The Batman 2 Ups the Stakes: Sebastian Stan’s Role Deepens as a Classic DC Villain Returns

Gotham is getting crowded again. The Batman Part II is still a ways off, but the casting chatter just kicked up a notch, and it points to a very specific coin-flipping direction.

• Sebastian Stan is in talks to join The Batman Part II, per Deadline. No role named officially.
• Insider Jeff Sneider strongly hinted Stan is circling Harvey Dent/Two-Face.
• Barry Keoghan is expected to pop back up as the Joker, according to Sneider and Variety.
• Robert Pattinson returns as Batman; Matt Reeves is back to direct and co-write with Mattson Tomlin.
• Scarlett Johansson has been cast in a role that WB/DC are keeping under wraps.
• US release date: October 1, 2027, from Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios.
• Plot details are still locked down. The Batman and spin-off series The Penguin are streaming on Max.

So what is the Sebastian Stan thing, exactly?

Earlier today, the trades said Stan (yep, Bucky Barnes himself) is negotiating to join Matt Reeves' sequel. The role was not disclosed. Minutes later, Jeff Sneider jumped in with a pretty pointed nudge toward Harvey Dent.

"Was told last night that Reeves had found his Dent. Was gonna start asking this morning... but I was too slow!"

For extra emphasis, Sneider had posted a Two-Face image the day before, then resurfaced it once the Stan news hit on January 6, 2026. That is about as loud as a wink gets. To be clear: DC/WB have not announced Two-Face or Stan's role. But if you were waiting for Reeves to bring in Gotham's favorite walking coin flip, you might be in luck.

Is the Joker back too?

Looks that way. Sneider added that Barry Keoghan is expected to return as the Joker, and Variety echoed that he is expected to appear again. No word on how big the role is or how he fits into the next chapter, but Reeves has called this corner of Gotham a long-view crime saga, so it tracks that the Clown is not a one-and-done.

Where the sequel stands

The Batman Part II is dated for October 1, 2027 in US theaters. Matt Reeves is once again directing and co-writing with Mattson Tomlin. Robert Pattinson is back under the cowl. Scarlett Johansson is onboard in a mystery role that nobody is talking about yet. Official plot details? Still in the vault.

If you need a refresher while we wait: The Batman and The Penguin are both streaming on Max. And given how these casting ripples are shaping up, The Batman Part II is looking less like a simple sequel and more like the next move in a slow-burn Gotham crime epic. Stay tuned for an official flip of the coin.