The Batman 2: Barry Keoghan Responds To Joker Return - With A Smile

In director and co-writer Matt Reeves' grounded, gritty take on Gotham City, Barry Keoghan's Joker is introduced as an "Unseen Arkham Prisoner." As he consoles the Riddler (Paul Dano), praising him for his attacks, the Joker's face is obstructed thanks to a silhouette. It was a brief but bone-chilling tease, leaving audiences questioning the motivations — and the future — of this iteration of the iconic villain. Following the film's release, Reeves debuted a lengthy deleted scene, which features Batman (Robert Pattinson) seeking advice from the Joker, reminiscent of agent Clarice's (Jodie Foster) prison cell rendezvous with serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in "Silence of the Lambs." 

Since that scene's debut, details have been slim on Keoghan's potential return as the Joker in the upcoming "Batman" sequel. When asked by Etalk if he plans on a sophomore stint as the Joker, Keoghan remained coy. "I can't really say anything about that ... It would be exciting, wouldn't it? To see the Joker come to life again," Keoghan said. After the interviewer admitted that Keoghan had to remain tight-lipped, the actor said, "My smile says all, you know what I mean?" with a loud, exaggerated smile, reminiscent of his Joker scene. 

Keoghan's cheeky response is certainly encouraging for the fans of the Joker. The actor has consistently maintained that he's hoping for more Joker.  Back in late 2022, Keoghan admitted in a chat with GQ that he hadn't been called back for a sequel, but that he was eager to return to the role. 

All eyes are on "The Batman — Part II," which is set to hit cinemas in late 2025. But will the Joker actually return? Unlike Barry Keoghan, who remains coy about what his future in Gotham City looks like, Reeves has shut down speculation about a Joker return — sort of. 

Following the release of "The Batman," Reeves explained to Variety that Keoghan's inclusion as the Joker wasn't to set up future sequels. "It's not an Easter egg scene," Reeves explained. "It's not one of those end credits Marvel or DC scenes where it's going, like, 'Hey, here's the next movie!' In fact, I have no idea when or if we would return to that character in the movies." Reeves has reiterated this sentiment countless times, suggesting that Keoghan's inclusion was a pure one-off.  

Despite having filmed two scenes involving Keoghan's Joker, Reeves was hesitant to have them in the final cut because of pacing issues. Ultimately, the director explained to Variety that he decided to only keep the scene between the Joker and the Riddler (Dano). Clearly, Reeves isn't married to the idea of the Joker popping up, but Keoghan is... In early 2023, Keoghan appeared on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, expressing hope that there's room for him in the sequel. "Obviously I'd love another crack," Keoghan told host Josh Horowitz. "I've got a ton of back work done on him. If an opportunity does arise but, you know, they make the call, and I've got to respect that."