A new The Batman: Part II report finally revealed the identity of the sequel's villains, and one of them is quite unexpected. While exact plot details remain under wraps, the upcoming DC Elseworlds sequel from Matt Reeves is set to feature a unique DC villain lineup that mixes returning characters with major new additions from Gotham City, including Colin Farrell's Penguin and Scarlett Johansson's mystery DC character. Early reports claimed that Two-Face (aka Harvey Dent) will play a prominent role in The Batman Part II as a central antagonist, with MCU star Sebastian Stan cast in the role. However, a recent update emerged online that completely changed the narrative surrounding Two-Face in The Batman's sequel.
Entertainment insider Jeff Sneider claimed in a new report that Sebastian Stan is actually playing the serial killer Victor Zsasz in The Batman: Part II, and not Harvey Dent. According to Sneider's report, Brian Tyree Henry would instead take on the role of District Attorney Harvey Dent, though the character may not undergo his full transformation into Two-Face within the film.
This scoop reinforced a notable shift from earlier, widespread rumors and reporting that strongly linked Stan to Harvey Dent. Some fans noted that Stan's recent buzzcut actually fit Victor Zsasz's look, adding more fuel to the latest report.
In the same scoop, Sneider said his source said the script for The Batman: Part II featured "some weird and interesting takes," and that Matt Reeves' use of Zsasz as the villain "fits" the movie's "crazy" story.
In DC Comics, Victor Zsasz is a disturbed, knife-wielding serial killer who carves tally marks into his skin for each victim. If the report is true, Sebastian Stan's portrayal of Zsasz in The Batman: Part II would bring a psychologically intense version that fits the world of Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves' gritty crime-saga of the Dark Knight.
Having Victor Zsasz as one of the chief villains in The Batman: Part II actually fits Matt Reeves' earlier statement of using a DC villain who has "never really been done in a movie before:"
"Picking the right villain that digs... into his past and his life, that was what sort of drove that discussion, and I won't tell you where we ended up but I'm super excited about it. I will say it's never really been done in a movie before."
This isn't the first time Zsasz has appeared on-screen. Superman star Anthony Carrigan, who plays the DCU's Metamorpho, previously portrayed a version of the DC villain in the 2014 Fox series, Gotham. Other versions of Zsasz include Chris Messina's version from Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey and Alex Morf's Variant from Batwoman Season 2 of the Arrowverse.
Meanwhile, Bryan Tyree Henry's role as Harvey Dent in The Batman: Part II is quite interesting, as it would mark a bold casting choice that adds profound emotional depth and cultural resonance to one of Batman's most iconic tragic arcs.
Matt Reeves' The Batman introduced several notable villains in its first film, headlined by Paul Dano's enigmatic Riddler and Colin Farrell's Oz Cobblepot (aka The Penguin). The movie's ending confirmed that a much more unhinged version of the Joker exists in The Batman universe, and he may or may not appear in the sequel.
The Batman: Part II arrives in theaters on October 1, 2027.
How Victor Zsasz & Harvey Dent In The Batman Part II's Mystery Story
The Batman Part II is shaping up to be a dense, detective-noir mystery that delves further into Gotham's systemic corruption and the lingering fallout from the Riddler's attacks and floods. This grounded crime saga allowed villains like Victor Zsasz to thrive, essentially functioning as an interconnected piece of a larger conspiracy puzzle that could push Bruce Wayne to the limit.
It's possible that someone else (possibly the rumored Court of Owls) could have hired Zsasz as a way to "distract" Batman to veer him away from his investigation of corruption within Gotham that he may link to the mysterious organization.
As a methodical antagonist, Zsasz could escalate paranoia by killing several civilians, sending a message that someone else is trying to fill the power vacuum. Zsasz's presence in the sequel would add close-quarters brutality while larger political conspiracies happen in Gotham/
Brian Tyree Henry's Harvey Dent represents the idealistic counterpoint that slowly fractures under Gotham's weight. While he is initially poised to start as a reformer pushing back against mob influence and political rot, The Batman: Part II could slowly showcase the moral cracks within himself, gradually turning him into an antagonist even before his Two-Face transformation.
