Batman's Arkham baddies could star in spin-offs if standalone film is a hit

The DCEU's future is in the process of being formed, with its streaming options broadening with HBO Max and its A-list future expanding through pitches on rebooted superheroes given to hotshot genre director J.J. Abrams. But one film currently in the works could shape a large part of that coming cinematic slate: The Batman. Writer/director Matt Reeves' take on Bruce Wayne (featuring Robert Pattinson in the role) will carry a lot of weight and a lot of villains for its Caped Crusader to face...and if the film is a hit, those villains may get films of their own.

According to Variety, the inmates of Arkham Asylum could escape into the greater world of film depending on the reception to Reeves' Batman reboot. "Warner Bros. and DC believe that any of these villains could headline their own spinoff movies," the report says of baddies like Paul Dano’s Riddler, Zöe Kravitz’s Catwoman, and Colin Farrell's The Penguin. Yes, another Catwoman film is potentially on the table. John Turturro's crime boss Carmine Falcone probably won't get a movie of his own simply because that would just be a regular gangster movie.

But it's not just those in The Batman that could see spin-offs. Director Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) also had its cast mentioned. In fact, key actors in both films "have contract options to appear in sequels and standalone films." That could mean Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), or Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) have the potential for spin-offs.

Other news involving Birds of Prey focuses on the Harley Quinn film's rating. Off the strength of Joker's box office, the report alleges that Birds of Prey and James Gunn's The Suicide Squad will get R-ratings — a segment of the superhero market that Disney is likely backing away from. Additionally, Birds of Prey's reshoots reportedly "dramatically improved test screening results" for the upcoming February release.

Birds of Prey hits theaters on Feb. 7, 2020, while The Batman's baddies will have their fates decided on June 25, 2021.