The Penguin has reached acclaimed status.  It explored a character that has existed for over 80 years and has done him justice.  For a character that evolved into an intimidating underworld kingpin, this show gave the Penguin a well-deserved and respectful showcase to how he reached that status.  And additionally, it’s building on the world that The Batman set up.  The Penguin has shown the state of Gotham after the Riddler’s actions and has placed some ground work for The Batman: Part 2.  With the success of the series, Matt Reeves is exploring the idea of giving another character within the Batman mythos a chance at a show.  Batman has a large range of characters, ally and villain, that could be given that chance.  But which character should it be?

The Batman set up a realistic dark tone.  That carried over to The Penguin.  It may be carried throughout the entire franchise because it worked so well in the first outing and it’s going to help differentiate this version of Batman to the DCU’s Batman.  So, the character that’s potentially next in line may have to follow that tone.  So, Killer Croc, Bane, Mr. Freeze, and Ra’s al Ghul may find it hard to find themselves in this world.  But there’s many Batman characters that could still fit this mold.  Particularly though, villains of his.  It may make sense for the spotlight to shift to a Batman ally but at this point of his career his ally list is short.  Plus, his main allies, Jim Gordan and Alfred have already had shows devoted to them.  So, a villain makes the most sense.  Which villain though? The selection of the villain could help strengthen the tone The Batman set up or to bring in versatile themes.  With a character so rich in themes as Batman is, it could benefit The Batman universe if the villain steps away from the corrupt, political, secret power themes that the first film established.  Other areas need to be looked at.  And one area that is filling up fast is Arkham Asylum.  The prison already has The Riddler and The Joker.  A show revolving around Arkham Asylum is kind of up in the air but what if this new show highlights one of the workers at Arkham Asylum.  It could be Hugo Strange.

Arkham Asylum is already housing two criminal masterminds.  The Riddler was behind the mass destruction of Gotham.  The Joker has Batman’s respect since it was him that Batman went to in in order to get a reading on The Riddler.  So, these two already have a reputation.  A reputation that is all too tempting.  Hugo Strange could come along and try to get a better understanding of not only them but the criminal element in Gotham.  This is a villain that has been able to deduce Batman’s identity and has interest of using that as leverage compared to other villains who know that same fact.  Strange puts a lot of pressure on Batman for this fact.  The series has the opportunity to show that process to how Strange was able to put the pieces together.  It could actually piggyback what was set up in The Batman.  For a moment, it was hinted that maybe The Riddler knew that Batman was Bruce Wayne.  That idea could lead the way for Hugo Strange to find out himself.  That makes him a great villain that has been lost in the shuffle of Batman’s large list of rouges.  Very much like The Joker, Hugo Strange has a fascination for Batman.  A show devoted to him could really bring Strange to the forefront of villains. 

While The Batman and The Penguin showcased the corruption and powerplay of criminal elements, a Hugo Strange series could highlight more of the villains from a character standpoint.  Instead of characters being external and going toward goals, this series could put the emphasis on the characters’ drives.  Hugo Strange could have evaluations with The Riddler and that could bring more of his character to the light.  Strange could do the same with The Joker, which will bring more insight to that mysterious incarnation of The Joker.  But most importantly, having Strange talking with these two, it evolves Batman’s character inside this universe.  Probably doing something that no other Batman project has done.  Instead of seeing Batman in a protagonist lens, this show could illustrate him within an antagonistic lens.  It will be a refreshing take on the character.  Since Batman’s villains do have their own take on him, seeing a show that puts Batman in a different angle will be unique.  Especially with The Riddler and The Joker, since they do see Batman as a role model type.  Having a series that investigates how two deranged, cruel men view a heroic vigilante as something positive, has the material to be engaging.  That could be Hugo Strange’s spark to go on a search to discover who Batman’s is.  By doing so, it could set up Batman as this tempting drug in the eyes of criminals.  Hugo Strange is that driving point.

A character driven show like this could diversify the tone that this universe has already used.  It has the opportunity to have analytical studies on Batman’s infamous enemies. Really give that side of his mythos a change to really shine.  Again, the rumored Arkham Asylum series could do the same but Hugo Strange could really be that driving point.  And give him a chance to show the villainy of his character. By having Hugo Strange as the catalyst for a show it does many things; it could analyze villains, give Hugo Strange the spotlight for a while and add more layers to Batman’s character by looking at him through the eyes of other villain.