Sebastian Stan could be heading to Gotham City. The Oscar-nominated star of “The Apprentice” is in talks to join Robert Pattinson in DC Studios’ “The Batman Part II.”
Stan is no stranger to costumed heroes and villains, having played Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in numerous Marvel films. It is unclear who he will play in the next Dark Knight adventure and whether he will be an adversary or ally of Bruce Wayne.
The long-awaited superhero sequel, directed by Matt Reeves, is set to begin filming next spring for an October 2027 theatrical release from Warner Bros. “The Batman” was released in theaters in March 2022 and grossed $772 million at the worldwide box office.
“The Batman Part II,” written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, recently added Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson to an already star-studded supporting cast, with Colin Farrell returning as Oz Cobb aka The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner James Gordon and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. Barry Keoghan is also expected to reappear as the Joker. Johansson and Stan have worked together in several Avengers adventures. He also appeared alongside Pattinson in “The Devil All the Time,” a slice of Southern Gothic that debuted on Netflix in 2020.
“The Batman Part II” had a long gestation as Reeves worked to surpass his critically acclaimed first version of the comic book adventure.
“It’s been a long journey, but I’m incredibly excited. I’m really proud of the script that Mattson and I have made,” Reeves said. Variety at the Emmys in September.
The filmmaker also revealed the lengths to which “The Batman” team went to keep the story under wraps. “We put [the script] in a secret pouch that literally has a padlock with a code. [Pattinson] I was in New York at the time, and everything is under tight security.
Although “The Batman Part II” is not officially part of the recently rebooted DCU, it is still in development under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios banner. The new superhero cinematic universe debuted last summer with “Superman,” which grossed $615 million worldwide. “Supergirl” will then be released in theaters (June 26), followed by “Clayface” (dated September 2026), the “Superman” sequel “Man of Tomorrow” (July 2027) and a new “Wonder Woman” film in preparation.
Stan recently appeared in “Thunderbolts,” an MCU feature film that disappointed at the box office. Her credits include “I, Tonya” and “A Different Man.” He will next appear in “Avengers: Doomsday” and the thriller “Fjord”.
DC Studios had no comment on casting. Stan is repped by CAA and B-Side Management. Deadline first reported Stan’s casting.
