Sebastian Stan Eyes MCU Exit for Major DC Role in ‘The Batman: Part II’

6 days ago 13

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

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Avengers Assemble... in Gotham! Matt Reeves might be assembling one of the most interesting superhero ensembles in years. After recently landing Scarlett Johansson for a new role in The Batman: Part II, the director is now reportedly circling another major Marvel name. According to Deadline, Sebastian Stan is in talks to join the highly anticipated DC sequel in an as-yet-unknown role.

If the deal closes, Stan would join Robert Pattinson, who is set to return as Bruce Wayne in Reeves’ 'Elseworlds' take on the crime-ridden noir city of Gotham. Warner Bros. and DC Studios declined to comment on the casting report, but the timing lines up: The Batman: Part II is expected to begin production this spring, ahead of its current October 1, 2027 theatrical release date. Which feels like it's been the longest production time in history.

Reeves’ original The Batman was a crucial win for Warner Bros. during a turbulent post-pandemic moment. Released during the studio’s controversial day-and-date HBO Max strategy, the film still managed to pull in $369.3 million domestically and $772 million worldwide, proving there was real appetite for a darker, more character-driven Batman story. The sequel has been slow to come together, but each casting update makes it feel increasingly real.

How Good is 'The Batman'?

Collider’s review of the movie stated that The Batman stands apart by treating Gotham itself as the true protagonist, with Matt Reeves foregrounding corruption, fear, and moral rot long before fully centering on Batman. Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is portrayed as an emotionally raw, still-forming vigilante whose use of fear may be worsening the city’s problems rather than solving them. The film leans heavily into detective noir, echoing Se7en through its Riddler-driven mystery, while emphasizing moral gray areas over heroics.

Reeves has made the best Batman film since The Dark Knight, with a captivating and rich world that reinvigorates characters we’ve already seen on screen over and over again. With The Batman, Reeves prioritizes the shadows of Gotham, setting up this city in a way we’ve never seen before onscreen, bringing life to the world around Batman. The Batman doesn't redefine what we know about this character, but through Reeves' direction, we're shown a Batman story in a way we've never quite seen before. While most other Batman films focus on the hero that comes out of the darkness, Reeves has focused on the darkness that hero came out of, which makes all the difference.

The Batman is streaming now on HBO Max.