Assuming everything is still on schedule, The Batman - Part II is expected to begin shooting next month, and most of the main roles have now been filled - with the exception of Harvey Dent's troubled father, Christopher Dent.
This is believed to be the part Brad Pitt was offered prior to Sebastian Stan being cast as Harvey Dent, aka Two Face. We've since heard that director Matt Reeves is now searching for a slightly older actor to play Dent Sr. (Stellan Skarsgård is rumored to have turned down the offer), and it seems a former 007 may be next on the studio's wishlist.
According to GFR, Daniel Craig has been offered the part of Christopher Dent, and if he declines, Liam Neeson is next in line.
Admittedly, this source has a patchy (at best) track record, but to their credit, they did report that Scarlett Johansson had been offered a role in the movie before the trades confirmed the news.
There are rumors that the sequel will also feature a second male bad guy (third if you count Harvey), but if this is the case, the character remains a mystery.
Reeves has previously dropped a few hints about the villain Batman will be facing off against in the movie, describing the mysterious antagonist as someone who has "never really been done in a movie before." There's a good chance he was referring to Johansson's character here, however.
“Because of what the first movie was and what [The Batman: Part 2] is, which is so much a detective story, the idea of trying to protect the secrets of the movie is super important because it’s a mystery. That would be an extra level of heartbreak if that part of it started getting out. You wanna keep the surprise so the fans... can have the fun experience that I always love going to the movies, which was to go and be surprised,” the filmmaker said in a recent interview.
Writer Mattson was recently asked for an update on the sequel by a fan on X.
"We worked exceptionally hard to tell a story worthy of the character. Something that feels new and dangerous. The bar couldn't be higher. Looking forward to people seeing it and being able to talk about it at length. We did our actual, literal, pushed beyond the limit best."
The Batman - Part II is set to hit theaters on October 1, 2027.
Robert Pattinson will return as Bruce Wayne/Batman, along with Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, and (possibly) Barry Keoghan as The Joker. Zoë Kravitz is not expected to reprise her role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Scarlett Johansson is believed to be playing Harvey Dent's wife, Gilda.