Matt Reeves' highly anticipated The Batman Part 2 has officially locked in its seventh confirmed cast member. The sequel is set to begin filming this year, with a release date already locked in for October 1, 2027. Reeves, who wrote and will once again direct, is keeping the story within its own self-contained pocket universe, following the events of 2022's The Batman and 2024's HBO series The Penguin.
One of the most meaningful returns in The Batman 2 is that of Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, which was previously reported, now confirmed as the seventh cast member locked in for Matt Reeves' sequel.
Serkis will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, with filming set to start in June in London. Giving Reeves plenty of time to create another masterpiece, production begins 16 months before release.
The scheduling was no small feat; Serkis had to carefully balance his commitments on The Batman 2 alongside his upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, due out December 17, 2027. Serkis is not only back as Gollum, but he's also directing the new Lord of the Rings film, taking place "20 years prior to The Fellowship of the Ring."
Alfred's return carries significant emotional weight following his near-death in The Batman. In the first film, Serkis portrayed Alfred not just as a butler, but as a surrogate father, a moral compass who helped steer Bruce away from vengeance.
Serkis previously said he hopes the sequel will push the emotionally complex dynamic between Alfred and Bruce "taken to the extreme."
Serkis joins a growing ensemble of confirmed returning and new cast members for The Batman 2.
The Batman 2 Cast So Far
Robert Pattinson
The anchor of Reeves' Crime Saga, Robert Pattinson, is back as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Batman 2, and by all accounts, he couldn't be more excited.
Pattinson has been candid about his enthusiasm for the sequel, heaping praise on Reeves' script at every opportunity. Pattinson told Deadline the script is "extraordinary" and teased the "big swings" fans can expect from this non-traditional take on the Dark Knight:
"I think it’s going to be a really, really special movie and very, very different. It’s taking some big swings."
Jeffrey Wright
As Batman fights crime through Gotham's underworld, GCPD Lieutenant Jim Gordon always has his back, and Jeffrey Wright is returning to reprise the role.
Gordon was a vital presence in the first film, serving as Batman's inside man within a corrupt police department as the two worked together to bring down the Riddler (Paul Dano).
Part 2 will mark Wright's Gordon second appearance, who was once set to lead an HBO Max spinoff investigating GCPD corruption.
While details on his arc (or anyone else's) in the sequel remain under wraps, fans have long speculated about a potential promotion Gordon could rise through the ranks to become Commissioner, as he is famously known in the comics and other Batman movies.
Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell's transformation into Oz Cobb (better known as the Penguin) was one of the most talked-about elements of both The Batman and the subsequent HBO series The Penguin, where the character took center stage.
Farrell is confirmed to reprise his role, though past interviews suggest the Penguin will only have a small role in The Batman 2.
In October 2025, Farrell said he has "an even smaller role" in The Batman 2, but he was happy with it and he has "read the script, from start to finish:"
"I've got an even smaller role in this one. But I’m OK with that…I've read the script, from start to finish."
Given Oz's newly cemented position at the top of Gotham's criminal underworld following the events of The Penguin, his role (however brief) will likely carry significant narrative weight.
Sebastian Stan
One of the most exciting new additions to The Batman universe is Sebastian Stan, still active in the MCU as Bucky Barnes, returning in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday.
Stan has not been officially confirmed in a specific role, but the reporting around his casting is detailed. All indications point to Stan playing Gotham district attorney Harvey Dent, better known to DC fans as Two-Face.
Whether Dent makes his full transformation into the coin-flipping villain Two-Face in this film or is being set up for Part 3 remains unknown, but the groundwork will be laid in October 2027.
Scarlett Johansson
The most intriguing addition to The Batman 2 is Scarlett Johansson, marking a major jump from the MCU, where she played Black Widow for over a decade, to the DC world.
Reports indicate that Johansson has been tapped for a mystery role, with speculation that she could fulfill both a villain and love interest function, particularly following Zoë Kravitz's reported exit from the franchise.
One theory circulating is that she could be playing Andrea Beaumont, also known as The Phantasm. Reeves himself suggested the film's villain has "never really been done in a movie before," and while The Phantasm has appeared in DC animation, she has never been adapted for live-action.
Other reports point to Johansson playing Gilda Dent, Harvey Dent's wife, which would tie her directly into the Dent storyline alongside Stan.
Barry Keoghan
Barry Keoghan's Joker is technically unconfirmed, but a fascinating piece of the Batman Part 2 villain puzzle.
Reeves' first film introduced its own unique take on the Clown Prince of Crime, with Keoghan sporting a grotesquely scarred face and an unsettling presence. His appearance was mainly isolated to just a deleted scene, so audiences haven't grown too attached yet.
Reeves has also described this version of the character as a "pre-Joker Joker" not the fully-formed Clown Prince fans. Keoghan himself has been cagey, previously teasing a return, but not a lot of reporting around the Joker being in this movie.
The odds are that Joker will be part of The Batman 2, but nothing about his return indicates that he will be the main villain of this film, like the character was in The Dark Knight, for instance.
