Who Is Peter Sarsgaard Playing In The Batman?

As the cast continues to grow for Matt Reeves' upcoming DC Comics epic The Batman, the most recent addition was revealed earlier today. The director took to Twitter to reveal the latest member of the cast, announcing that former Green Lantern star Peter Sarsgaard has been added to the ranks of the growing cast. Unlike many of the other additions to the cast, Reeves didn't disclose just who Sarsgaard will be playing in the film, but now sources have started to reveal the possibilities and how they connect to the larger world of Batman.

According to a write-up on the news from The Hollywood Reporter, the trade's sources "speculate" that he's potentially playing one of two roles, either "a corrupt cop named Wasserman" or "a district attorney." Should he be the first, that would make him a seemingly original character for the film, but if the second option is true that could mean Sarsgaard is taking on a much bigger role, potentially Harvey Dent, the man that would become the villain Two-Face.

There's also the possibility that the answer was in front of us this whole time. When Reeves tweeted the news he simply wrote "Oh...Hi, Peter..." which many interpreted as simple acknowledgement of Sarasgaard joining the film; however, Reeves could have been pointing at the role itself. One minor character from Batman lore is none other than Peter Grogan, the Deputy Commissioner in the pages of Batman comics who ascended to the role of Police Commissioner and was later replaced by James Gordon after it was revealed he was corrupt.

Though it's unclear which of these roles Sarsgaard will be playing, if he is in fact taking on the Two-Face role it would make him the fourth actor to play the part on the big screen. Billy Dee Williams was previously cast as Harvey Dent in Tim Burton's original Batman movie in 1989 with Tommy Lee Jones taking on the "Two-Face" role for Batman Forever. Aaron Eckhart played the part in 2008's The Dark Knight. This would also mark the second DC villain that Sarasgaard has portrayed in a feature film, having previously appeared in 2011's Green Lantern where he played Hector Hammond opposite Ryan Reynolds as the title hero.

Sarsgaard joins a cast that includes Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, his first major franchise role since playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight films. The all-star cast also includes Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone.

What do you think of The Batman's latest casting? Who do you think he's playing in the film? Let us know in the comments!

The Batman arrives in theaters on June 25, 2021.