Rumors Swirl Around *The Batman – Part II*’s Villains and Cast

Industry reports published on July 10, 2026 suggest that Matt Reeves’s sequel may center on the Court of Owls, a secretive Gotham elite first introduced in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s 2011 comic run. Hollywood veteran Jeff Sneider is cited as saying the Court “are nastier and more domestic; rather than invaders coming to punish Gotham, they are the city’s sins made flesh.” The same reporting indicates that Sebastian Stan, previously linked to Harvey Dent/Two-Face, could instead portray serial killer Victor Zsasz. Additionally, the article proposes that Atlanta-based actor Brian Tyree Henry might play Harvey Dent without the character necessarily becoming Two-Face, while rumors persist that Barry Keoghan could return as the Joker, possibly confined to Arkham Asylum and used by Batman as a “DC take on Hannibal Lecter.”

The Guardian

The Court of Owls have never appeared in a live-action Batman movie, largely because they were absent from the comics during Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Reeves’s earlier film presented a Gotham “styled by the ghost of Kurt Cobain” and featured a Riddler inspired by David Fincher’s aesthetic. Compared with Nolan’s League of Shadows—led by Liam Neeson’s Ra’s Al Ghul and portrayed as an external ninja cult—the Court is described as “the city’s masked, devious ruling class” whose interests lie in “a property portfolio that probably goes back to the Pilgrims.”

The Guardian

Warner Bros. has not issued any formal confirmation regarding the casting of Stan, Johansson, Henry, or Keoghan, nor has it verified the Court of Owls as the sequel’s primary antagonist. The studio’s silence leaves the reported casting choices and plot direction unconfirmed.

The Guardian

Commentators note that positioning the Court of Owls as the central threat could “feel like a suitably grand and twisted upgrade on the Zodiac-adjacent Riddler.” Some observers argue that casting Henry as Dent without a Two-Face transformation would be “the more innovative move for Reeves,” given that Nolan’s films already covered Dent’s descent. Others caution that relying on the Joker as a “final boss” may risk repeating familiar territory.

The Guardian

Key details—including whether the Court of Owls will indeed lead the conflict, how Victor Zsasz fits into the narrative, and the extent of the Joker’s involvement—are still speculative. Until Warner Bros. provides official confirmation, the sequel’s villain lineup and character arcs remain subject to industry rumor.

The Guardian