A winter setting looks as if the proper alternative for Reeves to place his personal spin on Mr. Freeze, particularly after the director informed Collider he’d be concerned with exploring a “grounded” model of the character in one in all The Batman’s sequels: “I feel there’s truly a grounded model of that story, which could possibly be actually highly effective and could possibly be actually nice.” Observe that Reeves doesn’t particularly point out Half II, however with The Penguin showcasing an ever-expanding world of mythos, there are already plans to take the story additional. With The Batman Half II already confirmed as a seasonal story, the items line up neatly with Victor Fries making his Reevesverse debut.
Apparently, some assume that we’ve already met Mr. Freeze within the type of Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor “Vic” Aguilar. Oz Cobb’s orphaned lackey has emerged as one in all The Penguin’s most fascinating characters, nevertheless it’s unclear the place he goes subsequent. There’s some foreshadowing that Vic gained’t make it out of The Penguin alive. Others have recommended Victor might grow to be this world’s model of Robin after shunning a lifetime of crime, whereas there are wild theories he’s a well-known character from the comics. From being a rehashed model of Victor Stone (Cyborg) to the serial killer Victor Zsasz, some of the out-there theories is that Vic Aguilar will grow to be Victor Fries. Even when Mr. Freeze is pencilled in for The Batman Half II, it appears unlikely that Feliz can be enjoying him.
There’s been loads of dialogue about Mr. Freeze showing sooner moderately than later. When Mark Sturdy was forged in The Penguin, there was rampant hypothesis he could possibly be enjoying Mr. Freeze, however as a substitute, he performed the recast Carmine Falcone. HBO was as soon as engaged on a number of spinoffs of The Batman, though deliberate tasks primarily based on the GCPD and Arkham State Hospital had been parked whereas solely The Penguin moved ahead. Elsewhere, James Gunn not too long ago shot down rumors {that a} Mr. Freeze spinoff was in growth on Threads, though the DCU overload admitted that it’s not a nasty thought. If something, the fan response to the thought reveals simply how in style Mr. Freeze is.
After all, we could possibly be manner off with our musings about Mr. Freeze. Regardless of Christopher Nolan’s The Darkish Knight Rises that includes a equally snowy setting to The Penguin and The Batman Half II with out a lot as even an Easter egg winking towards Mr. Freeze, that didn’t cease followers from looking for a connection. Reeves has teased what comes subsequent, and in the identical Collider interview the place he confirmed Half II’s winter setting, he defined how he sees The Penguin as greater than only a spinoff: “I wished the origin tales of those different characters of the Rogues Gallery. and that story was initially going to be the entrée into the following film.” The actual fact he refers back to the collection as an entrée and mentions ‘different characters’ moderately than simply Farrell’s Penguin means followers are looking out for even the slightest trace of who Half II’s de facto large dangerous can be.
Reeves’ guarantees of solely specializing in grounded villains (and having already written off Gentleman Ghost) means any model of Mr. Freeze possible gained’t be stomping round whereas brandishing a ray gun and quipping, “Ice to satisfy you.” Nonetheless, the finish of The Batman and having the poorest components of Gotham flooded might simply give Victor Fries (or no matter he finally ends up being referred to as) a sometimes tragic backstory the place he’s compelled into the town’s felony underworld to try to save his spouse. Reeves is remaining tight-lipped on the place issues are heading for The Batman Half II, however with solely two episodes of The Penguin left, we’ll must park these Mr. Freeze theories on ice…for now.
