The Batman Cast: Who is Gil Perez-Abraham Playing in the World of DC Movie?

As production continues on Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, fans assumed that the cast for the film was mostly completely assembled since Warner Bros. had previously confirming the cast and their roles. That bubble was burst today when THR reported that actor Gil Perez-Abraham had joined The Batman in what is seemingly a secret role as the trade noted they had no indication if he was playing a “good guy” or a “bad guy.” What makes this addition and secrecy so puzzling is because the studio previously outright confirmed the roles of the cast members that were previously signed on, so why the secrecy? We’ve got some guesses about that which tie into who Perez-Abraham might be playing.

The first thing to consider is what story the movie is telling. Reeves has previously spoken about the movie’s tone and narrative, calling it a “point of view-driven” and “noir” Batman story that has the dark knight firmly in detective mode. He even broke down his hope for the plot and how it would relate to Batman’s arc, saying:

“I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”

That in mind, it makes sense that Perez-Abraham might be playing a character integral to the movie’s plot, a plot based on a particular comic series, which Reeves doesn’t want to reveal to the public just yet. Thus the secrecy. It has been rumored for some time that The Batman might be an adaptation of the fan-favorite comic series Batman: The Long Halloween, and recent set photos add even more evidence to the pile. There are a few characters in that story that would tip off the comic-reading public that it is in fact the movie’s basis who seem like the prime candidates for who Gil Perez-Abraham is playing.

Though it’s still unconfirmed what role Gil Perez-Abraham will take on in The Batman it could be the role of Alberto Falcone. In the story of The Long Halloween, Alberto, the son of mob boss Carmine Falcone (set to be played by John Turturro in the film), was one of the people implicated as “The Holiday Killer.” In the series, Holiday is a serial killer that murdered mobsters and Gotham citizens themed to different holidays, and while it’s never outright confirmed that Alberto was Holiday it is implied that he and another character carried them out, though not in coordination with each other.

In the pages of DC Comics, Alberto Falcone only really appears in The Long Halloween and its follow-up Dark Victory, so WB or Reeves confirming this as his character would tip their hand about what story they’re adapting. It’s also not out of the ordinary for Matt Reeves to cast actors with only a limited amount of experience in major supporting roles in his films, as each of his previous movies have done this. Though Perez-Abraham has appeared in shows like Pose and Orange Is the New Black, this certainly marks his most high profile project. He also could pass for John Turturro’s son and the film is reportedly telling a “year two” story for Pattinson’s Dark Knight.

There are also other characters from The Long Halloween that Perez-Abraham could be playing that all have parts in the story including: Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, who attacks Gotham in a brief scene; Calendar Man, another holiday themed killer who carries a Hannibal Lecter like role; Johnny Viti, the first victim of The Holiday Killer and the cousin of Alberto Falcone; and Joe Chill, though he only appears in a vision in The Long Halloween, his presence is felt through all Batman stories as he’s the one that killed Thomas and Martha Wayne. Other anecdotal evidence points toward a Chill appearance though as it seems Pattinson’s Batman might be using the pieces of his gun as the Bat-symbol on his chest.

This isn’t the end of the list of characters that Perez-Abraham might take on in the film, as countless other supporting characters from the World of DC still haven’t been cast. Characters like Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael), and Harvey Dent (Two-Face) don’t seem to be part of the cast and could all be potential candidates. There’s also the possibility that he will take on an original character, as Reeves has already stacked the cast with more than one of them including Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál.

So what do you think? Is this secret character going to be someone integral to the plot or will it end up being a minor addition overall? Sound off in the comments below!

The Batman is scheduled to open in theaters on June 25, 2021.