Barry Keoghan’s Joker is reportedly returning for The Batman: Part II

Barry Keoghan is expected to reprise his role as the Joker in The Batman: Part II, according to a Variety report that also confirmed Sebastian Stan will play Harvey Dent in Matt Reeves’ upcoming DC sequel.

TL;DR

• Keoghan is reportedly set to return as the Joker, though Warner Bros. has not issued an official confirmation.
• Sebastian Stan is joining the cast as Harvey Dent, per Variety.
• Keoghan has repeatedly declined to confirm his comeback in interviews, calling the role “a big one.”
• The Batman: Part II is scheduled for release on October 1, 2027 — the same date in UK and US cinemas.

What we know about Keoghan’s Joker return

Keoghan played an unnamed Arkham inmate at the end of 2022’s The Batman, whose scarred face and unsettling laugh signalled he was playing the Joker opposite Robert Pattinson’s Batman. A deleted interrogation scene, later released online, showed more of the character.

Reporting from Variety on Stan’s casting also stated that Keoghan is expected to appear once more as the Joker, according to Cosmic Book News. Neither Warner Bros. nor Reeves has publicly confirmed the casting.

Sebastian Stan joins as Harvey Dent

Stan is reportedly joining the sequel as Harvey Dent, the district attorney who becomes Two-Face in Batman lore, according to MovieWeb. Reeves has drawn on the comic arc “The Long Halloween” for the film, which centres on Dent’s storyline.

Keoghan stays coy on his comeback

Keoghan has avoided confirming the role directly. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, he said he had “not been contacted” about a return, according to CBR. In a separate WIRED interview, he was more evasive still, saying, “I cannot answer that question truly, sincerely.”

The actor, known in the UK for Peaky Blinders and Saltburn, is currently filming Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man alongside other projects.

UK angle: the 15 certificate that made headlines

The Batman carries a UK age rating that shaped how audiences saw Keoghan’s Joker debut in the first place.

UK certificate: 15 Source: British Board of Film Classification, cited by Deadline

The BBFC classified the film 15 for “strong threat and violence,” a stricter rating than the US PG-13. It became the most complained-about film of 2022 in the UK, with 22 objections lodged over the certificate, according to Deadline.

What’s next for The Batman: Part II

Matt Reeves teased returning cast members ahead of the film’s shoot, as covered in Screen & Story’s earlier report on the production. Principal photography reportedly began around May, and the film is scheduled to reach cinemas on October 1, 2027.

Reportedly, Colin Farrell is expected to return as Oz Cobb, while Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman is not currently attached to the sequel.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed July 4, 2026.