Sebastian Stan's New Look Has Fans Convinced He's Playing Victor Zsasz in THE BATMAN: PART II
A newly surfaced photo of Sebastian Stan has The Batman: Part II fanbase spinning up fresh theories, and this time it's all because of his haircut.
The actor was recently spotted with his head shaved, and that has reignited speculation over who he'll actually be playing in The Batman: Part II. While nothing has been officially confirmed by Matt Reeves, plenty of fans are convinced the new look points directly to one of Batman's most disturbing enemies.
Back in May, Reeves officially announced the main cast for the long-awaited sequel. Returning are Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb/The Penguin, Jayme Lawson as Bella Réal, and Gil Perez-Abraham as Officer Martinez.
Joining them are Scarlett Johansson, Charles Dance, Sebastian Koch, and Brian Tyree Henry. Reeves kept everyone guessing by refusing to reveal which characters the newcomers will portray.
The early assumption was that Stan had landed the role of Harvey Dent, with Johansson reportedly playing Dent's wife, Gilda, and Dance cast as Christopher Dent. Then those reports were challenged.
According to later reports, Stan wasn't playing Harvey Dent after all. Instead, he claimed the actor had been cast as another Batman villain, while Dance would actually play the father of Johansson's character.
Sneider later doubled down on that claim, saying Stan is playing the sadistic serial killer Victor Zsasz, while Brian Tyree Henry has reportedly taken on the role of Harvey Dent.
Now that shaved-head photo has only added fuel to the fire. Victor Zsasz is traditionally depicted with a shaved head, so plenty of fans believe this is the biggest clue yet that Sneider's report was accurate.
Of course, others aren't convinced. Harvey Dent has also been portrayed with a closely shaved hairstyle before his transformation into Two-Face, so the photo isn't exactly definitive proof of anything.
Ironically, Stan himself may have hinted at a completely different answer. During a recent interview with Deadline, the Thunderbolts* actor seemed to suggest that Harvey Dent really is his role, although he never actually named the character.
“'I’m excited, I’m nervous and trying to keep surprising myself,'” he says of taking on Two-Face and working with the hair and makeup teams who have devised how his disfigurement will look."
It's worth pointing out that Stan never actually said he was playing Two-Face. The description came from the interview itself, leaving open the possibility that audiences are still being led in the wrong direction.
Adding another wrinkle to the mystery, Reeves previously teased that one of the movie's villains hadn't "really been done before" in a Batman film. Most fans assumed he was talking about Johansson's mystery character, but if Victor Zsasz is actually entering the story, that comment suddenly takes on a different meaning.
As for the movie itself, Reeves continues to keep plot details tightly guarded. Even so, bits and pieces from casting news and comments from those involved have given fans plenty to speculate about.
Some have wondered if the sequel could end up borrowing too heavily from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, particularly if Harvey Dent plays a major role. Others believe Reeves has something far less predictable planned.
Pattinson recently teased that fans shouldn't expect more of the same. He said: "The script is so good. It's kinda crazy, because the first one was a little bit of a different type of Batman movie, and this is a really different type of Batman movie. Hopefully, people will be really pleasantly surprised by it."
There are theories that the sequel could take inspiration from Grant Morrison's acclaimed Arkham Asylum graphic novel, with much of the story unfolding in a single location. Whether that's actually the direction Reeves is taking remains anyone's guess.
Does Sebastian Stan's shaved head mean Victor Zsasz is about to make his live-action debut in Reeves' Gotham? We'll find out when The Batman: Part II finally arrives in theaters on October 1, 2027.