The DC Cinematic Universe has had a polarizing infancy. With “Man of Steel” in 2013 dividing audiences, and 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” being pretty much universally despised garbage, most have lost hope completely in the franchise, well ahead of the releases of several of their next planned properties, including “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” later this year. The blame has shifted erratically between the producers, the directors, and the writers, with Zack Snyder taking much of the heat for his direction of the first two installments of the universe (though David Ayer has a lot to make up for with “Squad”), so it would seem the next best step for Warner Brothers is to shell out and get the best filmmakers they can on board.

That seems to be the plan. Just last month, it was revealed that Mel Gibson was being courted to helm the sequel to “Squad,” and while the renowned director has openly discussed his distaste for the genre, the possibility stands that the “Braveheart”/“Hacksaw Ridge” director could adapt the characters himself.

Around the same time as the Gibson talks surfaced, it was announced that Matt Reeves would take over as the director of the planned Batman movie (which was previously employing Ben Affleck to direct, as well as write and star). Slated to begin production sometime in 2018, the movie is still far away, and it seems to be getting farther away still. Last week, it was announced that the script originally penned by Affleck and writer Geoff Johns, is being scrapped completely. What this means for Joe Manganiello is unclear; he was set to play Slade Wilson/Deathstroke as the main baddie of Affleck’s film, but with a new script coming, we may not see the supervillain after all.

There are many potential reasons for the script going back to the ground floor, one of which could be a desire on Matt Reeves’ part to tell the Batman story that he wants to tell. The director noted for the critically acclaimed “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and this year’s soon-to-be-released “War of the Planet of the Apes”, could want to have a say in an original script for the Caped Crusader that he’d rather tell. As a fan of DC, I’ll wait and see what Reeves has to offer, keeping in mind that a superhero movie is only as good as its villain. With a new script coming, here are a few characters that should be considered for the next “Batman” epic:

1. Deathstroke

Not only is he already cast, but Joe Manganiello has stated in interviews that his involvement in the film is shadowed only by his excitement over it. Even though production isn’t set to begin for at least another year, the actor has said he’s already begun reading every Deathstroke comic book he can get his hands on, and that he’s begun training in swordplay. Casting aside, Deathstroke is a hugely popular character with fans, with a rich and badass history that would surely make for an intense and enjoyable Batman flick.

2. The Riddler

Unseen since Joel Schumacher’s 1995 “Batman Forever,” the notorious villain was previously played by Jim Carrey, and although the movie wasn’t well-received, many offered praise for Carrey’s interpretation of the iconic baddie. The Riddler has always been a powerful intellectual threat to the Dark Knight, so seeing him pull some strings in the realm of Batman would play out beautifully. Now that we’re over twenty years past Schumacher’s flop, it’s time to consider pulling Edward Nygma off the shelf and putting him into the DC cinematic universe as the deserving, nefarious fiend he is.

3. Mister Freeze

Okay, this is a gamble. The last time we saw Mister Freeze was in Joel Schumacher’s second attempt at the characters with 1997’s “Batman and Robin.” Played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the character has been mocked ever since, notably over his extensive use of over-the-top ice themed puns. Despite the terrible jokes, in the iterations of the character throughout other forms of media, such as comics, cartoons, and the adored Arkham video game series, Mister Freeze has proven to be one of Batman’s most powerful and dangerous foes, with strength and intelligence to match that of the Dark Knight. While he may be campy on the surface, it would show a tremendous amount of skill on Matt Reeve’s part to successfully bring the coldhearted villain to the silver screen.

“The Batman” is set for production sometime in 2018. It will be directed by Matt Reeves and will star Ben Affleck as none other than the Batman.