Casting momentum is kicking into gear for The Batman: Part II as the sequel quietly lines up its major players ahead of production early next year. Word recently broke that Scarlett Johansson is taking on a key role, and now it seems director Matt Reeves is preparing to introduce yet another high profile character to challenge Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight.Insiders have been batting around theories about who Johansson might be playing. Some believe she could be stepping into a villain role while others think she may start out as a new romantic interest for Bruce Wayne who later reveals a darker agenda. Whatever the case turns out to be, a second antagonist is said to be joining the story and this one is reportedly going to be played by an A-list actor.Scooper Daniel Richtman shared, “I hear they are also casting for a male villain for the Batman and an offer is already out for an A-lister.”Richtman didn’t reveal a name yet there have been rumors that the mystery actor may be someone who recently tore up the screen in another major Warner Bros. project. The identity remains a guessing game for now although the character itself invites even more speculation. As for the character, Jeff Sneider floated the idea that the role could be Amadeus Arkham although that take would require a significant reimagining of the Arkham Asylum founder to fit Reeves’ grounded Gotham.Reeves has teased before that the sequel’s central threat would be unlike anything seen in previous Batman films which led many to think he was hinting at Johansson’s character. He addressed the secrecy surrounding the project in a recent interview.“Because of what the first movie was and what [The Batman: Part 2] is, which is so much a detective story, the idea of trying to protect the secrets of the movie is super important because it’s a mystery. “That would be an extra level of heartbreak if that part of it started getting out. You wanna keep the surprise so the fans… can have the fun experience that I always love going to the movies, which was to go and be surprised,” the filmmaker said.On top of returning cast members like Colin Farrell’s Penguin, several others have reportedly read the script including Robert Pattinson who received his copy in a highly secured envelope that required a separate code just to open. Reeves explained how crucial Pattinson’s reaction was.”He’s Batman, so if he doesn’t like it, not good. So, I was super excited because I thought that he really would [like it] because the things that it does for his character, for Batman, and for [Bruce Wayne] has never been done before in this way. And I had a feeling he would respond in this way, the fact that he did was incredibly encouraging.”With casting offers heading out and secrecy locked down tighter than Arkham itself, The Batman: Part II is shaping up to push Gotham’s protector into uncharted territory. The film arrives in theaters on October 1, 2027.