The Bat-Signal just got a major power boost. Sebastian Stan, the fan-favorite actor who spent over a decade as Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is officially in talks to join The Batman Part II.
According to exclusive reporting from JustJared, Stan is negotiating for a “pivotal” role in director Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated sequel.
While DC Studios and Warner Bros. have remained tight-lipped, the internet is already in a total meltdown. If the deal closes, Stan will reunite with his longtime Marvel co-star Scarlett Johansson, who joined the project in late 2025. Fans are losing it over the idea of the Winter Soldier and Black Widow crossing the “multiverse” divide to inhabit the gritty, rain-soaked streets of Robert Pattinson’s Gotham.
While Stan’s specific role is currently under wraps, the rumor mill is spinning at high speed. Industry insiders and reputable fan sites are heavily speculating that Stan is being tapped to play Harvey Dent. In DC lore, Dent is the heroic District Attorney who tragically transforms into the scarred villain Two-Face.
The casting makes sense on paper. Stan, currently 43, fits the reported age bracket for the “White Knight” of Gotham. His recent Oscar-nominated turn in The Apprentice proved he has the range to play a charismatic yet deeply flawed public figure. However, until Matt Reeves drops an official confirmation, Stan’s role as the coin-flipping DA remains pure speculation.
While new faces are grabbing the headlines, the core of the 2022 blockbuster is locked and loaded. Robert Pattinson is officially returning to the cape and cowl for his second outing as a Year Three Batman. Joining him are several franchise staples that helped make the first film a $772 million global smash.
Andy Serkis is set to return as the loyal (and tactical) Alfred Pennyworth, while Jeffrey Wright will once again light the signal as Commissioner James Gordon. Perhaps most excitingly, Colin Farrell is confirmed to reprise his role as Oswald “Oz” Cobb, fresh off the massive success of his solo The Penguin series on Max.
In a move that has sparked endless theories, Variety has confirmed that Barry Keoghan is expected to return as the Joker. Keoghan’s scarred, Hannibal Lecter-style Clown Prince of Crime was teased in a brief Arkham Asylum scene at the end of the first film, as well as a viral five-minute deleted scene.
However, sources suggest the Joker may not be the primary antagonist this time around. Director Matt Reeves has teased that the sequel’s villain is someone who has “never really been done in a movie before,” leading some to believe a character like the Court of Owls or Hush could be pulling the strings from the shadows.
The inclusion of Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson marks a historic shift in superhero casting. For years, actors were often “locked” into one camp or the other. Now, it seems the gates are wide open.
Johansson is reportedly playing a character named Gilda Gold, who in the comics is the wife of Harvey Dent. If Stan is indeed playing Dent, the two will have significant screen time together; a prospect that has Avengers fans ecstatic. Stan is still very much active in the MCU, with his next appearance scheduled for Avengers: Doomsday later in 2026.
Don’t go looking for your Bat-suit just yet. The Batman Part II has faced several delays due to the 2023 industry strikes and the meticulous nature of Reeves’ scripting process. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed in a recent earnings call that principal photography is scheduled to begin in Spring 2026 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK.
The film is currently eyeing a theatrical release date of October 1, 2027. This five-year gap between films is unusual for a major superhero franchise, but insiders suggest the studio is giving Reeves all the time he needs to perfect his “Elseworlds” vision, which remains separate from James Gunn’s new main DC Universe.
Let’s be honest: when the news broke that Sebastian Stan was circling a role in The Batman Part II, the first thought wasn’t “another superhero movie.” It was “finally, a director who knows how to use Stan’s brooding intensity.” For years, we’ve watched Stan play Bucky Barnes as a man haunted by a past he can’t escape. Now, Matt Reeves is reportedly handing him the keys to the most tragic arc in comic book history: Harvey Dent. If this deal closes, we aren’t just getting a new actor; we’re getting a fundamental shift in how Gotham City operates.
The fact that Reeves is poaching Sebastian Stan and Scarlett Johansson is a genius tactical move. We’ve spent a decade watching these two save the world in high-tech spandex. Seeing them in the grime and rain of Reeves’ “Bat-verse” is the ultimate palate cleanser. It’s “Dark Mode” for Avengers fans.
Johansson’s rumored role as Gilda Gold – the long-suffering wife of Harvey Dent – is a masterstroke if Stan ends up being her on-screen partner. We already know they have chemistry from their Captain America: The Winter Soldier days; bringing that built-in history to a crumbling marriage in Gotham is the kind of prestige drama this franchise deserves.
Looking at the data, fans are hungry for a “pre-villain” Harvey Dent. In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, we only got a glimpse of “I Believe in Harvey Dent” before he was burned and broken. Reeves likes to take his time. If Stan is indeed Dent, my bet is that the entirety of Part II will be about the corruption of an idealist.
Stan has this unique ability to look like a hero while his eyes tell you he’s about to snap – see his performance in A Different Man or The Apprentice for proof. He doesn’t just play a “two-faced” character; he inhabits the psychological split.
One thing we can’t emphasize enough: this isn’t James Gunn’s DC. While the main DC Universe is off doing Superman (2025) and Supergirl, Matt Reeves is building a walled garden. This “Elseworlds” status is why someone like Sebastian Stan can join the cast while still potentially being under contract for Avengers: Doomsday. There’s no continuity baggage. He gets to walk into a London studio in May 2026 and create a brand-new legacy. For an actor of his caliber, that freedom is likely more enticing than any paycheck.
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room…
Barry Keoghan’s Joker and Colin Farrell’s Penguin. Some critics are worried we’re heading into Spider-Man 3 territory with too many cooks in the kitchen. But remember, Reeves’ first film had Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, and Falcone, and it never felt bloated. Why? Because Gotham itself is the main character. Every villain is just a symptom of the city’s sickness. If Stan’s Harvey Dent is the “law and order” side of the story, Keoghans’ Joker represents the pure chaos that breaks that order. It’s a classic tug-of-war for Bruce Wayne’s soul.
All signs point to this sequel being significantly heavier than the first. You don’t cast an Oscar nominee like Stan or a powerhouse like Johansson for a “fun” cameo. You cast them to tear the audience’s hearts out. Between the London filming locations and the Glasgow Scottish Gothic architecture, the stage is set for a tragedy. If you thought the first film was bleak, buckle up. The addition of the “Winter Soldier” to Gotham’s roster suggests that the fight for Gotham’s future is about to get very, very personal.
