There are also some similarities between his new character and a classic Batman villain.
At the beginning of March 2022, Barry Keoghan was nowhere near as famous as he is right now. Prior to that, his biggest movie was Eternals (which also happens to be one of the MCU's least successful movies), and outside of that, it would be a lot of critically acclaimed but not exactly box office juggernaut indie movies.
Then, in the year from March 2022 to March 2023, he was revealed to be playing the Joker in The Batman, and is currently nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, having recently won the BAFTA for that same role.
Now, it is safe to say, he is practically a household name, and all eyes are on what he's going to be doing next. Well, on top of Spielberg's follow-up to Band Of Brothers, as well as new Irish drama Bring Them Down which could well be the next Banshees-style hit, there is also The Batman Part II to look forward to.
And when we recently caught up with Andy Serkis, one of his DC co-stars, we had to ask about the project. Serkis played Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman, and while there is still very little known about the sequel, it is assumed anyone who wasn't killed off in the first movie will likely be returning for Part II.
We caught up with Serkis while he was promoting is latest movie, Luther: The Fallen Sun. In that feature length project based on the hit TV series, Serkis plays David Robey, a serial killer who uses advanced technology to commit and to get away with his crimes.
During our chat, we mentioned that in that last year, the popularity of Barry Keoghan has absolutely exploded, and we asked is he excited to step back into the ring with him for The Batman Part II? Serkis told us:
"Absolutely. I've known Barry for some time and I absolutely adore him, I think he's a hugely talented actor. And the honesty in his performances is so overwhelming.
"I'm so thrilled for him, and yeah, I can't wait to see what happens next. Yeah, we know what we're talking about. [Laughs]"
We also mentioned that the technology links, the performative nature of the crimes, and the fact that Robey has essentially amassed a whole collective of criminals who want to follow in his footsteps... it actually called to mind the same mentality of The Riddler in the first Batman movie.
Serkis said: "In his own moral universe, [Robey] wants to take down what he would say is a hypocrite. Someone who is a 'good person', who thinks that he is above what we all are. Which, if we were all honest with ourselves, we all have as dark thoughts as David Robey.
"And so using the dark web, using surveillance, using technology which he's very smart with, he's able to create a safe space for likeminded, incel-type people. But at the same time, he wants to make them feel like this a theatrical home for them, in a way."
The Batman Part II is currently scheduled to arrive in cinemas on 3 October 2025, while Luther: The Fallen Sun arrives on Netflix this Friday, 10 March.
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