Ever since a set photo was leaked with an extra holding a sign that says “Harvey Dent is the real clown,” the internet has been ablaze with speculation that Two-Face will make an appearance in Joker: Folie à Deux. As the Joker films aren’t canonical, it’s possible that Dent, usually around the same age as Bruce Wayne, will in fact be a part of the plot as a possible political opponent of the Joker (or even join up with him to terrorize Gotham). With that said, as the film is set in its own universe and can tweak backstories and side characters, the Harvey Dent referenced in the sign could be the abusive father of Two-Face (normally called Charlie Dent). There’s also a chance the charming but damaged DA will be more of an overarching presence in the film with only a few lines, much like Thomas Wayne was in the first Joker outing.
For now, we’re going to assume that Dent will in fact play a role in the second Joker movie, which means that somebody has to play him. The pantheon of former Two-Faces has some pretty standout names (even if they didn’t have the best performances, a la Tommy Lee Jones), so whoever takes up the mantle will have some big shoes to fill.
Here are eight actors who would be the perfect Harvey Dent in Joker 2.
Patrick Fabian
The veteran actor Patrick Fabian has played a legal man plenty of times in his storied career, so definitely has the chops to pull the character off. Plus, he recently became Dent in the direct-to-video animated film Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham, based on the comic series of the same name, so he knows the character well. In recent years, Fabian is most famous for his turn in Better Call Saul, where he plays a duplicitous lawyer with a complex moral code that he often chafes up against. Sound familiar?
The major issue with Fabian is that he may have aged out of the role of Dent. Although, as mentioned, the Joker universe is very much separate from the world the rest of the Batman films take place in, it would still make sense for Gotham’s DA-turned-villain to be around the same age as Arthur Fleck. With that said, all this age talk is complete speculation, and given his range, experience, and familiarity with the role, Fabian would be a worthy Dent.
Charlie Cox
A man with plenty of comic-to-screen experience, the charming British actor Charlie Cox fits the Dent profile to a t. The leaked set photos imply that Dent is in a political race against Fleck in the upcoming film, which, if he is the Harvey Dent we know, means he will still be a good-looking, younger lawyer as opposed to the bitter, twisted Two-Face, and the handsome Cox certainly fulfills that brief and more. While the Daredevil star appears to very much be a Marvel man, that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t sign up for a live DCU project, especially as Joker is separate from James Gunn’s upcoming reboot of the franchise, and because he’s already had a voice role in the Spider-Man universe.
Harry Lawtey
Although he’s a bit on the young side, rising British actor Harry Lawtey might just be the man to play Dent. He’s already listed as a cast member on IMDB, but like much of the information about the upcoming film, his character’s name remains a secret. Lawtey certainly has experience in complex, morally dubious roles, playing one of the lead characters in the HBO and BBC production Industry, so it’s not hard to see him making the jump to a role like Dent. Plus, this means that if Bruce Wayne does make an appearance in the Joker universe, Dent won’t be too much older than him, which makes sense from a timeline perspective.
Delroy Lindo
A firm favorite of Spike Lee and an actor who’s been decorated for his work across stage, television, and film, Delroy Lindo has been touted on the DC Cinematic subreddit as the perfect man to play Dent, and when you look at his body of work, it’s clear to see why. His range and gravitas are astounding, and even if Dent only plays a small on-screen role there’s no doubt he has a large importance to the overarching plot, so the actor would need to be someone who can carry that weight in a small period of time. Much like Fabian, Lindo may be a little old to play Dent, but as we’ve mentioned a few times, the Joker universe is its own thing, so the famous DA could be any age or even a relative.
Jon Hamm
Given his classic good looks and ability to captivate on screen, it makes sense that former Mad Men star and all-around sex icon Jon Hamm has been touted as Harvey Dent for a while now. In fact, there was even a post on the Batman subreddit from three years ago bringing up the idea. There’s no doubt that Hamm has played characters similar to Dent, especially in his most famous role as Don Draper, so it’s not shocking to see that fans on Reddit (and Twitter) think he’s perfect for the role. Plus, in terms of work, his 2024 looks wide open, so this might be more than just a pipe dream.
Matt Damon
In a 2021 interview with The Playlist, Matt Damon revealed he had turned down the role of Dent in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight:
“There was some other big movie, some big part that I was doing where I was like, ‘Well, I can’t play Harvey Dent, this is a relatively small role, but I am headlining this other thing. But you gotta be sanguine about it and go, ‘It all works out.’”
While Aaron Eckhart killed the role, there’s no doubt it would have been interesting to see the Good Will Hunting star playing Two-Face. Damon certainly has the pedigree and ability to pull off a portrayal of the complex villain, and he’s already played a part who switches easily between personalities and characters in The Talented Mr. Ripley, so seeing him as Dent isn’t a stretch. Maybe Joker: Folie à Deux will show us what we missed out on.
Bryan Cranston
Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle star Bryan Cranston might seem like a slightly left-field pick for Dent, but when an actor is as good as him in such a diverse array of roles, you can’t count him out of the running. Cranston has already dipped his toe into the Batman universe, voicing Commissioner Gordon in the animated film Batman: Year One, so he’s familiar with the world and playing a law enforcement character in it. Plus, as we saw when he played Walter White in the famous AMC series about a teacher turned drug dealer, he can definitely capture Two-Face’s drastically different personalities. As mentioned with a few of our other picks, his age might be a bit of a barrier, but given Todd Phillips has a lot of freedom with the universe, that’s not as big an issue as many fans may think.
John David Washington
There were plenty of fans calling for John David Washington to play Dent alongside Robert Pattinson’s Batman thanks to their incredible chemistry in Tenet, and while that dream might be dead, that doesn’t change the fact that he would make a brilliant Two-Face. The BlacKKKlansman and Amsterdam star has strung together a lot of excellent performances that show he can take on a complex role like Dent, while also being young enough that if Phillips wants to later have him and Bruce Wayne being friends, it would still make sense. Most importantly, he’s a cracking actor at the top of his game, which is what a character like Two-Face needs.