Fans Speculate Sebastian Stan's True Role in 'The Batman Part II' Amid Surprising Appearance
In January 2026, news broke that Oscar nominee Sebastian Stan would be joining the star-studded cast for The Batman Part II from Matt Reeves. His role as Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent, who transforms into the villain Two-Face, has been confirmed by major outlets. However, suspicion is beginning to build that Stan is not playing the role fans are being led to believe.
Filming for Robert Pattinson's second outing as the Dark Knight is scheduled to begin this month in the UK, yet photos taken of Stan over the weekend do not match the appearance fans expect to see.
Sebastian Stan's current look!
— Everything_DCU (@EverythingDCU_) May 16, 2026
Either he'll wear a wig or he's not playing Harvey Dent pic.twitter.com/0D3YwxudIz
Days before cameras begin rolling, the actor's head is completely shaven. Stan went bald for his new drama, Fjord, which just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, but months later, the Marvel alum has not let his hair grow back for his upcoming role.
Harvey Dent is known for having charming good looks and hair similar to Stan's typical look, which means he will most likely either wear a wig or secretly be playing a different character.
If he is an alternate Gotham City persona and fans are being intentionally misled, it would not be the first time the franchise used this tactic. For The Batman, the first installment in The Batman Epic Crime Saga, actor Barry Keoghan was officially cast as officer Stanley Merkel. It would not be revealed until the film's release that the announced role was a disguise, as Keoghan surprisingly appeared as the Joker.
Barry Keoghan has been cast as Stanley Merkel in ‘The Batman'
— ScreenTime (@screentime) August 23, 2020
In the comics, he was James Gordon's partner pic.twitter.com/04uYIiKiGA
Additionally, Reeves, the writer and director, confirmed that the primary villain of the sequel had "never really been done in a movie before." Two-Face has already appeared in two previous live-action Batman films. This quote from Reeves could mean that Stan is not Dent, or that the primary villain has not been announced yet and is being portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, whose role remains unknown, or by an unrevealed cast member.
RUMOUR: Take it with a grain of salt
— Everything_DCU (@EverythingDCU_) May 16, 2026
According to @TheInSneider Sebastian Stan is playing a completely different villain in THE BATMAN PART 2
-Someone else is playing Harvey Dent
-Charles Dance is playing Scarlett Johansson's father. pic.twitter.com/mJ4hIFBFIr
It has been widely speculated that Johansson could be playing Gilda Dent, who could fit the description of a villain who has not appeared in film before.
If Sebastian Stan is not Harvey Dent, many believe his true role could be the villain Hush. The first film referenced the fan-favorite villain from the comics during the Riddler's video revealing the dark history of the Wayne family. Created by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee for Batman: Hush, the villain's identity is hidden throughout the story, which could be a possible reason production would want to hide Stan's.
While Sebastian Stan's inclusion in the project has been confirmed personally by both the actor and the director, neither has directly acknowledged the role.
The Batman Part II flies into theaters on Oct. 1, 2027, starring Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and more.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:21 PM.