Matt Reeves’ “The Batman Half II” continues to achieve momentum as 2026 will get underway, as one casting announcement follows one other. Just lately, Sebastian Stan has joined Scarlett Johansson as the most recent thespians to enter Reeves’ Gotham Metropolis (and, satirically, each are veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and as quickly as phrase of their involvement broke out, there was rampant hypothesis about who they’re enjoying. The thriller surrounding Johansson’s character remains to be energetic, however now we will formally put the rumors about Stan’s position to mattress. In response to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heatvision e-newsletter, Stan will certainly be portraying Harvey Dent, the idealistic District Lawyer whose future it’s to have his face horribly scarred, which breaks his psyche and transforms him into the villainous Two-Face.
Sadly, there are not any extra particulars past that, so we will not say whether or not Stan will get to play the coin-flipping menace in “Half II” correct, or whether or not he’ll be plain outdated Harvey for almost all of the movie. Given the involvement of Johansson in addition to the anticipated return of Barry Keoghan because the Joker, there could also be an excessive amount of occurring for Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne to additionally cope with Large Dangerous Harv. Nonetheless, there is a good probability that Stan’s casting implies that he’ll get to provide his tackle the basic villain, if for no higher cause than the actor is ideal for the position, particularly given his current work. Regardless of the case could also be, this information is additional affirmation that “The Batman Half II” is shaping as much as be simply as thrilling and particular as its predecessor.
Sebastian Stan is a good selection for Two-Face
It is true that Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, has, like so many “Batman” characters together with the Caped Crusader himself, been represented on the large display a number of occasions over. Nevertheless, in contrast to Batman or the Joker, it feels just like the character hasn’t been given the right steadiness every day out. Poor Billy Dee Williams by no means acquired the possibility to show his suave Harvey Dent from 1989’s “Batman” right into a villainous persona, whereas Tommy Lee Jones’ manic tackle Two-Face in 1995’s “Batman Endlessly” barely confirmed any hint of the nice man Harvey was once. Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Two-Face from 2008’s “The Darkish Knight” got here the closest, but even there it felt like his transformation into Two-Face had barely occurred earlier than the movie got here to a detailed. Given how a lot time and care Matt Reeves took with the Riddler (Paul Dano) and the Penguin (Colin Farrell) in “The Batman,” it is a good wager that each Harvey Dent and Two-Face shall be properly represented in “Half II.”
In spite of everything, giving either side of the character equal weight is a part of the rationale why you’d rent Sebastian Stan, given the actor’s strengths. We all know from his time enjoying James “Bucky” Barnes within the MCU that he performs conflicted very properly. We additionally know that he can play a broad, cartoonish villain (“Scorching Tub Time Machine,” anybody?) in addition to a extra insidious one (as seen in “Recent”). His most up-to-date work is much more suited to the character, coping with problems with facial variations in “A Totally different Man,” and enjoying a very sociopathic Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.” If Stan can carry even a bit of the load of those wonderful performances to Harvey, then we could also be getting the very best on-screen Two-Face but, no coin flip vital.
