Phil LordandChris Millerreturned to produceThe LEGO Batman Movieafter helmingThe LEGO Moviefor Warner Bros., and the dynamic duo promised the standalone film will pay tribute to the cinematic legacy of the character. That includes nods to all the incarnations of Batman, as well as a variety of DC Comics characters. As an added bonus, directorChris McKaypromised there’ll be another nod toTim Burton’s 1989Batmanin the film:Billy Dee Williams.
The actor portrayed Harvey Dent in Burton’s film, which starredMichael Keatonas The Dark Knight. According to McKay over Twitter, Williams will play the character’s villainous counterpart, Two-Face, in a voice role forLEGO Batman. No other details were revealed, but we’re guessing it’ll probably be a small part.
When asked by a fan if Williams would get the chance to play Two-Face, McKay responded simply:
The main antagonist in the film will be Joker (voiced byZach Galifianakis), who’s planning a hostile takeover of Gotham City. That means he’ll need his own army, which is probably where Two-Face comes in. Harley Quinn was already announced to appear in mini form, via actressJenny Slate, and the latest trailer showed a scene of Joker assembling various villainous figures.
After Williams’ role in Batman, early drafts of the sequel, 1992’sBatman Returns, saw the return of Dent in a storyline that would’ve seen his Two-Face transformation and set him up as the villain for the third film. That, obviously, didn’t happen. Speaking atWizard World Nashville Comic Conin 2013, Williams remarked, “I had hoped that I would have done Two-Face, but it changed hands before then, and I think Schumacher got involved. So they took a different direction with that.”
The LEGO Batman MoviereturnsWill Arnettas the voice of The Caped Crusader, with a screenplay penned bySeth Grahame-Smith,Chris McKenna, andErik Sommers.Ralph Fiennes(Alfred),Rosario Dawson(Barbara Gordon/Batgirl),Michael Cera(Dick Grayson/Robin), andMariah Carey(Gotham Mayor McCaskill) help round out the principal cast, while the trailers and promos also featured appearances by Superman, Wonder Woman, and other members of the Justice League.
Channing Tatumvoiced the Man of Steel inThe LEGO MoviealongsideCobie Smuldersas Wonder Woman, andJonah Hillas Green Lantern, but it’s unclear if they’ll reprise these roles.
