Spoilers for The Batman follow. If you haven't seen the movie yet, look away now!
By now, you might be aware of The Batman’s Rataalada site, which fans had previously been able to ‘crack’ to unlock a message from the Riddler. The site has now been updated to include more secrets – and a hidden Joker tease.
If you head over to the site now, you’re able to claim a "reward". The first is a download file of some of the Riddler’s ancillary materials, including his diary and conspiracy theories. Refresh the page and you’ll be met by another reward – an encoded message that uses Riddler’s cipher alphabet.
Thankfully, the internet has worked wonders and has already deciphered the message. It reads: "Gotham loves a comeback." But there’s more. Scrawled at the sides are two repeating letters, "HA. HA. HA."
i dont know if anyone else has noticed this but around the "GOTHAM LOVES A COMEBACK" there are riddler cyphers surrounding it translating to "HA". pic.twitter.com/fuo7vq7UVoMarch 12, 2022
You don’t need to be the World’s Greatest Detective to figure out that it’s a likely nod towards the Joker (Barry Keoghan), who appeared briefly in The Batman.
No word yet on which villains we’ll see in a sequel, but The Batman’s ARG is certainly having fun with the idea of Joker showing up again.
Director Matt Reeves told Total Film that a deleted scene involving Joker opposite Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader would be released at some point, adding, "It's a really cool scene. It was just one of those things where, in the course of the movie, what that scene was doing, other scenes were also doing, and so we didn't need the scene. But as a standalone, that scene is very eerie and creepy and cool."
For more on The Batman’s mysteries and major moments, check out our breakdowns and guides below.
- The Batman Easter eggs and references
- The Batman ending explained
- Was Joaquin Phoenix's Joker meant to be in The Batman?
- How to watch the DC movies in order
- The Batman: 7 villains we want to see in a sequel
