Sebastian Stan Shares a Major Update on His Rumored ‘The Batman: Part 2’ Role

Sebastian Stan has spent the past several years building one of the most eclectic filmographies in Hollywood, jumping seamlessly between prestige dramas, genuine awards contenders and blockbuster franchise work without ever settling into a single lane. That range has made him one of the more unpredictable major actors currently working, and his latest career move continues that pattern in a genuinely unexpected direction.

Fresh off a Palme d’Or winning performance in Cristian Mungiu’s ‘Fjord’ at Cannes, Stan is now preparing for one of the most significant villain roles in modern superhero cinema. His casting as Harvey Dent in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman: Part II’ places him in rare company as one of the few actors to play major roles in both the Marvel and DC universes.

Speaking with Première about how he approaches preparing for such a pivotal character within Batman mythology, Stan explained that no matter the subject or the character, whether it is a film with Christian Mungiu or Matt Reeves, an actor always has to get to the heart of the truth. He described that process as understanding what shapes a person’s way of thinking, their family background, socioeconomic level, and the specific place and time period they come from, insisting all of those elements deserve equal treatment and importance.

That philosophy, according to Stan, applies just as much to a comic book villain as it does to a character drawn from real life events. He emphasized that regardless of whether a character is real or fictional, thorough research remains essential, noting that both Marvel and DC characters are actually quite complex once you dig into them.

“No matter the subject or the character, whether it’s a film with Christian Mungiu or Matt Reeves, you always have to get to the heart of the truth. That means understanding what makes a person the way they are. What shapes their way of thinking? What is the world, the environment in which they grew up? That also includes their family background, their socio-economic level, as well as the city, the place and the time period in which they find themselves. You have to treat all of that with the same importance,”

Stan went further, describing something he sees as inherently mythological about comic books as a storytelling medium. He explained that there is always a reason a character ends up a hero or a villain, and that finding that underlying reason is what has the strongest impact on how he ultimately interprets the role.

“And regardless of whether it’s a real person or a fictional character, you always have to do your research. So that’s what I do. And then, at Marvel as well as DC, all these characters are actually quite complex. I also think—and sometimes people don’t realize it right away—that there’s something mythological about comics. In any case, there’s always a reason, whether the character is a good guy or a bad guy, that explains why they ended up where they are. And in my opinion, finding that reason is what has the strongest impact on the interpretation.”

That approach tracks closely with comments Stan made earlier this year while first confirming his involvement in the project. Speaking to Deadline during his Cannes press tour, he described the role as ambitious and expressed genuine excitement about working with Reeves, whom he called one of his favorites for a long time, adding that he believes the film will surprise a lot of people.

Stan’s transformation into Harvey Dent carries added weight given the character’s eventual disfigurement into the villain Two-Face. He previously told Deadline he had been working closely with hair and makeup teams who devised how that transformation would ultimately look on screen, describing his own feelings heading into the role as a mix of excitement and nerves.

This marks a significant career pivot for Stan, who continues playing Bucky Barnes in the MCU and is set to reprise that role later this year in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ before shifting entirely into DC territory for Reeves’ Batman sequel. That kind of dual franchise presence remains rare among major actors, making Stan’s simultaneous commitments to both universes a genuinely notable industry storyline.

With ‘The Batman: Part II’ set to release on October 1, 2027, and Stan joining a cast that includes Robert Pattinson, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright and Scarlett Johansson, fans have plenty of time to speculate about exactly how his research-heavy approach will shape one of Gotham’s most iconic and tragic villains.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!