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At long last, Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II is filming, following a lengthy pre-production process that featured multiple delays as Reeves and co-writer Mattson Tomlin worked on the script. As he geared up for the start of production, Reeves commemorated the occasion by announcing the highly anticipated sequel’s cast through a series of social media posts. Many of the stars of 2022’s The Batman are returning, but there are a couple of names who were absent from Reeves’ tweets. One of the more notable is Barry Keoghan, who made a cameo as the Joker towards the end of The Batman. However, based on the latest info, fans could be treated to more of the Clown Prince of Crime.
Box Office Pro France posted a recap of the Warner Bros. presentation at Studio Show 2026, where movie studios showcase their upcoming slates. The outlet mentioned that the likes of Keoghan, Andy Serkis, Sebastian Stan, and Scarlett Johansson are joining Robert Pattinson in the Batman Part II cast. As exciting as that would be, it is important to keep in mind that WB themselves did not actually confirm Keoghan’s casting. This seems to be Box Office Pro stating Keoghan will be in the film, so fans should take this with a grain of salt.
Could Joker Have a Role in The Batman Part II?
Keoghan’s brief appearance in The Batman seemed to be setting his Joker up for a larger role in a follow-up, but there’s been nothing official on that front since The Batman Part II entered development. In fact, the villains of the sequel haven’t been confirmed yet. Early speculation pointed to Sebastian Stan playing Harvey Dent (with a possible transformation into Two-Face in store), but the latest rumors claim Stan is actually playing Victor Zsasz and Brian Tyree Henry is the one portraying Dent. As fans wait for clarity on that, the assumption has been that Keoghan won’t be in The Batman Part II at all.
Keoghan is playing Ringo Starr in director Sam Mendes’ ambitious Beatles biopic project. Instead of just making a single film chronicling the legendary band’s career, Mendes is making four separate films, each one focusing on a different member’s perspective. These movies are currently in production, at the same time The Batman Part II is filming. Keoghan obviously can’t be in two places at once, so it seems unlikely he will have any kind of significant role in Batman 2. He’s the star of the Ringo Starr movie, plus he’ll be a key supporting player in Mendes’ other three films (though his screen time for those is unknown). However, it’s possible Keoghan could get away to shoot a small role for The Batman Part II, similar to his appearance in the first film.
Assuming Keoghan is in The Batman Part II, fans shouldn’t expect more than just a scene or two due to the logistical issues that could crop up. If the Joker was going to be a main focus of the sequel, it probably would have been announced by now, with Keoghan being part of Reeves’ cast reveal. Keeping Keoghan’s involvement with The Batman a secret was a fun trick, but that’s something that couldn’t be replicated if he was the primary villain in The Batman Part II. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that Joker is going to be left on the sidelines; if Harvey Dent is in the film, The Batman Part II will be opening itself up to Dark Knight comparisons, so Reeves doesn’t need to evoke memories of Heath Ledger as well. One of the director’s goals with The Batman Part II is to do something that hasn’t really been done before in live-action Batman movies.
This isn’t to say Keoghan can’t make another cameo that sets up his return in The Batman 3, but fans shouldn’t just expect that either. Again, this latest update regarding Keoghan is not an official confirmation from the studio, so it’ll be interesting to see if Reeves or anyone else involved with the film breaks their silence on this matter. When it comes to franchise installments, there’s a fine balance to strike. Filmmakers want to keep as much under wraps as possible to preserve surprises for the audience on opening weekend, but a little bit of transparency can help fans adjust expectations going in.
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