villain Theories Are Already Impossible For The Sequel Movie
Many theories exist regarding The Batman - Part II’s main villain, but I’m convinced that two theories are impossible after The Penguin.
In DC Comics, Victor Fries' wife, Nora, contracts a fatal disease, which spurs him on to create technology that could cryogenically freeze her until a cure is found. During this process, Fries' boss interrupts and causes an explosion that kills Nora and leaves Fries' biology changed by the chemicals in his freeze ray, transforming him into the villainous Mr. Freeze.A new theory suggests that the flood of Gotham City inThe Batmancould have given Nora Fries pneumonia or some other horrific disease,perfectly setting the stage for Victor Fries' origin story to unfold.
Mr. Freeze As The Batman 2’s Villain Would Continue The Penguin’s Storyline Perfectly
The Penguin Set Up A Political Corruption Storyline For The Batman - Part II
In the wake ofThe Batman, 2024’sThe Penguindelved deeper into the criminal underworldof this gritty and dark Gotham City, with a lot of focus being put on class and wealth divides in Gotham. This would play perfectly into the Mr. Freeze’s origin story inThe Batman - Part II, asFries' ailing wife could be ignored or neglected during the clean-up and recovery following Gotham’s flooding, leaving the new villain seeking revengeagainst Gotham’s wealthy elite and more-privileged. This would follow-on fromThe BatmanandThe Penguinbeautifully.
The Penguinpremiered on June 01, 2025, and ran for eight episodes, bridging the gap betweenThe Batmanand its 2026 sequel.
WhatThe Batmanstarted with the Riddler’s war against Gotham City’s elite,The Penguinexacerbated with Oz Cobb’s infiltration of Gotham’s political sphere and the set-up of heavy corruption in this dark new franchise. This plays into the hands ofMr. Freeze’s origin storyperfectly, andMr. Freeze and the Penguin even worked together against Batman back in 2005’sDetective Comics #804, so they could easily join forces in live-action. Mr. Freeze’s introduction would be a fantastic way to advance the so-called Batman Epic Crime Saga.
Mr. Freeze Would Benefit From A Grounded & Realistic Adaptation
Mr. Freeze’s Previous Adaptations Have Been Lackluster
DC Comics’Mr. Freeze has been adapted into live-actionthree times over the years, but none of these have delivered a realistic and believable interpretation of the iconic DC villain. Of course,Mr. Freeze is, by his very nature, one of DC’s campiest and silliest villains, particularly in the appearance of his goofy cryo-suit, which has been translated into his live-action adaptationsinBatman, Batman & RobinandGotham. However, it’s high time Mr. Freeze got a gritty and grounded adaptation, andThe Batman - Part IIwould be the perfect place for this to come to fruition.
1966
George Sanders, Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach
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Nathan Darrow
The character of Mr. Freeze, despite his comical name and appearance, is one full of tragedy and heart, but this has seldom been depicted in live-action.Batman & Robin’sversion was very comic-accurate, but has been ridiculed in the years since, while the similarly-faithful version inGothammanaged to capture more of the character’s depth, but was let down by his disappointing costume.The Batman - Part IIhas the perfect opportunity to deliver the darkest and most heart-wrenching iteration of Victor Fries yet.
Mr. Freeze Isn’t The Only Villain Set Up For The Batman 2
Robert Pattinson’s Batman Has Many Threats To Face
While this new theory suggests thatThe Batmanhas perfectly laid the foundations for Mr. Freeze to pose a problem for Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader inThe Batman - Part II, a number of other villains have also been set up for the sequel.The Penguin, notably, explored Oz Cobb’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld, and he’s expressed political aspirations, so there’s no doubt he will be a significantvillain inThe Batman - PartII, though perhaps not the main antagonist. This position is heavily-speculated to be assumed by the Court of Owls.
Gotham City’s secret society of wealthy and elite citizens has been heavily rumored to be involved in the events ofThe Batman - Part II. Even so,The Batmanmay have also teasedBarry Keoghan’s version of the Joker, last seen imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, as the primary antagonist in the sequel, with the movie perhaps even exploring his pre-existing history with Batman. Whatever the case may be, it would be brilliant to seeThe Batman - Part IImark the debut of Victor Fries' Mr. Freeze in Matt Reeves' ever-growing DC franchise.
The Batman Part II
Cast
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
