John David Washington may be joining Robert Pattinson in The Batman. Things are finally heating up for the long-in-the-works project, which was originally to be directed by Ben Affleck before he surrendered the director's chair, making way for Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield) to step in. Pattinson is set to play our new Bruce Wayne and now we have word that Washington may be joining him, and perhaps as a notorious villain.

According to a new report, John David Washington is being eyed for a potential role in The Batman. While character details are currently being kept under wraps, it's stated that one of the possible roles is that of Harvey Dent. Fans of the Caped Crusader are sure to recall that Harvey Dent is the Gotham City politician who eventually becomes Two-Face. The character was previously played by Billy Dee Williams in Tim Burton's Batman and by Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight. The report is careful to note that formal talks haven't begun just yet, but that Matt Reeves is "paying close attention" to Washington.

There are a few interesting threads to pull with this one. For starters, John David Washington is on the rise in a big way. He got his first big break on HBO's Ballers alongside Dwayne Johnson. But his turn in Spike Lee's Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman really put Washington on the map. That helped land him a lead role in Christopher Nolan's upcoming thriller Tenet. Coincidentally, or perhaps not coincidentally, Robert Pattinson is also starring in Tenet. Perhaps the two could be reuniting on screen again sooner rather than later?

This also would gel with some of what we've heard about Matt Reeves' DC Comics adaptation in the past. While many details are still being kept under tight lock and key by Warner Bros., it's said that the movie will include several villains from Batman's massive rogues gallery. Penguin has been persistently named as one of the main villains, with Catwoman and Riddler also rumored. It should be noted that this report specifically says Harvey Dent and makes no mention of Two-Face. Is it possible they will introduce the character as Harvey first, setting him up for a longer arc to become Two-Face down the line?

What we know for sure is pre-production is underway now on the long-gestating project. Matt Reeves will be focusing more on the character's skills as a detective, as opposed to just honing in on his ability to beat up bad guys. Filming is expected to begin early next year and the team behind the scenes is starting to come together. It was recently revealed that cinematographer Greig Fraser (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) has boarded the project. The Batman is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 25, 2021. We'll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news comes to us via Geeks Worldwide.