WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Batman, in theaters now.
For months, there has been speculation about trailer reveals for The Batman – specifically, the villains that are shown and the ones that aren’t. The film revolves around Batman figuring out who The Riddler is as an up-and-coming villain, with Carmine Falcone and Penguin appearing as pre-established characters and crime bosses. The end of the movie also drops a Joker reveal, as many fans have been speculating. However, the film includes yet another brief hint at a different villain, possibly setting him up for a future appearance as well.
At one point in The Batman, there’s a series of revelations about Thomas Wayne and the Wayne family. In a blink-and-you-missed-it moment during this scene, there’s a brief mention of a reporter with the last name Elliot. Although this could be a random character, the moment is paired with the word “Hush!” written across one of the images. While this might not mean much to the casual viewer, Batman fans might have made the connection to Thomas Elliot, also known as Hush. Paired with the fact that Hush teamed up with Riddler when he was first introduced, and this film features Riddler as the main antagonist, it’s an interesting connection that may tease that Hush will be one of Batman’s next villains.
Batman: Hush introduced the titular villain as an incredibly intelligent and dangerous opponent to Batman, who posed a unique danger due to his personal connection to Bruce Wayne. Thomas Elliot and Bruce Wayne were best friends for several years as children until Thomas’ parents were in a car accident. A young Bruce had promised him that his father would be able to save them both without any problems, but when Thomas Wayne announced he was only able to save his mother, Elliot blamed Bruce. Elliot’s newfound hatred toward Bruce eventually led him to develop the Hush persona in opposition to Batman.
Thomas is described as intelligent, constantly telling Bruce to “think like his opponent” and becoming a skilled surgeon as an adult. As Elliot, he performs life-saving surgery on Bruce after a run-in with Killer Croc, and the two reconnect on friendly terms. Meanwhile, Batman is fighting a coalition of some of his most well-known villains and partners, each acting above and beyond their usual scope of crime. Killer Croc, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Joker, and even Huntress and Superman are all affected by some unknown force, and Batman suspects that they must have been manipulated by someone else.
It’s eventually revealed that this mystery mastermind is a man called Hush, who knows Batman’s true identity and is using those closest to the Dark Knight against him. After hiring Clayface to disguise himself as long-dead Jason Todd to throw off his mortal enemy, Hush and Batman have a final climactic battle, where the former finally unveils his true identity as Bruce’s childhood. While fighting Batman, he reveals he isn’t angry that Thomas Wayne couldn’t save his father: he’s angry that he was able to save one of his parents at all. Elliot had orchestrated his parents’ accident, hoping to inherit the insurance money he would get from their deaths, and he hated Bruce because his father was able to save his mother.
Batman isn’t able to confirm that Hush is dead after their fight but manages to piece together the events that have transpired and deduces that there is one last missing piece of the puzzle. He visits The Riddler in Arkham, confirming his suspicions that he had planned it all and was working with Hush, and Riddler reveals his trump card – that he also knows Batman’s identity. Batman counters, saying that a riddle that everyone knows is worthless, and Riddler’s nature prevents him from revealing his identity because it wouldn’t be a riddle to anyone anymore.
One interesting connection to note is the orphan backstory The Batman gives Riddler. The driving force behind most of his actions is his upbringing as a poor orphan, in which he and his orphanage were ignored and left to fend for themselves while Bruce inherited his family fortune and received public sympathy and attention. Elliot also wanted what Bruce had – a family fortune and no one to interfere with it. With their similar backstories, it could be a good way to introduce Elliot in the future.
While a fearsome opponent in his own right, Hush never became a big-name villain among the general crowd, so it’s not surprising if some miss the reference while watching The Batman. However, it’s a pretty interesting connection between the name Elliot, the use of “Hush!” the storyline that could hint at a future appearance, and an idea of what the sequel might do.
To find hints of Hush, The Batman is now playing in theaters.
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