It goes without saying that The Batman - Part II is one of the most anticipated movies on the Hollywood calendar. And it's not just because it's a Batman movie that we're talking about here; no, the Matt Reeves sequel has been in development for four years at this point and it has since faced delays, Hollywood strikes and the implosion of the entire DC franchise that existed when the first film came out. Somehow, it sidestepped all of that and is officially on the horizon.
Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight will have his next adventure in Gotham City in 2027 and cameras are set to start rolling in the coming months. For that production, there will be quite the star-studded cast, as the sequel is replicating its predecessor's approach of casting big names in what are expected to be big roles. However, we know of one Hollywood icon who won't be there.
Robert De Niro reportedly declines major The Batman 2 role
Industry insider Jeff Sneider is reporting that Robert De Niro turned down the role of Christopher Dent in The Batman - Part II. Sneider, also known as TheInSneider initially posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that the Academy Award-winning actor would be perfect for the role in the upcoming crime film before quoting his own post to reveal that "someone reached out to say that De Niro was, in fact, offered the role... and passed." He ten added a very appropriate "Drats!" to the end of that tweet.
While Warner Bros. and DC Studios have yet to comment on the involvement of Christopher Dent in The Batman - Part II, there is a strong belief among insiders that the character will play quite the major role. In fact, the studio is reportedly committed to casting a big name in the role, with previous reports revealing that the likes of Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgård, and Brad Pitt had all been offered the role too. And, unfortunately, for DC, all of them reportedly turned it down.
Let's put it like this: Names like De Niro, Pitt, Craig, and Skarsgård are heavy-hitters. It's clear that DC Studios wants a star to play this role, and that would imply that the patriarch of the Dent family is set to have a significant presence in the Matt Reeves sequel. And if the reports about Sebastian Stan playing Two-Face turn out to be true, then there is good reason for that.
Christopher Dent is, of course, Harvey Dent's father. We know that Stan is set to play the iconic Gotham City District Attorney, but new developments have suggested that we will see the character's transformation into Two-Face in the upcoming movie. The fact that DC wants a star to play his father and has seemingly recruited Scarlett Johansson to play his wife Gilda (Johansson's casting in the film has been officially confirmed but Warner Bros. has yet to announce who she is playing) only add to this. After all, a focus on Harvey's family would only seem necessary if the character is going to be a focal part of the movie - and not just a supporting role in Bruce Wayne's life.
That's where De Niro's casting would have come in. Reeves' The Batman saga has been nicknamed the "Epic Crime Saga" because of its focus on the hard-hitting crime within Gotham City. We saw that in the first movie as well as HBO Max spinoff The Penguin, which highlighted the rise of Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb as a force within the circles usually occupied by the Gotham crime families. To say that De Niro - a legend of crime movies - would have been a welcome presence in The Batman - Part II would be an understatement.
The legendary, universally-adored actor has stunned audiences over the years with his performances in movies like The Godfather - Part II, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and The Irishman just to name a few. From those alone, you can see why De Niro is such a force-to-be-reckoned with when it comes to crime movies. Heck, he's even worked with DC before, appearing in a supporting role in 2019's Joker, which also took inspiration from De Niro's own catalog of films.
Missing out on De Niro in a substantial role is certainly a blow to The Batman - Part II. An actor of his caliber would have certainly brought the role of Christopher Dent to life, just as those actors who were reportedly offered the part would have too. And, with production set to begin in the UK in just a few months (according to star Robert Pattinson), the search for Mr. Dent's A-List actor continues.
Regardless of who ultimately plays the role, it's clear that the long-awaited Batman sequel is already shaping up to be one very star-studded affair.