The Batman: Part II is officially filming, and director Matt Reeves is making no secret about it. At the time of writing this, Reeves is carrying out his own social media campaign, revealing first looks at some of the new cast members joining the film, and maybe some key teaser images that will get the DC Universe fandom buzzing.
Below you’ll find the images that Matt Reeves has shared from the set of The Batman 2, with explanations about each actor, the character they are playing, and the comic book lore involved, as well as some speculation about how the character could be changed for Reeves’ Batman Universe.
NOTE: This list will be UPDATED as Matt Reeves drops new teasers on his social media feed. So stay tuned, or check back often.
The first new cast member Matt Reeves revealed was Scarlett Johansson as “Gilda Dent,” the wife of District Attorney Harvey Dent, who will be played by Sebastian Stan (Thunderbolts*). Reeves captioned the GIF image of Johansson’s face in a car rearview mirror with “Next exit, Gotham… Welcome.”
Gilda Dent played a pivotal role in one of the most famous Batman stories there is. “The Long Halloween” was set in Batman’s second year of crimefighting and centered on the relationship between Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Batman, as they tried to solve a string of serial killer murders carried out on every holiday. The story depicted Harvey Dent as a hopeful D.A. trying to finish off the last of Gotham’s organized crime world, only to be swept up by the new wave of costumed “freaks” that invaded Gotham in Batman’s wake. Gilda Dent plays a pivotal role in Harvey’s story and his eventual transformation into Two-Face. Reeves will likely be mining that darker and more complicated character arc for Gilda, no matter how he changes and molds it for his sequel film.
In a Gotham state of mind… Welcome. 
pic.twitter.com/K3bCD83zCI
Marvel’s Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier, Sebastian Stan, has been cast in The Batman: Part II as Harvey Dent. Reeves shared the first look at Stan’s Harvey Dent by posting a GIF that seems to showcase, in just a few seconds, the complex range of emotions that Harvey Dent will be trying to regulate. It’s a deliciously perfect snippet, which Reeves knows will get fans wondering about how this Harvey Dent evolves into Two-Face. Reeves is also ever the comedian, posting the caption “In a Gotham State of mind…” over this scene of Harvey Dent looking like he’s on the verge of mania.
Game of Thrones star Charles Dance will be helping to expand the lore around Harvey Dent by playing his father, Christopher Dent. In the comics, Christopher Dent has been depicted as an alcoholic and abusive father to Harvey, who would flip a trick coin and fool his son into thinking he could either get grace, or harsh discipline (read: abuse). Even in later retcons where he was “Harvey Dent Sr.,” and a powerful Gotham politician, the character was still depicted as a gambler, drinker, and abuser.
The GIF is from Dance’s scenes as Lord Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, but the caption Matt Reeves posted reads “Out of the shadows…”. While we don’t know exactly what that means, it does hint at Christopher Dent possibly having been estranged from his son before this shady reunion. The casting of Charles Dance in the role also makes a lot fans think that the Court of Owls storyline is indeed at the core of The Batman: Part II, and the Dents (like the Waynes) will be among the powerful famiies of Gotham involved in that cabal.
Locked and loaded for Gotham… Welcome. pic.twitter.com/Tc6lcAkJ4N
Now Matt Reeves is officially getting mysterious, dropping new cast members we didn’t even know were in the film. The GIF shows an actor point a gun, with Reeves’ caption “Locked and loaded for Gotham”. The actor has been identified as Sebastian Koch, who starred in Showtime’s Bryan Cranston crime-drama series, Your Honor, and the espionage thriller Homeland. Fans speculate that he could be The Batman Universe’s version of Detective Harvey Bullock; it’s not a bad guess, at first glance, and would fit with the caption Reeves attached.
Actor Brian Tyree Henry is apparently going to be appearing in The Batman: Part II – his second Batman Universe movie, after making a minor appearance in Joker (2019). Henry is a fan-favorite due to his starring roles in shows like FX’s Atlanta and Apple TV’s Dope Thief, as well as films like Marvel’s Eternals and voicing Miles Morales’ dad in the Spider-Verse animated films, as well as the action flick Bullet Train. Due to the obvious racial correlation, some fans are predicting that Henry will be the Lucius Fox of The Batman Universe – which would be a natural leap from his role as the Eternals’ engineering genius, Phastos. Reeve’s caption “Welcome to the party, man…” is curious. Is that reference to Prince’s “Party Man” song (and Jack Nicholson’s famous Joker art gallery sequence) in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989).
Matt Reeves has already spent a day or so confirming the returning cast that will be featured in the sequel. That list includes Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. Colin Farrell will be back as Oz Cobb, aka “The Penguin,” while Con O’Neill will reprise his role from both The Batman and The Penguin as GCPD chief, Mackenzie Bock. Barry Keoghan is rumored to once again provide a cameo role as the Joker.
The Batman: Part II has a release date of October 1, 2027. And discuss: “Which Batman Movie Has the Best Gotham City?” with us!
