Summary
- Fans express interest in Mr. Freeze in "The Batman Part II," but Reeves would need to carefully introduce the character.
- Matt Reeves could realistically depict Mr. Freeze by maintaining his grounded approach from "The Batman."
- To modernize Mr. Freeze, the character may need traits and appearance changes, along with a new motivation and weaponry.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn recently denied reports of a standalone Mr. Freeze project being in development, but now that the supervillain is back in popular discussion, fans have been vocal about their wish to see him in The Batman Part II. While the prospect of Bruce Wayne going head-to-head against Victor Fries in a live-action film is exciting by itself, the greater opportunity here is in how Matt Reeves’ upcoming film could depict him as a grounded and realistic antagonist.
The Batman Part II is set to premiere on October 2, 2026, but there has been no official confirmation about who Robert Pattinson’s billionaire vigilante will face in the sequel. The 2022 film featured some iconic Batman villains like the Riddler (Paul Dano) and the Penguin (Colin Farrell), along with a final cameo by the Joker (Barry Keoghan). All three are likely to return in the sequel in key negative roles, but there is still room for DC to introduce other comic book favorites such as Mr. Freeze.
James Gunn Debunks New Batman Villain Solo Movie Rumor (But Says It's Not a Bad Idea)
James Gunn debunked a rumor about a solo movie for one Batman villain, but this inaccurate report seemed like a good idea to the DC Universe boss.
Will The Batman Part II Feature Mr. Freeze?
Given that there was no mention of Mr. Freeze in The Batman, it's unlikely that director Matt Reeves would suddenly introduce the character without proper setup. However, with filming for the sequel yet to begin, Reeves could still surprise audiences by incorporating the icy antagonist. In fact, he has been openly vocal about his fondness for Mr. Freeze. During a 2022 press event with Collider, he discussed the possibility of adapting the "fantastical" cryogenic villain into a more grounded character in a realistic setting.
In my view, I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything. So, to me it would be a challenge in an interesting way to try and figure out how that could happen, even the idea of something like Mr. Freeze, that such a great story, right? I think there's actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great.
The Batman Part II is expected to retain Matt Reeves’ signature dark and moody aesthetic, which could lend itself to a never-before-seen Mr. Freeze. The character's most prominent live-action portrayal was in the campy Batman & Robin, where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze had an outlandish outing filled with ice-themed puns. In contrast, Reeves has nowhere to go but up, with a more serious, nuanced take. Even if The Batman Part II doesn't include Mr. Freeze, the character could still appear in the larger The Batman Epic Crime Saga, which already includes plans for a third film and multiple spin-offs, such as The Penguin series on HBO Max.
Essentially, Reeves needs to repeat what he did best with the Riddler in The Batman. Paul Dano’s version of the character in the 2022 film was a far cry from Jim Carrey’s over-the-top role in Batman Forever (1995). The director grounded the Riddler in reality, drawing inspiration from the Zodiac killer, and reimagined him as a dark web conspiracy figurehead. On the other hand, Carrey’s Riddler was a comedic villain who devised a scheme to "steal" Gotham’s intelligence through a mind-altering machine.
How Should Matt Reeves Change Mr. Freeze?
Mr. Freeze already has a strong, human origin story in the Batman universe, which is a perfect fit for the dark tone of The Batman Part II. For those unfamiliar, Dr. Victor Fries creates a freeze gun to preserve his terminally ill wife, Nora, until a cure can be found. However, things go tragically wrong as Nora dies later and Victor becomes a cryo suit-wearing supervillain crossing paths with Batman. This core emotional narrative is grounded and realistic, and it doesn’t need to be altered much to align with Matt Reeves’ vision.
However, the writers can get creative with tweaking Mr. Freeze’s character traits. The villain doesn't necessarily need to remain a genius scientist gone rogue – a cliché that’s already done and dusted in modern comic book movies. Instead, Victor Fries could take up a different profession related to cryogenics or ice. For example, he could be reimagined as a smuggler or thief, who specializes in using liquid nitrogen to execute his crimes.
The Batman director could easily use the sick wife trope to motivate his villain’s descent into wrongdoing. Dr. Fries could resort to robbery or compromise his scientific and medical ethics for a corrupt pharmaceutical company in a desperate bid to save Nora. There’s also an option to subvert this trope by making Mr. Freeze himself terminally ill. In this scenario, his actions would be driven by a selfish desire to extend his own life, even at the expense of experimenting on Gotham’s residents.
Mr. Freeze: Weapons, Appearance and Physical Traits
Moreover, Reeves should consider losing any flashy refrigerated suits, cryogenic equipment, or freeze ray guns for Mr. Freeze, as they don’t fit into his gritty world. Instead, the character's weaponry should be quiet, subtle, and preferably chemical-based. Picture Mr. Freeze carrying a modified compressed gas cylinder containing liquid nitrogen, borrowing from No Country For Old Men’s Anton Chigurh and his captive bolt pistol used for cattle. The central element is ice and this approach would allow for chilling methods of attack, where victims suffer from hypothermia or frostbite, rather than simply being frozen alive.
The physical appearance and costumes would also need to go a completely different way from Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, which featured heavy prosthetic makeup and a tacky blue ice suit. The new Victor Fries should look minimal yet menacing, perhaps wearing a temperature-controlled hazmat suit that serves both as a statement piece and a functional necessity. Casting is another make-or-break factor in making Mr. Freeze grounded in The Batman Part II, and potential choices include Bill Hader, Giancarlo Esposito, or Rami Malek.
At the risk of seeming repetitive, Matt Reeves could take the serial killer route and portray Mr. Freeze as a murderer who uses cryogenic technology to freeze and preserve the bodies of his victims. More inspiration can be found in the character's nickname, the "Crown Prince of Chilblains." Chilblains, or perniosis, is a painful condition caused by brief exposure to cold, which could be used to give Mr. Freeze a cold-related disease. This trait would humanize him, just like Arthur Fleck's uncontrollable laughter in Joker. Finally, Reeves can also connect the events of The Batman, such as Mr. Freeze and Nora suffering the aftermath of the final flood, or something related to any ongoing storyline in The Penguin series.
The Batman Part II
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 1, 2027
- Director
- Matt Reeves
- Writers
- Matt Reeves, Mattson Tomlin, Bill Finger, Bob Kane
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve's The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
- Cast
- Robert Pattinson, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films
