No superhero has more live action interpretations than Batman. Even his bad guys have appeared in multiple versions on screen. There’s no denying how great his villains are, but there are a few that are being left out in even the most obscure Batman shows. To illustrate the point, here’s a list of rogues still waiting to make it to the big or small screen.
Note: While I’m personally a Batman fanboy and did a fair amount of research for this article, it’s certainly possible that any of these characters had live-action adaptations that I missed. If that’s the case, feel free to write us and let us know.
Man-Bat
To those uninitiated with Batman’s rogues, the name Man-Bat may first come off as a joke — someone just took Batman and swapped the words around. But the tragic villain is anything but humorous. DC Comics recently published a Man-Bat miniseries that had him go toe-to-toe with the Suicide Squad, Scarecrow, and the Batman himself. There’s a lot to mine with the character and he’s a monstrous foe for Batman to deal with, so seeing him on screen can definitely fill as a menacing presence.
Bat-Mite
Of all the villains on this list, Bat-Mite is probably the hardest to envision. He’s essentially Batman’s Mr. Mxyzptlk, a fourth-dimensional trickster imp who is more often viewed as a nuisance than an actual threat. But Batman is such a dark and brooding character that trying to do a valid live-action adaptation of this quirky foe will be interesting to watch. And if anyone believes that imps can’t be a part of profound stories, let me remind them that Alan Moore used Mr. Mxyzptlk as the main villain in his “final” Superman story, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?”
Kite Man
There’s been a bit of a Kite Man renaissance in recent years. He played a major role in Tom King‘s “The War of Jokes and Riddles,” where he became a very sympathetic character. Kite Man also appeared as a major character and love interest for Poison Ivy in the HBO Max Harley Quinn show. So, Kite Man is certainly not as obscure as he once was. But the concept of him is still very much a joke. But if these two examples can show how the character can be relevant, then it’s only a matter of time before a live action version comes along and completes the hat trick.
Condiment King
Very few Batman villains get the laughs like Condiment King does. How could he not when his main gimmick is splattering people with ketchup and mustard? But where as Kite Man was redeemed in various stories, I think Condiment King can get the same treatment. How would this take place? I have no idea. But with TV shows and movies mining so many of Batman’s villains for adaptations why not give this goofball a shot, too?
Talon
Talon is probably the only character on this list that really should’ve been done already — especially since the Court of Owls played such a large role in the TV show Gotham. Talon’s existence is intimately tied with the Owls, so any appearance by him would have to include them as well. But he’s is pretty damn cool and a great physical threat for Batman (or Batwoman?). An added bonus for storytelling purposes: Talon’s backstory and origin is easily malleable. All he really needs is to be the tool for the Court of Owls. So if they exist, then he exists.
The Architect (my favorite on the list)
It’s hard to talk about the Architect as a villain when he’s so closely tied into the story in which he was featured. Batman: Gates of Gotham was a miniseries written by Scott Snyder that took place while Dick Grayson wore the cowl, but it’s easy to imagine how such a tale could work with Bruce Wayne, Kate Kane, or Ryan Wilder at the helm. It’s essentially a revenge story that intimately ties together some of Gotham’s most notorious families and the characters who go with them. Mainly: Batman, Hush, and the Penguin. It’s such a good story, in fact, I’m surprised it hasn’t been adapted already. And the main villain of the story, the Architect, is just such a cool design he would look awesome on the screen.
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