Brian Tyree Henry’s rumored The Batman 2 casting sparks fan debate
Brian Tyree Henry may be headed to Gotham: a new report says he’s being eyed to play Harvey Dent in The Batman Part 2 — and the internet is flipping its coin, with reactions ranging from hype to hard pass.
If you spend any time at all in the bubbling Bat-fandom corners of the internet, odds are you’ve already caught wind of the latest bit of casting scuttlebutt — this time to do with The Batman Part 2. It’s all a bit of a mess online, and frankly, I’m not surprised.
Brian Tyree Henry Rumoured for Harvey Dent
According to the latest industry whispers, Brian Tyree Henry — yes, him from Atlanta, Bullet Train, much else — is apparently in the running to play Harvey Dent, Gotham’s DA who famously becomes Two-Face. This rumour first surfaced thanks to Jeff Sneider, who tends to know what he’s on about. Here’s what he’s saying:
'I’m told that Brian Tyree Henry will be playing Harvey Dent. He won’t be the first Black actor to play Dent in live-action, as Billy Dee Williams played the character in Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman.'
Important to say, nobody at Warner Bros. or DC Studios has actually said a single official word about all this yet. So at this point, it's strictly in the rumour column.
Fans: Split Down the Middle (Like a Coin Toss)
No Bat-casting rumour is ever left alone by the internet, and this one’s gone straight to DefCon 2 on social media. The reactions are… all over the shop, genuinely. Here’s the gist:
- Plenty in Favour: Several fans think Henry’s a great get. One put it simply: 'Dude is a phenomenal actor. He can do this role justice.' Someone else piped up, 'If this actually works out, he’s going to be like Brian Cranston 2.0.' (I’m not entirely sure we’re getting Breaking Bat, but sure, dream big.)
- History Helps: A handful are pointing out that this isn’t exactly unprecedented. Billy Dee Williams did it ages ago in the Tim Burton era, not to mention the later comic run, so, as one put it, 'I don’t think Two-Face being black is that out of place or that big of a deal.' Couldn’t agree more, for what it’s worth.
- Sceptics and Naysayers: Unfortunately — or inevitably — there’s also a pocket of fans who aren’t convinced. One said, 'Great actor but I’ve never seen him in a role that requires this amount of versatility.' There’s a contingent who just aren’t seeing Henry as Dent at all, with comments along the lines of 'Brian Tyree looks more like a Victor Zsasz.' And you can always count on someone to add, 'Won’t be seeing if true.'
If you’re wondering why people are suddenly referencing Sebastian Stan — yes, that’s come up as an alternative in the fan casting free-for-all.
For now though, it’s still a rumour. Nothing official. If things change, you know where to find it.