Director Matt Reeves, who directed “The Batman”, officially confirmed the cast of “The Batman Part II” through a series of posts on X on May 14, revealing that Marvel stars Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan are joining the highly anticipated sequel alongside Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch.
Reeves announced each casting separately using dramatic GIF posts online. Confirming Johansson’s involvement, the filmmaker shared a GIF from her 2013 film ‘Under the Skin’ with the caption, “Next exit, Gotham… Welcome.” Hours later, he confirmed Stan’s casting with another cryptic message: “In a Gotham state of mind… Welcome.”
The sequel, scheduled for release on October 1, 2027, will continue Reeves’ grounded Gotham universe following the success of 2022’s “The Batman”. The film earned more than $772 million worldwide and reintroduced audiences to a younger, emotionally fractured Bruce Wayne, played by Robert Pattinson.
Returning cast members include Pattinson as Batman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál and Gil Perez-Abraham as Officer Martinez.
But it is the arrival of actors associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe – Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan – that has pushed fan excitement into overdrive. Stan, best known for playing Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is reportedly set to play Harvey Dent, the idealistic Gotham district attorney who is expected to transform into Batman’s iconic enemy Two-Face.
Johansson, meanwhile, is heavily rumoured to portray Gilda Dent, Harvey’s wife from the comics. In ‘Batman: The Long Halloween’, Gilda witnesses Harvey’s gradual psychological collapse as Gotham’s corruption slowly destroys him from within. Her inclusion has fueled speculation that the sequel would focus less on traditional comic-book spectacle and more on emotional tragedy and character breakdown.
Stan recently addressed the role for the first time, calling the project “a really ambitious movie.”
“I think if we do it all right, I really think it’s going to blow people away,” the actor said. “Obviously, I’m so excited about Matt Reeves because he’s been one of my favourites for a long time.”
Fans online immediately celebrated the casting. Many described Stan’s addition as “generational,” while others praised the idea of seeing Marvel actors enter Reeves’s darker Gotham universe. One fan wrote, “Few contemporaries can equal Robert Pattinson’s intensity and range; Sebastian Stan is one of them,” reflecting the excitement surrounding the unexpected Marvel DC crossover.
Meanwhile, Brian Tyree Henry’s casting has become one of the film’s biggest mysteries. Unlike Johansson and Stan, his involvement had not previously leaked, leading to intense fan theories online about who he could be playing.
The roles of Sebastian Koch and Charles Dance also remain undisclosed; however, several reports suggest the story may revolve heavily around the Dent family, with Dance rumoured to portray Christopher Dent, Harvey’s abusive father.
Reeves has also started teasing the film’s darker atmosphere. On May 7, the director shared a snowy image of the Batmobile online, with the hashtag “#SnowTires,” hinting that Gotham could enter a brutal winter setting in the sequel, both physically and emotionally.
Production for “The Batman Part II” is expected to begin in the UK later this month. And now, with major Marvel stars officially entering Reeves’ DC universe, fan anticipation surrounding Gotham’s next chapter has only intensified.