Sebastian Stan Confirms the Role He Will Play in ‘The Batman: Part II’

Matt Reeves has spent years carefully expanding his gritty, noir-tinged vision of Gotham City, and each new casting reveal for the franchise’s follow-up has only raised the stakes further. Since 2022’s ‘The Batman’ first introduced audiences to Robert Pattinson’s brooding take on the Dark Knight, fans have been speculating about which iconic villain would define the sequel’s central conflict.

That speculation reached a new level of certainty this year as reports connected Marvel veteran Sebastian Stan to one of Gotham’s most famous names. Stan was cast in an undisclosed role in the Matt Reeves-directed sequel, with reports at the time speculating heavily that the actor would take on the character of Harvey Dent.

That speculation has now been confirmed directly by Stan himself. According to French outlet Le Journal du Dimanche, Stan revealed he will indeed play Harvey Dent in the upcoming Batman sequel, putting to rest months of rumors about his specific role in the franchise.

Best known for playing Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan is switching over to DC for the role. Harvey Dent has previously been portrayed by Aaron Eckhart in 2008’s ‘The Dark Knight,’ Billy Dee Williams in 1989’s ‘Batman,’ Tommy Lee Jones in 1995’s ‘Batman Forever,’ and most recently Harry Lawtey in 2024’s ‘Joker: Folie à Deux.’

Stan previously opened up about joining the project earlier this year, describing the tone and ambition Reeves is bringing to the follow-up. “[It’s] a challenge, like everything else. I feel like it’s a really ambitious movie and I think if we do it all right — and obviously I’m so excited about Matt Reeves [directing] because he’s been one of my favorites for a long, long time — I really think it’s going to blow people away. It’s going to surprise a lot of people, I think, too,” Stan told Deadline.

Stan confirmed he was set to begin work on ‘The Batman: Part II’ soon, with production commencing in London this past June. He’ll be joined by Scarlett Johansson, reportedly cast as Harvey’s wife Gilda Dent, and Charles Dance, rumored to be playing his father. The trio will star alongside returning cast members Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Barry Keoghan as the Joker, Andy Serkis as Alfred, and Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Jim Gordon.

The sequel is expected to focus more heavily on Bruce Wayne himself, exploring growing corruption and political division within Gotham City following the events of the first film and its spinoff series ‘The Penguin.’ That focus on institutional decay lines up naturally with Dent’s arc, given that the character traditionally begins as an idealistic district attorney before circumstances push him toward becoming Two-Face.

Stan also reflected more broadly on why characters like Batman continue resonating with audiences decade after decade. “Obviously there’s a reason why Batman’s been re-occurring for so many years, and why so many kids love Spider-Man,” he said, according to the same Deadline interview, framing superhero stories as formative narratives for young audiences navigating their own identities.

The film is set to be released in October 2027, giving fans over a year to speculate about how deeply Stan’s version of Dent will explore the character’s eventual transformation. Given Reeves’ meticulous approach to worldbuilding across the franchise so far, few expect the answer to come easily or predictably.

With filming now underway and Stan’s role officially confirmed, anticipation for ‘The Batman: Part II’ shows no signs of slowing down.

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