Barry Keoghan has addressed his (potential) return as The Joker in Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II, and we'd say there's a strong possibility he will be back as the BatVerse's take on the Clown Prince of Crime.
While chatting to E Talk about his latest film, Saltburn, the Irish actor was asked if he will reprise the role for the upcoming DC Comics sequel, and even though he doesn't come right out and confirm anything, his response is pretty telling!
"I can't really say anything about that. It would be exciting, wouldn't it? To see the Joker come to life again. My smile says all, you know what I mean?"
Keoghan was initially said to be playing Officer Stanley Merkel in The Batman, but rumors soon emerged that this was simply misdirection. Sure enough, the Eternals actor shows up near the end of the movie as an "Unnamed Arkham Prisoner" who converses with The Riddler (Paul Dano), but it soon becomes clear that he's supposed to be The Joker - or at least, the man who will eventually become The Joker.
Reeves later shared a deleted scene featuring Keoghan's villain speaking to the Caped Crusader (Robert Pattinson), but the filmmaker has said that this shouldn't be taken as an indication that Joker is being lined up as the main antagonist of his sequel.
When the new DCU slate was announced, James Gunn confirmed that Reeves' "BatVerse" will remain separate from the DCU, so this movie, along with the upcoming Joker sequel, will be considered "Elseworlds" tales. A new actor will don the cape and cowl for Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which will also feature a different take on Robin in Bruce Wayne's son, Damian Wayne.
Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, and Colin Farrell are all expected to reprise their respective roles, and there are rumors that the sequel will also feature the debut of Dick Grayson, aka the original Robin, and possibly even Clayface. Hush has also been mentioned as a possible primary villain.
Specific plot details are still under wraps, but we know the Penguin spin-off series will set up the story. As far as official info goes, Reeves has stated that his sequel will continue this "epic crime saga," but that's about all we have to go on.
The Batman - Part II is set to release in theaters on October 3, 2025.