What Was The Green Liquid Batman Took In The Final Fight?

Contains spoilers for "The Batman"

"The Batman" takes place in a brand new version of Gotham City which is completely different to the one seen in the DC Extended Universe features "Batman v Superman," "Justice League," and "Birds of Prey." Matt Reeves' vision for the urban jungle is very much a grimy, dark place where it always seems to be raining (it's not exactly a tourist destination). The setting matches the equally moody new version of Batman, who protects the innocent from the hordes of criminals who move through all corners of the city.

When The Riddler (Paul Dano) starts his war on corruption within the ranks of Gotham's political, financial, and law enforcement spheres, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) has to dive head-first into a sprawling mystery that stretches from the mayor's office to the bowels of the seedy Iceberg Lounge. The Riddler's brutal game reveals some devastating truths about the city, and it even forces Bruce to grapple with his family's legacy. Thomas and Martha Wayne's memories remain untarnished by the time the credits roll, but that is likely because The Riddler doesn't know the full extent of their involvement with Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

None of this matters to the citizens of Gotham, who must fight for survival when The Riddler bombs the sea wall, flooding most of the city. To make matters worse, the Caped Crusader has to battle a number of the villain's faithful followers inside the roof of Gotham Arena as they try to shoot crowds of survivors. It's a dramatic final battle that sees Batman fighting The Riddler's violent ideology, as embodied by his followers, and the fight nearly gets the better of him. But, thankfully, the Bat has a surprising weapon in his utility belt.

During the fight on the arena's railings, things go from bad to worse for the Bat when he ends up on his back after taking numerous shots from Riddler's followers. Unfortunately, one of the shooters takes the opportunity to attack Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), who tries to stop the gang from committing mass murder. For a moment, it looks like one of them might kill her, which causes Bruce to pull a small vial of green liquid out of his utility belt and inject it. This green liquid gives Batman a much-needed adrenaline boost, energizing him to the degree that he can save Selina and finish the battle for Gotham's soul. But that mysterious liquid is never actually addressed, leaving us to wonder what exactly the Bat injected.

After some careful consideration, it's hard not to see it as a nod towards the classic villain, Bane. DC fans will know that the muscled behemoth uses a green formula called "Venom" to give him enhanced strength and speed in a fight. It typically gives him a brutal edge over his opponents, not unlike the burst of ferocious energy Bruce gets in the final showdown near the end of "The Batman."

This leaves audiences with a few questions that we annoyingly don't get the answers to, including: Has Batman already crossed paths with Bane? Or is he out there in the world waiting for his chance to strike?

So, will Bane show up in a sequel to "The Batman," should that next movie ever be greenlit? Probably not. The green liquid Bruce Wayne uses in the final fight is not a big enough Easter egg to suggest the man who broke the Bat is coming to Gotham anytime soon. Plus, Matt Reeves has already opened up about what he'd like to do with a second film if Warner Bros. gives him the go-ahead — and it doesn't sound like the hulking figure is involved in the director's vision.

In a recent interview with Collider, Reeves explained that, when it comes to DC characters, he wants to find the most "grounded" way of telling their stories. He went on to say he already has an idea of how to adapt one of the most iconic villains in Batman's rogue's gallery: Mr. Freeze. Reeves explained, "Even the idea of something like Mr. Freeze, that such a great story, right?" He also added, "I think there's actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great."

So, while this is great news for fans wanting more from Reeves' contributions to the DCEU, don't expect to see Bane go up against Robert Pattinson's version of the Caped Crusader any time soon. With the director's "grounded" approach to comic book storytelling, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use Bane anyway, since Christopher Nolan already delivered a realistic version of the villain played by Tom Hardy in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises."