The Batman is set to be filled with a number of the Dark Knight’s biggest foes, and the trailer introduced us to a bunch of them. The teaser, which arrived at DC FanDome, unveiled our first looks at Colin Farrell’s Penguin, Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman and Paul Dano’s Riddler. But it’s possible that it also slipped in an easter egg to another villain – or, technically, villainous organization – who may be coming in future movies.
The trailer sees Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader brought in to help investigate a murder by a mysterious new killer – who we know to be the Riddler. The Prince of Puzzles leaves one of his typical brain teasers in a card addressed to Batman. While the contents are what have grabbed most people’s attention, others have noticed that what’s on the front of the card could be important, too.
It’s an owl – which may be a reference to the Court of Owls, the secret cabal of wealthy Gothamites who have the Talon assassins at their disposal. It doesn’t seem like there’s room for the Court to appear in this film, but as Twitter user Christopher Marc pointed out, it’s possible this nod is setting up their arrival in a sequel.
The owl card from The Riddler in #TheBatman while cute could more likely be a tease to the film taking cues from THE LONG HALLOWEEN than setting up COURT OF OWLS in sequels. pic.twitter.com/hvg7mP7KyL
— Christopher Marc (@_ChristopherM) August 25, 2020
You might be thinking that too much is being drawn from this small moment, but it’s a fact that director Matt Reeves is thinking long-term with his Bat-verse. There’s already a Gotham Central TV spinoff series in the works, with more expansions of the universe to come. Reeves must know that fans would read into something like this, so there’s every possibility that the Court could factor into his plans for the second and third parts of the Battinson trilogy.
What do you think, though? Are the Court of Owls coming to The Batman universe? Join the conversation in the comments section.