Sebastian Stan Is Already Deep In Gotham Mode As ‘The Batman Part II’ Training Kicks Off
Few DC sequels have been as meticulously anticipated as Matt Reeves’s follow-up to his acclaimed 2022 crime epic, a film that reimagined Gotham City with a grounded darkness that left audiences hungry for more. Three years on, that hunger is about to be fed, and every small update from the production is being treated like a bat-signal going up over the city. The machine is moving now, and one of the film’s newest additions is already putting in the hard yards before a single camera rolls.
‘The Batman Part II‘ has confirmed Sebastian Stan as the latest major addition to the cast, with The Hollywood Reporter’s newsletter reporting that the star best known as Bucky Barnes from the MCU is crossing the fence into the DC universe. He will take on the role of Harvey Dent, the Gotham City district attorney whose story carries with it one of comics’ most tragic arcs. While it remains unclear whether Dent will fully transform into the villain Two-Face within this particular chapter, the casting has sparked enormous fan excitement about where Reeves plans to take the character.
The proof that things are now very real arrived in the form of footage posted by Stan’s personal trainer, carrying the caption, “And so it begins… Training Sebastian Stan for ‘Batman.'” The clip offers a first look at the actor already deep in physical preparation for the role, a visible signal that production is not far off. Stan has since confirmed in a separate interview posted to Instagram that filming on the sequel is set to take place this summer, saying, “Obviously, Batman this summer’s going to be very interesting,” though he stopped short of sharing any further specifics about his character or a precise start date.
In the lead-up to his casting being widely reported, Stan had been dropping cryptic hints during an online conversation with his gym trainer, disclosing that he was preparing for what he called an amazing summer experience and that his next project was going to be, in his words, “crazy.” His comment that “people have no idea what’s coming” sent fan theories spiraling across social media, with many correctly connecting the dots to the Gotham sequel.
The film reunites Robert Pattinson with director Reeves, and will also see Colin Farrell back as Oz Cobb, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner James Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, with Barry Keoghan expected to return as the Joker. Scarlett Johansson has also joined the production, with reports suggesting she may portray Gilda Dent, a character with deep ties to Harvey’s story. Notably, Stan and Johansson previously shared the screen across multiple Avengers adventures, making their Gotham reunion a compelling dynamic.
The enthusiasm around the project extends well beyond the new cast additions. Pattinson told Deadline that the sequel will be “very, very different” from the first film and is “taking some big swings,” adding that he believes it will be “a really, really special movie.” Colin Farrell went even further in his praise, calling the Reeves script a “contemporary genre masterwork” during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
The first film pulled in an impressive $772 million globally, setting a high bar for the sequel to clear when it opens in theaters on October 1, 2027. With a cast this stacked and training already underway, Gotham is clearly gearing up for something substantial. How do you feel about Sebastian Stan stepping into the shoes of Harvey Dent, and do you want to see his full transformation into Two-Face play out in this film or across multiple entries?
