diff --git a/distutils/cmd.py b/distutils/cmd.py
index 072f0f72..f2b5b964 100644
--- a/distutils/cmd.py
+++ b/distutils/cmd.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ def __init__(self, dist: Distribution) -> None:
         # timestamps, but methods defined *here* assume that
         # 'self.force' exists for all commands.  So define it here
         # just to be safe.
-        self.force = None
+        self.force: bool | None = None
 
         # The 'help' flag is just used for command-line parsing, so
         # none of that complicated bureaucracy is needed.
diff --git a/distutils/command/build_ext.py b/distutils/command/build_ext.py
index 85560be6..01181bbe 100644
--- a/distutils/command/build_ext.py
+++ b/distutils/command/build_ext.py
@@ -109,11 +109,11 @@ class build_ext(Command):
         ('help-compiler', None, "list available compilers", show_compilers),
     ]
 
-    def initialize_options(self):
+    def initialize_options(self) -> None:
         self.extensions = None
-        self.build_lib = None
-        self.plat_name = None
-        self.build_temp = None
+        self.build_lib: str = None  # Should always be set in finalize_options
+        self.plat_name: str = None  # Should always be set in finalize_options
+        self.build_temp: str = None  # Should always be set in finalize_options
         self.inplace = False
         self.package = None
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def initialize_options(self):
         self.rpath = None
         self.link_objects = None
         self.debug = None
-        self.force = None
+        self.force: bool = None  # Should always be set in finalize_options
         self.compiler = None
         self.swig = None
         self.swig_cpp = None