Andy Serkis confirmed to return for The Batman: Part II

Andy Serkis is set to reprise his role of Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman: Part II.

The Lord of the Rings actor, who made his debut as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler Alfred in 2022's The Batman, has been confirmed to return for the long-awaited sequel, which begins filming in London in June.

It was initially uncertain if Serkis would be able to film The Batman sequel as well as direct his upcoming The Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum, this year. However, according to Deadline, Serkis has been able to fit both commitments into his schedule.

While promoting his film Animal Farm recently, the British actor was asked if he'll be in The Batman sequel, and he replied, "I'm pretty certain it's all going to work out. Yeah, we're working on it, but I think it's all looking good."

He also explained to Screen Rant that he won't be joining his co-stars "immediately" and will be involved with the shoot "by the end of the year".

The Batman: Part II, once again directed by Matt Reeves, will reunite Serkis with Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb/The Penguin and Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Jim Gordon. New cast members include Sebastian Stan as Harvey Dent and Scarlett Johansson in an undisclosed role. The film will be released in October 2027.

In addition to directing The Hunt for Gollum, Serkis will reprise his role as Gollum via motion capture, as he did in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. He will be reunited with Ian McKellen as Gandalf, while Elijah Wood has strongly implied he'll return as Frodo Baggins.

Serkis recently revealed that the character of Aragorn - famously played by Viggo Mortensen - will be recast for the new movie.

The Hunt for Gollum, which is set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, will be released in December 2027.