Batman is one of the few superheroes whose roster of villains is strong enough for a multitude of them to have their own dedicated movies and TV shows. The best cinematic Batman villains have all certainly left a big impression on general audiences and DC fans alike, presenting some of the most compelling characters under the DC umbrella. Knowing this, its no wonder the company has capitalized on The Dark Knight’s rogue’s gallery with various films and series putting them on center stage, with even more to come in the near future.
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The different projects focusing on Batman villains do so in a few different ways. Some are intense live-action films that can stand with the best Batman solo movies, whereas others are lighthearted cartoons with an emphasis on comedy above all else. No matter the medium, Batman’s enemies provide no end of entertaining melodrama, helping to fuel rumors of more Batman villain solo movies blossoming under James Gunn in the upcoming DCU.
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10 Catwoman
A feline catastrophe of a film
The very first dedicated feature film to revolve around a Batman villain is also by far the most infamously bad, featuring Halle Berry’s wasted talents as the titular Catwoman. Completely scrapping every aspect of Catwoman’s pre-existing comic book origin in favor of brash original ideas, Catwoman reworks Selina Kyle the cat burglar into Patience Phillips, a sensitive artist who is killed in a criminal conspiracy, only to be magically resurrected by a cat goddess to channel various feline powers and personality traits, becoming a wholly original version of Catwoman.
This Catwoman has nothing to do with Batman, but using the famous villainess’ title, her solo film technically qualifies as one revolving around one of Bruce Wayne’s nemeses. Just like Catwoman in the comics and many other Batman films, Patience Phillips is more of an anti-hero, definitely acting as a protagonist. With painfully unfunny cat puns, a gaudy costume, its utter contempt for the source material, and the infamous basketball scene, Catwoman has earned its reputation as one of the worst comic book movies of all time.
9 Joker
A notable Academy Award winner for DC
On the polar opposite side of the spectrum of critical quality for a Batman villain movie opposite Catwoman sits 2019’s Joker. A clear love letter to the great dramas of Martin Scorsese like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, Joker is an atmospheric character study following the life of Arthur Fleck. A lonely failed comedian with a debilitating psychological condition causing him to frequently erupt in bouts of uncontrollable laughter, Fleck gradually morphs into the figurehead of an anarchist movement as his frustrations with society slowly mount and boil over.
Joaquin Phoenix’s incredible performance as Joker took home one of DC’s few Academy Awards, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 2020. While some criticized Joker for being a step too derivative of its prestige cinema inspiration, for a movie based on a comic book villain, the level of craft that went into it is truly exceptional. Interestingly, like Catwoman, Joker largely relies on an original origin for its titular villain, having only a few sprinkles of comic nods throughout its runtime.
8 Joker: Folie À Deux
The musical sequel
Image via Warner Bros.
The critical and commercial success of Joker made a sequel a surefire prospect. Enter Joker: Folie à Deux, a continuation of Arthur Fleck’s story that seemingly begins with his incarceration at Arkham Asylum, where he meets none other than Lady Gaga’s Lee Quinzel, who goes on to become Harley Quinn. Notably, Joker: Folie à Deux will have a strong musical element, turning Joker and Harley’s chaotic romance into a circus of sight and sound with stageplay aesthetics.
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Harley Quinn is not only one of the most popular Batman villains ever created, but one of DC’s most popular flagship characters in general, having already been the headlining star of several live-action movies already. However, it seems as though Lady Gaga’s version of Harley Quinn will ground her in a disturbing truth in the same way Joaquin Phoenix did for the Joker himself in the previous film, presenting a wholly unique iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime’s love interest. It’ll be fascinating to see how Joker: Folie à Deux develops the grounded lore of Joker‘s vision of Gotham.
7 Suicide Squad
One of the DCEU’s worst failures
While Joker: Folie à Deux will be the latest live-action incarnation of Harley Quinn, the very first was Margot Robbie’s performance in 2016’s Suicide Squad. The film follows the exploits of the eponymous team of state-mandated villains-turned heroes, spurred into action as Task Force X thanks to compliance-assuring bombs planted in their heads that keep them on-mission. Other than Harley Quinn, the film featured a whole team composed of DC’s worst scoundrels, including fellow Batman villains like the sniper assassin Deadshot and the ferocious Killer Croc.
Sadly, Suicide Squad turned out to be one of the worst films of the DCEU, arguably being the first nail in the coffin of the cinematic DC continuity. With haphazard cinematography, hasty last-minute editing, awkward cliché-ridden dialogue and hammy performances, there’s a lot to dislike about Suicide Squad. If nothing else, the film at least featured Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who does a good job of embodying the character despite the mess of a story she finds herself in.
6 The Suicide Squad
James Gunn’s redemption for the DCEU’s failure
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was good enough to feature even more prominently in James Gunn’s second attempt at the concept of the Suicide Squad. This time around, Amanda Waller deploys Task Force X yet again to tackle a clandestine operation on an island nation harboring a terrible secret of the United States government. Robbie’s Harley Quinn is one of the few returning characters from the 2016 film, marking her third movie appearance alongside the debut of other villains who have tangled with Batman in the comics like Polka Dot Man, Ratcatcher, and King Shark.
