I have been following the entire Heat 2 development saga since I first heard that Michael Mann was adapting his 2022 novel of the same name into a big screen affair. Over the past few months, it has started to look like the sequel to one of the best ‘90s movies will feature a cast that’s just as stacked as the epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and the late Val Kilmer that came out 30 years ago this December.
While I am excited about the possibility of Leonardo DiCaprio and fellow Oscar winner Christian Bale getting major roles in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, all this recent news has me wondering about something. What’s happening with a pair of actors who were rumored to be starring in Heat 2 when the project started picking up steam, when the hotly-anticipated sequel was announced well over a year ago?
The Idea Of Leonardo DiCaprio And Christian Bale Leading A Crime Epic Has Me Excited
First, the idea of Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale sharing the screen is something that has me even more excited about Heat 2. It’s like our generation’s version of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino finally having a scene together after all those years, with the only difference being that these two have never been in the same movie. Both have worked with directors like Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson, but never on the same picture.
Back in October 2025, Deadline reported that DiCaprio, hot off the decorated One Battle After Another, was in talks to play Chris Shiherlis, the character first brought to life by Val Kilmer in the original Heat. The following month, Deadline published a report stating that Bale, who’s set to appear in The Bride! next March, would be playing an undisclosed part. Could he be playing Neil McCauley? Vincent Hanna? Waingro? We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.
Also, What Does This Mean For Those Rumors About Adam Driver And Austin Butler?
Though I am excited to see two of the greatest living actors tear it up on screen and be involved with some high-stakes heists, I can’t help but wonder what this means for those rumors about Adam Driver and Austin Butler being in Heat 2. Over the past couple of years, outlets like The Hollywood Reporter have brought up Driver and Butler’s names as possibilities to play central characters, but nothing’s come of it.
I mean, Driver, who has worked with director Michael Mann on Ferrari, would be perfect as a younger Neil McCauley (the movie has two timelines – one before the events of Heat, the other after the 1995 film). Something similar could be said about Butler, whose skills would be perfect to play Chris Shiherlis. However, there haven’t been any updates about these two, and Butler is now being eyed to lead Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice adaptation alongside Michael B. Jordan. As much as I want these to happen, I just don’t know if they will.
It’s not yet known if Heat 2 will take up a spot on the 2026 movie schedule or later on. That said, I’ll be there the day it opens, even if my early actor wishlist doesn’t happen.