The Batman Deleted Scene Proves The Joker & The Riddler Can’t Team Up

The deleted scene from The Batman shows the Joker (Barry Keoghan) in a light that proves any potential future decision to team up with the Riddler (Paul Dano) would have the duo clashing. The two Gotham villains have been portrayed numerous times on page and screen, but their first time sharing space on the big screen together was in Matt Reeves’s The Batman. While spinoffs have been announced and sequels are likely, the prospect of having a future where the Joker and the Riddler join forces successfully and seamlessly doesn’t seem very probable.

In the final scene of The Batman, audiences see the Riddler at Arkham Asylum hearing from a mysterious inmate that turns out to be the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime indicates he agrees with the Riddler’s plans and insinuates that working together would benefit them both. As this is the only moment in The Batman to feature the Joker, audiences were left excited to find out what might happen between the two iconic villains in future Batman installments. Excitement grew when a deleted scene was released showing Batman (Robert Pattinson) paying the Joker a visit at Arkham Asylum. In the scene, Batman presents the Joker with information regarding his dealings with the Riddler hoping to gain a more helpful perspective on the strategies of a serial killer. However, the Joker’s playful and patronizing responses portray aspects of his personality and history that suggest he may not be an effective partner for the Riddler if the two were to ever team up.

Some of the more important moments of the deleted scene from The Batman are when the Joker toys with Batman in a condescending manner that suggests he holds some ill feelings towards the Dark Knight. Along with multiple marks on the Joker’s face and arms that may at least be partially a result of violent altercations with Batman, there seems to be plenty of evidence to show the two have a contemptuous relationship. The Riddler’s relationship with Batman, on the other hand, is much different. The Riddler used Batman as inspiration for achieving his misdeeds and even had his followers proclaim “vengeance” as their driving force in a manner that mirrored Batman’s own vigilante efforts. Having such vastly different regard for the caped crusader, the two members of Batman’s Rogues Gallery would likely not agree at all on how to approach him.

The Joker’s very villainy seems to be at odds with the Riddler’s as well. In The Batman, the Riddler is shown to have calculated his attacks for months, even years. The Riddler’s plans require pinpoint accuracy in executing the mysteries that surround his crimes. The Joker, by contrast, has always been much more chaotic and abrasive as he works towards his larger goals, and the character seen in this deleted scene looks no different. Keoghan’s Joker marvels at the Riddler’s meticulous nature as if it is distinct from his own. Having such disparate strategies for causing destruction in Gotham could be a major hindrance if the two were attempting a team-up.

The Batman’s deleted scene also proves the Joker does indeed suffer from the skin condition Matt Reeves mentioned when describing his version of the character. Reeves explained much about the Joker that gives his decline into villainy a very different motivation than the Riddler’s. The Joker has suffered from a grotesque facial feature from birth, a permanent smile, which caused him great distress his whole life. So he has let the deformity become his identity as a villain of Gotham. The Riddler, on the other hand, preferred for his work to be his identity and legacy. With the two troublemakers going into their nefarious acts with such differing ideas motivating them, it’s hard to imagine them working well together.

While no sequels for The Batman have been confirmed, the theatrical release’s end scene practically guarantees both the Riddler and the Joker will appear again in the franchise. They are two of Gotham’s most recognized villains, and it does seem their path forward in the franchise does begin together. But after seeing the Joker’s deleted scene, having them work together, as fun as it might be to watch, would likely result in catastrophe.