The Suicide Squad redeems the concept by living up to the promise of a quirky ensemble cast of villainous misfits coming together to do something good. The film’s success was something of a trial run for James Gunn, who has gone on to become the creative lead for the upcoming DCU continuity that will begin with Superman: Legacy. Hopefully, the quality of The Suicide Squad will be a portent for good things to come.
5 Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)
An underrated victim of COVID-era movie releases
After seeing how well Margot Robbie could do as Harley Quinn despite the other failings of 2016’s Suicide Squad, the DCEU sought to give her a more focused solo film of her own. Despite the working title of Birds of Prey, and the presence of other DC heroines like Huntress and Black Canary, the movie largely plays out as such, being a Harley Quinn story first and foremost. Here, Harley comes up against fellow Batman villain Black Mask following her traumatic breakup with the Joker.
On the whole, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is something of an underrated DC movie, going largely under the radar thanks to its unfortunate theatrical release coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s rare to see a female-led superhero movie, let alone an entire female team, and the spectacular action choreography of the film alone makes it worth watching. That being said, Birds of Prey was a letdown in its depiction of certain DC characters, particularly the reduction of comic Batgirl Cassandra Cain into a ragamuffin pickpocket.
4 Harley Quinn
DC’s premier animated comedy series
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Harley Quinn’s popularity doesn’t stop at the live-action movies or comics, as proven by the success of HBO’s Harley Quinn animated series. Also taking place right after Harley Quinn’s split with The Joker, Harley Quinn follows Harley’s misadventures navigating life, villainy, and heroism alongside her best friend (and later romantic interest), the plant-based supervillain Poison Ivy. The cartoon quickly rose through the ranks of HBO’s most on-demand comedy series on the platform, skyrocketing thanks to Harley Quinn’s popularity as a character.
Harley Quinn takes place in a hilarious pastiche of the DC universe, with plenty of characters having their personalities altered in pursuit of laughs. To that end, the show’s unfettered violence and impressive cast of vocal performers works to its advantage, doling out no end of comedy in between moments of genuine emotional drama. Already four seasons strong, Harley Quinn is set to revive for a fifth season, premiering in November.
3 Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
Harley Quinn’s charming spin-off
Image via Max
One-off seasons like that of Kite Man: Hell Yeah! prove that even the most obscure and silly of Batman’s villains are still compelling enough to be able to carry their own show. A spin-off set in the same universe as Harley Quinn, Kite Man: Hell Yeah! follows the campy flying supervillain in his quest to secure the success of his favorite local bar, a pub named Noonan’s. At the same time, Darkseid’s arrival on Earth and subsequent interest in the bar makes for some wacky hiccups in Kite Man’s plans.
Kite Man was something of a fan favorite after his introduction in Harley Quinn as Poison Ivy’s ex-fiance, and seeing him get a dedicated series was an unexpected, but welcome gift from DC. Thus far, the single season of Kite Man: Hell Yeah! has managed to dispense with the same black comedy and morbid laughs as its predecessor series, even if it does rely on less iconic DC characters. The version of Bane in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! also gets some surprisingly hilarious screen time, adding another Batman villain to the series’ roster.
2 The Penguin
A promising deeper look into Matt Reeves’ Gotham
Not all series that center on Batman villains are necessarily animated, as demonstrated by HBO’s other shining Batman villain project, The Penguin. Taking place in the same Gotham only a week after Matt Reeves’ The Batman, The Penguin brings back Collin Farrell in his heavily-disguised role as Oz Cobb, a.k.a. The Penguin. While Cobb was something of a minor antagonist in the film, The Penguin examines his rise to power amid the crumbling infrastructure of Gotham following The Riddler’s devastating terror attack and the death of mafia giant Carmine Falcone.
At the time of writing, The Penguin is two episodes in, setting a mostly promising precedent for the series’ future legacy. While the second episode, Inside Man, has hit a small stumbling block with pacing, the gripping narrative and continued character study of both The Penguin himself and the terrifying Sofia Falcone has kept the series enrapturing. More than anything else, getting another glimpse into Matt Reeves’ unique vision for a grounded, true-to-life Gotham is well worth the price of admission.
1 The Upcoming Bane & Deathstroke Movie
A rare dual-led feature film starring Batman villains
Custom image by Andy Behbakht
The most recent development in Batman villain media has been the confirmation of a Bane and Deathstroke team-up movie brewing in the DCU. Having had two live-action movie appearances before, Bane is perhaps the better known of the two supervillains, a mastermind criminal with powers of super strength stemming from his use of a dangerous chemical compound known as Venom. Meanwhile, the masterclass mercenary Deathstroke has only had a single brief teaser appearance Justice League, but is also known by his real name, Slade, as the classic antagonist of the 2003 Teen Titans series.
Details regarding Bane and Deathstroke’s team-up (If indeed it is a team-up) are still very sparse, with little being confirmed about the film save for its two main characters. It’s worth noting that the film may have been formulated in the wake of the success of Deadpool & Wolverine over at the MCU, prompting a DC response featuring a similar anti-hero cast. That being said, the potential for a Bane and Deathstroke movie is endless, and could easily become the best Batman villain movie around.
Upcoming DC Movie Releases
-
Joker: Folie a Deux
Release Date October 4, 2024
- Superman (2025)
Release Date July 11, 2025
- Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Release Date June 26, 2026
- The Batman Part II
Release Date October 2, 2026
Joker: Folie a Deux
Superman (2025)
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
The Batman Part II
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Category: Entertainment