Sebastian Stan Reportedly Playing a Different Character in ‘The Batman: Part II’ Despite Two-Face Rumors

Matt Reeves has kept ‘The Batman Part II’ shrouded in secrecy since production began, leaving fans to piece together plot details from scattered set photos, cast announcements, and industry rumors. Few casting mysteries have generated as much back-and-forth speculation as the question of exactly who Sebastian Stan is actually playing in Gotham’s next dark chapter.

When Stan first joined the sequel, reports pointed toward Harvey Dent, the district attorney destined to become Two-Face, with additional casting details seeming to reinforce that theory. Scarlett Johansson was linked to the role of Dent’s wife Gilda, while Charles Dance was reportedly cast as Dent’s abusive father Christopher, painting a fairly clear picture of Stan’s trajectory in the film.

That picture got upended when industry insider Jeff Sneider reported that Stan is instead playing Victor Zsasz, the brutal serial killer known in the comics for carving tally marks into his own skin after each murder. According to Sneider’s reporting, Brian Tyree Henry, who Reeves had already confirmed was joining the cast, would take on the role of Harvey Dent instead, flipping months of assumptions about who was playing whom.

Sneider’s theory gained additional weight from comments Reeves made back in September 2025, when the director described the sequel’s villain as someone who has “never really been done in a movie before.” That description fits Zsasz more than Dent, since the character has never received a proper, comic-accurate portrayal on screen, despite brief appearances played by Tim Booth in ‘Batman Begins’ and Chris Messina in ‘Birds of Prey,’ where he was depicted as more of a buffoonish henchman than the disturbed serial killer from the source material.

Adding fuel to the Zsasz theory, a photo circulating on social media in early August showed Stan with a bald look that closely resembles how the character is typically drawn in DC Comics. Sneider has continued standing by his Zsasz claim even after the photo surfaced, maintaining that Henry, not Stan, is playing Harvey Dent in the sequel.

Just when the Zsasz theory seemed to be gaining momentum, Stan himself appeared to muddy the waters further. Speaking to a French-language outlet, Stan reportedly confirmed he is playing Harvey Dent in ‘The Batman: Part II,’ seemingly validating the original casting reports rather than the more recent Zsasz rumor. That comment followed an earlier remark Stan made to Deadline in May, when he described his role in the sequel as playing “many roles in this one,” a line many fans interpreted as a hint toward Dent’s eventual transformation into Two-Face.

The conflicting reports have left plenty of room for interpretation, with some noting that Stan’s comments came from a print-only interview, raising questions about translation or tone that could have been lost along the way. Others have pointed out that right before Stan mentioned playing Dent, he explicitly said he couldn’t discuss anything about the film, leading some to wonder if the Dent comment was delivered sarcastically rather than as a genuine confirmation.

With Reeves keeping official details locked down and conflicting reports continuing to surface from multiple angles, the truth behind Stan’s casting remains genuinely unclear. Some have even floated the possibility that Stan could be playing some combination of both characters, given how unconventional Reeves’ take on Gotham has proven to be so far.

‘The Batman Part II’ is set to hit theaters on February 18, 2028, joining Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry, Charles Dance and a growing ensemble cast in Reeves’ continued exploration of a grounded, noir-inspired Gotham City. Until an official confirmation arrives, fans will likely keep dissecting every new photo and comment for clues about which villain Stan is truly bringing to life.

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