In a world of multiple superhero franchises, it’s not uncommon for the streams to get a little crossed. Halle Berry is both Catwoman and Storm, J.K. Simmons is both Jim Gordon and J. Jonah Jameson, even DC Studios co-president James Gunn has his fingerprints all over the Guardians of the Galaxy.
But one movie, Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, is bringing two of the biggest Marvel stars into the DC fold, and one of them may be playing a fan-favorite villain. But does this announcement spell doom for Doomsday?
According to Deadline, Sebastian Stan is in talks to join the cast of The Batman Part II, even though he’s still very much involved with the MCU, most recently appearing in Thunderbolts. He will join fellow Marvel star Scarlett Johansson, who played Natasha Romanov in multiple MCU movies.
As to who Stan could be playing, there seemed to be one obvious option: Two Face, aka Harvey Dent. Leaker Jeff Sneider seemingly confirmed this casting through social media, so it’s definitely the leading theory. If so, then he’s got another Marvel star he can call upon: his Captain America: The First Avenger co-star Tommy Lee Jones played Dent in Batman Forever. Sneider also revealed that the Marvel actor who already appeared in The Batman — Eternals’ Barry Keoghan, who had a last-minute appearance as the Joker — will reprise his role in Part II.
However, this announcement may have a downside. If Sebastian Stan has some sort of clause in his contract that forbids him from appearing in rival superhero franchises, this casting could mean the end of Bucky Barnes’ appearances in the MCU. We know that Steve Rogers is returning to Avengers: Doomsday in December, so could this mean his old friend may sacrifice himself for Steve? It’s all dependent on legal issues that may not even be pertinent, so it’s all speculation at this point.
But aside from the Marvel implications, one fact is undeniable: it looks like we’ll get another Two-Face in live-action, and considering how The Batman treated The Riddler, he’ll look unlike anything we’ve seen before.
