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During an appearance on the podcast My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, Deadline reporter Justin Kroll noted that there’s “one big [role] left” to cast in The Batman Part II. It was described as “an older role, which everyone presumes is Harvey Dent’s dad.” This isn’t the same as official confirmation that Reeves is on the search for someone to play Christopher Dent, but it’s a potentially intriguing tease for where The Batman Part II can do.
Christopher Dent Plays a Key Role in Two-Face’s Origin Story
The character of Christopher Dent made his first appearance in DC Comics in 1990’s Batman Annual #14, which explored Two-Face’s origins. Christopher had a complicated relationship with his son, to say the least. He’s an alcoholic and suffers from mental illness, so he would frequently be abusive towards Harvey. This treatment contributed to Harvey’s own fractured mental state, setting him down the path to eventually become the villain Two-Face. In the comics, it’s revealed Two-Face’s signature coin flip is something he picked up from his father, who would flip a coin to see if he’d beat Harvey.
Christopher Dent appeared in the virtual-reality game Batman: Arkham Shadow, but the character hasn’t been featured in a live-action film before. Bringing him into the fold for The Batman Part II would be a smart move, as it would allow Reeves’ portrayal of Harvey Dent to stand apart from other versions audiences have seen, particularly Aaron Eckhart’s performance in The Dark Knight. One way to avoid comparisons to Christopher Nolan’s seminal Batman sequel is for Reeves to carve out his own path and showcase a different side of Harvey’s character. Outside of his romance with Rachel Dawes, we don’t see much of Harvey’s personal life in The Dark Knight, so seeing Harvey’s dynamic with his father would feel fresh.
