Rumors have been swirling around prospective followups to 2022’s The Batman ever since Part II was confirmed for 2027 and crime-drama spinoff The Penguin hit HBO Max. Matt Reeves’ moody, macabre take on the Dark Knight was a serious vibe, enough for DC fans to dream of a Battinson-led reimagining of the fictional universe.
Then, James Gunn happened. A total transformation of DC Studios’ movie plans followed. The new DCU, led by the comparatively cheery Superman, Supergirl, and quirky oddities like Creature Commandos, split from The Batman in both continuity and tone. Fans of The Batman have wondered what to expect since.
Per at least one rumor, the future is villains. DC insiders have teased a dark, horror-tinged take on Poison Ivy to fill the gap between The Penguin and The Batman Part II.
Poison Ivy Has a Mixed History on Screen
According to Jeff Sneider, while appearing on Hot Mic with John Rocha, a Poison Ivy series – set in the Reeves universe (similar to The Penguin) is in development. Sneider didn’t elaborate much beyond that – but it’s an intriguing piece of news, should it turn out to be true. Reeves brought a level of realism, humility, and charm to Colin Farrell’s Penguin, so why not Ivy too?
After all, there has always been a potent disconnect between the importance of Poison Ivy in comics and animated projects versus her live-action appearances. Uma Thurman’s take in the disastrous Batman and Robin put the character’s mainstream chances to sleep just as she was being reimagined in the comics and animated series, less homicidal seductress than elemental eco-warrior, DC’s fiercely feminist and environmentalist answer to Magneto.
DC animation, always its strongest suit outside comics, doubled down on Ivy’s comic transformation. Diane Pershing in Batman: the Animated Series, Tasia Valenza in the Arkham games, and Lake Bell in Harley Quinn all established rich, layered takes on the character. The latter made the character co-lead alongside the titular anti-villainess, notably adapting the rocky Harley-Ivy romance teased in B:TAS and confirmed in comics.
With that much going for her, what’s left for a cinematic Ivy to do?
Adaptations After “The Batman” Lean Into Horror
The short answer seems to be “scare people.” The Penguin is plenty dark. The Batman, with its Saw– and Se7en-inspired Riddler, plus a familiar cackle at the end, was darker. How deep into the shadows does the Poison Ivy production team want to delve?
Until further details are dropped, no one should be making authoritative statements. That said, between nearly beating Batman to death with a mind-controlled Superman in “Hush” to her snuff-film-flavored pitcher plant sequence in “Harvest,” Ivy can go punch for punch with the scariest characters in the DC universe. Absolute Poison Ivy is as OTT grimdark as every other title in the Absolute line.
In production terms, DC Studios has already shown willingness to make big changes in tone within a franchise. DC has already teased audiences with glimpses of a villain-driven horror in Clayface, and that one slots into the comparatively cheery DCU continuity. With The Batman already establishing a bleak hard-R benchmark, Poison Ivy has plenty of potential and a lot to live up to.
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