Mr. Freeze
If producers wanted to amp up the tragedy when crafting a Batman villain prequel film, they would be wise to explore the heartbreaking story of Mr. Freeze. Although his origin tale has gone through a few tweaks, it mostly follows one arc.
Brilliant cryogenics expert Victor Fries is driven to a life a crime in order to save his dying wife from a rare illness. In his pursuit, he suffers an accident that basically turns his body into a living Popsicle, confining him to a cold suit in order to survive.
A story like this could basically be Breaking Bad with superpowers. It would be about a good man driven to extreme lengths to protect what he holds most dear to him. In fact, Bryan Cranston would make a great Mr. Freeze, so how about Warner Bros. focuses on this origin story rather than The Joker?
Catwoman
People will be quick to point out that there already was a Catwoman film with Halle Berry, and that turned out to be one of the most atrocious pieces of cinema ever made. So, why should they try again? Well for one thing, the Halle Berry film barely counts as a Catwoman movie, changing everything about the character including her name, her backstory and her powers. So, people might say that a Catwoman film could never work because the first one did so poorly, but how about they let the studio make a proper one first before they judge?
Selina Kyle is a fascinating character, always toeing the line between hero and villain. Her first priority has always been to herself, but that doesn’t mean she avoids doing the right thing. She’s a master thief and competent fighter and a prequel movie about her could go a bunch of different ways. Her backstory has changed a lot, too, meaning she’s been everything from an amnesiac flight attendant to a dominatrix.
Really, as long as the movie keeps the core of Selina’s character, meaning a girl who had to fight her way out of the slums in order to make something of herself, then it instantly makes for a more interesting proposition than a Joker film.