Sebastian Stan is carefully talking about his mysterious role in The Batman: Part II.

“It’s one of the most challenging situations I’ve been involved in,” the Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in an episode published Monday. “I feel like it’s hard to talk about it without it becoming some speculative thing from some corner. I think it’s a very ambitious thing, and I hope it lands right. I have a lot of faith in it, because I just do feel like [director Matt Reeves] is truly a genius of our time, and one of the very few people that I think is so unique and so specific. And he has been at this for three years. I mean, it’s not an accident. He knows what he’s doing. And so I’m just happy to be part of that vision.”

“I just think it’s going to be great,” he added. “This is definitely, for me, feeling like something very different than I’ve gotten to do. And that’s what I love, and I’m excited about.”

Stan has been rumored to play the iconic Gotham City district attorney Harvey Dent (also known as Two-Face) in the film, but that’s not confirmed.

The actor also discussed how he landed the role in the first place, saying he “poked the bear” by nudging DC Studios co-chief James Gunn, and didn’t expect to get the part given his longtime association with the MCU.

“The DC thing was honestly always sort of a kind of like a joke in my mind,” he said. “I was like, ‘there’s no way that I’m ever going to end up [on a DC Studios film]’ … [But] Matt had seen The Apprentice and really liked the film and my work in that. And then that inspired a conversation. Subsequently, around the same time, I was kind of poking the bear a bit over there with James Gunn, going, ‘I think we should figure something out.’”

The comments come as production on The Batman: Part II in London pauses temporarily while director Matt Reeves takes some time to deal with a personal family matter. “Matt has the full support of DC Studios and we look forward to continuing the journey soon,” a studio spokesperson said.

The Batman: Part II stars Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. In addition to Stan, the production has also added fellow MCU veteran Scarlett Johansson in an undisclosed role. The film currently has a release date of Feb. 18, 2028.

Gina Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood will serve as ambassadors of the 30th annual Urbanworld Film Festival taking place Oct. 14-18 in New York City.

The post marks a notable return to Urbanworld for the married filmmakers who have a long history with the festival. Prince-Bythewood screened her adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees at Urbanworld in 2008, and the 2014 festival opened with her romance drama Beyond the Lights. Bythewood also brought ESPN’s 30 for 30 episode “One Night in Vegas” to Urbanworld in 2010 and the BET TV movie Gun Hill in 2013. The pair attended the festival in support of NatGeo’s Genius: MLK/X in 2023 as well.

“Urbanworld has been a consistent touchstone for filmmakers to bring our stories, connect with our community and support the next generation, and it has always felt like home for us,” the pair said in a joint statement. “We’re honored to return as festival ambassadors to celebrate 30 years of Urbanworld while sharing what’s next. Art over fear.”

As ambassadors, the Bythewoods will give audiences a unique look into their personal and creative journeys through special programming at The New School, Urbanworld’s Innovation Summit partner. There will also be a spotlight moment highlighting Prince-Bythewood’s upcoming adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone, ahead of its Jan. 15, 2027 release, at Regal Union Square, the festival’s host theater.

“Gina and Reggie represent the caliber of artists and storytellers we want to celebrate at Urbanworld,” said festival director Verona Cesair Jones in a news release. “Their work, leadership and commitment to storytelling have made an undeniable impact on our industry. As I begin my first year leading the festival and Urbanworld celebrates 30 years, we’re proud to honor them as our festival ambassadors and give them their flowers.”

Urbanworld was founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes as a space to champion established and emerging multicultural storytellers; three decades later, Spikes remains committed to that mission.

“Gina and Reggie have been part of the Urbanworld story for many years, and having them return together as festival ambassadors is a powerful way to celebrate our 30th anniversary,” said Spikes. “Urbanworld has always been about creating a platform for artists to tell their stories, build community, and open doors for those coming behind them. Gina and Reggie embody that spirit, and we’re proud to celebrate them as we look toward Urbanworld’s next 30 years.”

Nearly a decade after its formation, American High is expanding in new directions.

This weekend, the production company founded by Jeremy Garelick released Rolling Loud, a comedy starring Matt Rife and Owen Wilson that is loosely inspired by Garelick’s experience losing his 13-year-old son at the eponymous hip-hop festival. One of American High’s biggest productions to date and its largest wide theatrical release, the film raises the question of whether we may see the company move more frequently into theaters after producing the majority of its 20-plus features for Hulu.

American High’s second major October release is Minimum Wage, a short-form, pizzeria-set workplace comedy based on the company’s viral low-budget web series, which landed at Netflix in a highly competitive situation earlier this year. The series marks another expansion beyond Hulu, where American High operates under a first-look output deal, and tests whether IP developed in-house can scale its audience on streaming’s biggest stage. Written, directed by and starring the same group of emerging comedic talents from the web series — including recent SNL hire Grace Reiter — the series premieres its first 14 12.5-minute episodes on Oct. 26, with 14 more to follow.

Run by Garelick and President Will Phelps, American High was founded to fill a gap in the feature market by producing the kinds of teen comedies that are now seldom made elsewhere. Garelick launched the company with initial financial backing from Mickey Liddell’s LD Entertainment after finding success in studio comedy, writing films including The Break-Up and directing titles such as The Wedding Ringer.

In establishing the company’s headquarters, Garelick made an unusual choice that suited his experimental banner: He took over a decommissioned middle school in upstate New York and transformed it into a production facility. From there, American High produced an expansive slate of modestly budgeted features, built a digital sketch operation that has amassed billions of views, and even launched a nonprofit academy for student filmmakers.

More recently, the company has acquired additional real estate in the village of Liverpool, including the pizzeria where Minimum Wage was filmed. With Rolling Loud, American High further expanded its production infrastructure, becoming the first “Resident Creator” at Georgia’s Trilith Studios. The partnership is designed to help the company increase its output while providing access to expanded facilities and virtual production technology.

On Deadline’s Comedy Means Business podcast, Garelick and Phelps chronicle the origins and evolution of American High and discuss what the company’s recent pair of big swings could signal about its future. They also explore the Hulu deal that helped American High weather the pandemic and the dual Hollywood strikes of 2023; the pros and cons of owning a production facility; the company’s relationship with Liverpool locals; its commitment to emerging talent on both sides of the camera; the duo’s early experiences in show business, including Garelick’s time working for filmmaker Joel Schumacher; and what it would take to bring about a resurgence in theatrical comedy.

Check out the full conversation by clicking above.