No live-action Christopher Nolan's highly-acclaimed The Dark Knight trilogy was incredibly influential for the superhero genre and Hollywood filmmaking as a whole would be an understatement. Not only did The Dark Knight trilogy offer one of the most beloved villain performances in Heath Ledger's Joker, but it also proved that comic book adaptations could thrive on the big screen as high-quality cinema.

Although Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy was a massive hit at the box office, its chances of becoming a cinematic universe were slim from the start. Nolan envisioned the trilogy as a grounded, self-contained story with a well-defined beginning, middle, and end. Hence, there were never plans for a fourth Dark Knight movie, and despite the ing of the torch teased in The Dark Knight Rises' ending sequence, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Robin was never supposed to star in his own spinoff film. However, there's an obscure DC film that also takes place within The Dark Knight's universe.

The Secret Fourth Movie In The Dark Knight Series Explained

Batman: Gotham Knight Connects Batman Begins To The Dark Knight

The 2008 animated anthology film Batman: Gotham Knight takes up where Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins left off, with Batman continuing his crusade against crime following the Ra's Al Ghul's defeat. Batman: Gotham Knight comprises six animated shorts produced by four different studios — all starring an animated version of Christian Bale's Dark Knight. While Batman: Gotham Knight could be considered The Dark Knight trilogy's fourth installment given its ties to Batman Begins' characters and plot, its canon status is left ambiguous after the events of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, which neither acknowledge nor contradict the animated movie's story.

Batman: Gotham Knight Chapter	Main Batman Villain
Have I Got A Story For You	The Man in Black
Crossfire	Sal Maroni
Field Test	Sal Maroni, The Russian
In Darkness Dwells	Killer Croc
Working Through Pain	Nameless Armed Men
Deadshot	Deadshot

Batman: Gotham Knight revisits Christian Bale's Dark Knight from the eyes of four Gotham children in "Have I Got A Story For You", and it showcases Batman's ability to fight Gotham's organized crime singlehandedly in "Crossfire" and "Field Test", where he stops Sal Maroni and strengthens his bond with James Gordon. Batman: Gotham Knight takes a big leap in tone in "In Darkness Dwells" and introduces Killer Croc, who's corrupted by Scarecrow's fear toxin. After defeating Killer Croc and Scarecrow, Batman reminisces about his past after being shot by a regular man in "Working Through Pain", and he then finishes a final mission by capturing Deadshot in "Deadshot".

The DC Universe Can Learn A Lesson About Batman Villains From Gotham Knight

Batman: Gotham Knight Features Villains Never Seen In Live-Action Movies

Deadshot and Killer Croc attack the Dark Knight in the 2008 animated movie Batman Gotham Knight — Custom image by Nicolas Ayala

Batman: Gotham Knight includes a brief appearance by Scarecrow. However, two often overlooked Batman enemies finally get the spotlight, as Killer Croc and Deadshot are the main antagonists in two of Batman: Gotham Knight's chapters. Although both characters made their live-action debut in the DCEU's 2016 Suicide Squad, neither Killer Croc nor Deadshot have appeared in a solo Batman movie. Batman: Gotham Knight offers a fresh change of pace with its lesser-known antagonists, in comparison to all the live-action DC films that repeatedly focus on big-name villains like the Joker, the Riddler, and the Penguin.

Batman apprehended Scarecrow in The Dark Knight's second action sequence, meaning that it took him three separate titles to stop Jonathan Crane for good. Bane then broke Crane out of prison in The Dark Knight Rises.

With Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise leading the way and the DCU's Batman making his debut in The Brave and the Bold, the divide between Batman's grounded and fantastical elements has never been clearer. So far, all live-action Batman movies have picked one of the two lanes. Even Tim Burton's Batman films, which began Batman's blockbuster history, stuck closely to the director's iconic "Burtonesque" style that embraces the character's fantastical qualities. Whereas Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy kept its tone completely grounded, Batman: Gotham Knight added Killer Croc to the mix despite his monstrous appearance and superhuman strength.

What DC Villain Should Be In The DCU's Batman Movie

Andy Muschietti's The Brave And The Bold Has A Blank Check For Its Villain Choice

Split imge of 1989 Batman and Clayface and Mr Freeze in the comics — Image made By Zoe Miskelly

Matt Reeves' The Batman universe has gained widespread acclaim due in major part to its realistic antagonists. Paul Dano's Riddler and John Turturro's Carmine Falcone are highlights of The Batman, and Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb might be the breakout star of the whole franchise due to his stellar role in The Penguin. As Reeves' The Batman franchise dives deeper into its realistic Gotham underworld, the DCU's Batman may take advantage of its larger-than-life cinematic universe and explore Batman's more comic-booky elements. Therefore, over-the-top villains like Man-Bat, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy could be The Brave and the Bold's main antagonists.

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For some time, Clayface and Mister Freeze seemed like strong candidates for The Batman - Part II's main villain role. However, The Penguin's hints at the Court of Owls make the secret society the most likely antagonistic force for The Batman's sequel. Meanwhile, The Brave and the Bold could adopt Clayface or Mister Freeze and give them a chance to shine in the DCU. After all, Arnold Schwarzenegger's campy Mister Freeze portrayal from Batman & Robin hasn't been challenged in almost thirty years, and Clayface has yet to appear in a DC movie. Other villains like Batman: Gotham Knight's Killer Croc and Deadshot could also appear in ing roles.