Sebastian Stan Reportedly Playing Victor Zsasz in ‘The Batman: Part II’ Despite Two-Face Rumors

Matt Reeves has kept ‘The Batman Part II’ under wraps since production began, leaving fans to piece together plot details from scattered set photos, cast announcements, and industry rumors. Few casting mysteries have sparked as much speculation as the question of who exactly Sebastian Stan is portraying in Gotham’s next dark chapter.

Initially, when Stan joined the sequel, reports suggested he would play Harvey Dent, the district attorney destined to become Two-Face. Additional casting details seemed to support this theory, with Scarlett Johansson linked to the role of Dent’s wife Gilda and Charles Dance reportedly cast as Dent’s abusive father Christopher, creating a clear trajectory for Stan’s character in the film.

However, that narrative shifted when industry insider Jeff Sneider reported that Stan is actually playing Victor Zsasz, the brutal serial killer known in the comics for carving tally marks into his own skin after each murder. According to Sneider, Brian Tyree Henry, who Reeves has confirmed is joining the cast, will take on the role of Harvey Dent instead, overturning months of assumptions about the casting.

Sneider’s theory gained traction from comments Reeves made back in September 2025, when the director described the sequel’s villain as someone who has “never really been done in a movie before.” This description aligns more closely with Zsasz than Dent, as the character has yet to receive a proper, comic-accurate portrayal on screen, despite brief appearances by Tim Booth in ‘Batman Begins’ and Chris Messina in ‘Birds of Prey,’ where he was depicted more as a buffoonish henchman than the disturbed serial killer from the source material.

Adding to the Zsasz theory, a photo circulating on social media in early August showed Stan with a bald look that closely resembles how the character is typically illustrated in DC Comics. Sneider has continued to stand by his Zsasz claim even after the photo surfaced, asserting that Henry, not Stan, is playing Harvey Dent in the sequel.

Just when the Zsasz theory seemed to gain momentum, Stan himself appeared to complicate matters. In a conversation with a French-language outlet, Stan reportedly confirmed he is playing Harvey Dent in ‘The Batman: Part II,’ seemingly validating the original casting reports rather than the more recent Zsasz rumor. This comment followed an earlier remark Stan made to Deadline in May, where he described his role in the sequel as playing “many roles in this one,” a line many fans interpreted as a hint toward Dent’s eventual transformation into Two-Face.

The conflicting reports have left much open to interpretation, with some noting that Stan’s comments came from a print-only interview, raising questions about translation or tone that could have been lost. Others have pointed out that right before Stan mentioned playing Dent, he explicitly stated he couldn’t discuss anything about the film, leading some to speculate that the Dent comment might have been delivered sarcastically rather than as a genuine confirmation.

With Reeves keeping official details tightly controlled and conflicting reports continuing to emerge, the truth behind Stan’s casting remains genuinely unclear. Some have even suggested that Stan could be portraying a combination of both characters, given how unconventional Reeves’ take on Gotham has proven to be thus far.

‘The Batman Part II’ is set to hit theaters on February 18, 2028, featuring Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry, Charles Dance, and a growing ensemble cast in Reeves’ ongoing exploration of a grounded, noir-inspired Gotham City. Until an official confirmation arrives, fans will likely continue to dissect every new photo and comment for clues about which villain Stan is truly bringing to life.

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