The question now becomes: how can a new Batman movie compete with 'Dark Knight'? The problem with the first newer Batman series of movies (starting with the Michael Keaton one) was that they put the Joker in the first one, and then made the following villains less notable/interesting/good choices at all. Yes, they were still well known (Mr. Freeze is awesome, but not in that movie, not that long after the Joker has already died) but they were badly done and the movies suffered because of that. Batman is only as good as his villains, so the movies are only as good as that conflict. So - Joker was done. What now? Keep in mind, this answer is limited to certain villains. This series exists in a very "realistic" Gotham where villains are just people who are crazy and might have a physical problem. Mr. Freeze doesn't work here, nor does Killer Croc. So yeah... what to do?
I am now going to give you a few ideas of mine that could work (at least, I will present arguments that they could). Will that matter at all? No, of course not. I just wanna write and theoretical Batman is as good as anything else to write about. So, here are my ideas in order from "fairly decent idea, that would be okay" to "that would be really, really awesome AND it makes sense!" Here we go.
1. Holiday
Holiday isn't a very well known villain - really he's just in one series, but that series is really well
developed, and gives lots of room for other villains to mess around in the background. The story
would keep Batman quite busy, but at the same time it's a legitimate mystery to try and figure out
who this new killer is (he's called Holiday, by the way, because he kills people on big holidays
for a full year). That would be pretty okay.
2. The Mad Hatter
Now, don't get me wrong, the Mad Hatter is NOT an A-list villain, but he's really, really creepy
(ignore the mind-control stuff and hes a really creepy, obsessive kidnapper/murderer of little
girls). That type of character would work really well in this Gotham.
3. Black Mask
This guy is pretty unknown. He's a newer villain, and never really gets any play. I don't really
know too much about him other than the fact that he's a pretty realistic villain. Even outside of
comics, he seems like he could be a real guy. Basically he's a really powerful business man
(Bruce Wayne level) who hates Wayne and becomes a criminal. Nothing big there. However, he
eventually starts a religion based on "inner ugliness" where you can only become pure by
appearing as ugly on the outside as you truly are on the inside. 1000s of people follow him,
horribly disfiguring themselves, and giving everything they have to this guy. And it's all legit
because its a religion. Oh, he also wears a black mask. That would be a pretty neat story.
4. The Joker
It has already been stated that - both in the movie and by the makers of the movie - that the Joker
did not die with Heath Ledger, so he can be in the next movie. Having a dead Joker in Gotham
would be silly. He's as essential as Batman is. That being said, it's unlikely they're going to
give Joker as large a role as they did in this one. That role would be hard to top. However, Joker
should still be a major player/factor, just maybe not the main factor. He could have a major
influence on the main factor. For example...
5. Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is an overlooked villain in the world of Batman comics. She's totally crazy and
will do anything to please the Joker (including killing a whole lot of people and laughing it off).
The major difference between her and the Joker is that we know her story. She willingly went
crazy, just to be more like him. That kind of mentality would work really well in this Gotham,
and it would fit with the story quite well. I assume Joker went to Arkham after they cut him
down from that tower. He would meet her there, and away things would go.
6. Two-Face
I know - Two-Face/Harvey Dent died at the end of 'Dark Knight' (sorry if you haven't seen it,
but if you haven't seen it... what's wrong with you? Also, why are you on thePuddingStore?) But
his death was really lame. He fell down. Boo-hoo. I thought they actually left his "death" fairly
ambiguous: "Harvey Dent is dead." Yes - Harvey is dead; key word being Harvey. I took that to mean
that they will cover up that Harvey Dent did any of this, and try to keep him hidden away/removed from the Dent name. He
them becomes Two-Face and becomes the incredible threat to Gotham he's supposed to be. He's
the only guy in the world that the Joker is kinda worried about. That says something. It at least
says more than "oh, he died when he tripped into a hole."
7. Ra's Al Ghul
They made it clear that Ra's could not be completely "killed" in the first movie, plus everything
else with Ra's Al Ghul (what with the Lazarus pits, clones, etc) but I'd like to think that even if
Ghul himself (as in the Liam Neeson character) was killed, then someone else would take up the
mantel. Possibly someone even more powerful? I dunno. Ra's is a pretty neat character and I
love return villains (which is also why I'd love Joker or Two-Face to come back).
8. Batman Vs. Gotham
This is basically the plot that they set up at the end of 'Dark Knight.' Batman is a fugitive that
everyone in Gotham will now hate, including the GCPD (other than Gordon, of course). Batman
would lay low, fighting smaller crimes while trying to elude capture the entire time (maybe this is
where the Mad Hatter could work best?). This would give Gordon a real chance to shine
(Gordon was perhaps my favorite part of 'Dark Knight' where he was given a lot of screen time,
so a Gordon-based plot doesn't sound too crazy). If a larger conflict is needed then perhaps some
renegade vigilantes will pop up to try to stop him. Nightwing comes immediately to mind. This
is the movie I THINK will actually get made (maybe minus the Nightwing part).
9. Bane
This is the movie I'd love to see, and is based directly off that last idea (with Gotham against
Batman). If Gotham is serious about stopping Batman, then they will look to outside forces since
none of them can stop him. Why not go to the #1 Bat-hunter, Bane? Now, Bane has been in a
Batman movie before. He was a voiceless, nearly invisible grunt for Poison Ivy in 'Batman and
Robin.' He was basically nothing except a forklift for Ivy. Sad times indeed. Bane is supposed
to be not only incredibly strong, agile, etc. but also incredibly smart. He doesn't figure out who
Batman is by throwing a phonebooth out a window. No, he figures it out by getting into
Batman's head and unraveling his secrets. Go Bane. If this movie got made, I would actually
hope for to end with the opening chapter to 'Knightfall,' where Bane finds Batman, destroys
everything he's worked for, and breaks him (literally) in half leaving him paralyzed and
practically dead. THAT would be a kickass Batman movie.
Of course, if that movie DOES get made, I would then hope for the inevitable 'Dark Knight Returns' movie where Batman comes out of retirement into a world that no longer wants or needs him. Man, that would be cool.
So yeah - those are my thoughts on potential Batman villains and story-lines that could pop up in the next installment on the Batman movies. That is, of course, assuming they even make one. Nothing has been said to indicate there will definitely be one, but there have been some hints. Plus, itd be silly to leave it hanging where it did when there was so much potential for a number of stories to come straight out of that conclusion.
Go Batman villains!