Sebastian Stan has not confirmed that he plays Harvey Dent in The Batman: Part II. A quote published by the French paper Le Journal du Dimanche appeared to name the role, but the paper removed that clause from its article and the production’s PR has since told outlets the casting is still undisclosed.
The correction landed late on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, roughly a day after the original quote spread worldwide. ScreenRant updated its report that evening, and MovieWeb reported that publicity for the film had contacted it directly to clarify. Neither Warner Bros. nor Matt Reeves has made any on-record statement about who Stan plays.
What actually happened to the quote
Stan gave an interview to Le Journal du Dimanche, France’s Sunday paper, while promoting Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord. The version that circulated on August 18 had him saying he could not discuss The Batman: Part II, “where I play Harvey Dent.”
That trailing clause is no longer in the article. The paper removed it without publishing a correction note, which is a large part of why the original version kept propagating for another day — there was no visible signal on the source page that anything had changed.
Stan’s response as it now stands reads: “I also can’t say anything about Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II. The beauty of this profession also lies in participating in projects of this scale, which I love as a viewer.” That is a refusal to comment, not a confirmation. GamesRadar+ was among the few outlets that hedged from the outset.
Why a single clause travelled that far, that fast
This is the part worth keeping, because the mechanism is more interesting than the error.
When Reeves revealed his cast in May 2026, he did it as a run of social posts that named actors and then hinted at their parts with film clips instead of stating them. Scarlett Johansson was announced with Under the Skin. Charles Dance arrived as Tywin Lannister. Brian Tyree Henry got If Beale Street Could Talk. Sebastian Koch was captioned “locked and loaded for Gotham.” Every post confirmed a name. Not one confirmed a role.
That vacuum is the story. Three months of a major production withholding every character assignment created a situation where one ambiguous sub-clause, inside a translation of a French interview about an entirely different film, could be treated as a studio confirmation within hours. The information wanted somewhere to go, and there was nothing official standing in its way.
And the correction has not travelled nearly as well as the error. Several major outlets published confident “Stan confirms Harvey Dent” pieces on August 18 that are still live in their original form. We were one of them, which is why this page now leads with a correction rather than a quiet edit.
Where this leaves the Victor Zsasz report
In June 2026, scooper Jeff Sneider reported that Stan was playing the serial killer Victor Zsasz and that Brian Tyree Henry was the production’s Harvey Dent. For a day, Stan’s apparent quote looked like it had killed that report.
With the quote withdrawn, it has not been killed. It is also not confirmed — it remains exactly what it was in June: an unverified scoop from a reporter with a reasonable but imperfect record. Nothing has moved. If you are keeping a mental cast list, the honest entry for Sebastian Stan is still “unknown.”
The Batman: Part II cast — what is actually confirmed
| Actor | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Pattinson | Bruce Wayne / Batman | Confirmed |
| Sebastian Stan | Undisclosed | Not confirmed — reported as Zsasz in June 2026 |
| Scarlett Johansson | Undisclosed | Reported as Gilda Dent; never officially announced |
| Charles Dance | Undisclosed | Reported by Deadline as Harvey Dent’s father |
| Brian Tyree Henry | Undisclosed | Reported as Harvey Dent in June 2026 |
| Sebastian Koch | Undisclosed | Cast confirmed May 2026; role never stated |
| Colin Farrell | Oswald Cobb / The Penguin | Confirmed |
Read that middle column again. On a film that started principal photography in June 2026, almost every new cast member’s part is still officially unknown. That is unusual even by Reeves’ standards, and it is the condition that made this week’s mess possible.
When does The Batman: Part II come out?
February 18, 2028, after Warner Bros. moved it from October 1, 2027 in July 2026 — the sequel’s third date change. Principal photography began June 12, 2026 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, with location work across London, Liverpool and Glasgow standing in for Gotham.
Stan’s other blockbuster arrives first: Avengers: Doomsday opens December 18, 2026. Our Avengers: Doomsday guide tracks what is actually confirmed there.
The short version
An actor appeared to name his own character in a newspaper interview about a different movie. The newspaper then removed the clause, and the film’s publicists said the role is not confirmed. Nobody on The Batman: Part II has stated who Sebastian Stan plays, and the competing June report about Victor Zsasz is neither confirmed nor disproved.
If you want the character’s history for whenever the film does get to him, start with our rundown of the best Batman villains, or the essential Batman comics that gave Reeves his Gotham.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Sebastian Stan confirm he plays Harvey Dent?
No. A quote published by Le Journal du Dimanche appeared to say so, but the paper removed that clause from its article and publicity for The Batman: Part II told outlets the role is not confirmed. Stan’s remaining answer is a refusal to discuss the film.
Who does Sebastian Stan play in The Batman: Part II?
It has not been announced. A June 2026 report from Jeff Sneider claimed Victor Zsasz, but that was never confirmed and remains unverified. Matt Reeves confirmed Stan is in the film in May 2026 without stating his character.
Why did Le Journal du Dimanche change the quote?
The paper has not explained. It removed the “where I play Harvey Dent” clause without publishing a correction notice, which is why the original wording continued circulating after the source had already changed.
Is Brian Tyree Henry playing Harvey Dent?
Unconfirmed. That was the claim in the same June 2026 report. Henry is confirmed to be in the film; his role has never been officially stated.
When does The Batman: Part II come out?
February 18, 2028. Warner Bros. delayed it from October 1, 2027 in July 2026. Filming began June 12, 2026 in the United Kingdom.
