The dark streets of Gotham City are getting a new district attorney. Sebastian Stan has officially joined the cast of The Batman: Part II and will play Harvey Dent. This confirmation ends weeks of fan speculation about which role the Marvel star would take in director Matt Reeves’ gritty superhero sequel.
Stan is the second major Marvel Cinematic Universe actor to cross over into this DC story, following the earlier casting of his Avengers co-star, Scarlett Johansson. With a finished script in hand, the film is scheduled to begin filming in early 2026 and is set for a global theatrical release on October 1, 2027.
Harvey Dent Joins The Batman Universe
Harvey Dent is one of Batman’s most famous allies and enemies in DC Comics. He begins as a passionate and idealistic District Attorney of Gotham City, determined to clean up the city’s corruption through legal means. After a brutal attack leaves half his face scarred, he suffers a psychological break and becomes the villain Two-Face, a criminal who makes all his decisions by flipping a two-headed coin.
The character has appeared in several past Batman films. Billy Dee Williams played a charming version of the character in 1989’s Batman, though that film did not show his transformation. Tommy Lee Jones portrayed a fully formed, manic Two-Face in 1995’s Batman Forever. The most recent live-action movie version was played by Aaron Eckhart in 2008’s The Dark Knight, which showed Dent’s tragic fall from grace.
It is not yet confirmed if Sebastian Stan will play only the heroic Harvey Dent or also show his transformation into Two-Face in The Batman: Part II. Some reports suggest the film will focus heavily on the character and his wife.
Sebastian Stan’s Path To Playing Two-Face
Fans and entertainment reporters have suggested Sebastian Stan for the role of Harvey Dent for years, often sharing edited photos of the actor with Two-Face’s scars. His casting is seen by many as a perfect match for the character’s dual nature.
Stan is best known for playing Bucky Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In that role, he expertly portrayed a hero brainwashed into becoming a villain, a journey that required showing deep internal conflict. This experience makes him a strong choice for Harvey Dent’s own tragic arc.
Beyond superhero films, Stan’s recent work shows his range. He earned critical praise and an Oscar nomination for playing a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice. He also starred in A Different Man, a film that deals directly with themes of facial difference and identity, which connects closely to Harvey Dent’s story.
Matt Reeves told The Hollywood Reporter that The Batman: Part II would take Bruce Wayne and Batman in a direction that has “never been done before in this way”.
The Growing Cast Of The Batman Sequel
The Batman: Part II is bringing back the core cast from the first film. Robert Pattinson will return as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Andy Serkis is confirmed back as his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, and Jeffrey Wright will again play police ally Lieutenant Jim Gordon.
Other villains from Batman’s world are also set to appear. Colin Farrell will reprise his role as Oz Cobb, also known as The Penguin. Barry Keoghan is expected to return as The Joker, though his exact role in the story is not clear. Notably, Zoë Kravitz is not expected to return as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
The casting of Scarlett Johansson is directly linked to Stan’s role. While her character has not been officially confirmed, strong rumors and industry reports indicate she will play Gilda Dent, Harvey Dent’s wife. In the iconic Batman story The Long Halloween, which inspires parts of this film universe, Gilda Dent has a major and surprising connection to a serial killer plot.
Newcomer Tobias Menzies is also in talks for a role, potentially playing Amadeus Arkham, the founder of the infamous Arkham Asylum.
Story Connections And Production Timeline
The story for The Batman: Part II is being kept secret, but some clues exist. The HBO Max series The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell, takes place in the time between the first film and the sequel. Farrell mentioned that the sequel will pick up “a few weeks after the show ended”.
Director Matt Reeves co-wrote the script with Mattson Tomlin. The pair confirmed they finished a draft in June 2025 by posting a photo of the script’s first page online. While the plot is unknown, Reeves has said the film will focus deeply on Bruce Wayne’s character and feature a villain that “digs into his past”.
The film exists in its own separate world, known as an “Elseworlds” story within DC. This means Robert Pattinson’s Batman will not crossover with characters from the new DC Universe being built by James Gunn, such as the upcoming Superman movie.
Production is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026. Filming will take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the United Kingdom, with additional filming expected in Glasgow and Liverpool.
Also Read:
Global Release Date For The Batman Part II
After several delays, The Batman: Part II has a firm release date. The film will open in theaters worldwide on Friday, October 1, 2027.
This date is a significant delay from the movie’s original planned release. The sequel was first announced in April 2022, shortly after the success of the first film. Its release was originally set for October 3, 2025, before being pushed to October 2, 2026, and finally to its current 2027 date. The delays were primarily to give Reeves and his team more time to perfect the script.
Also Read: Drops of God Season 1 Recap and Release Info for Season 2
