In a seismic shift for DC’s burgeoning cinematic universe, Scarlett Johansson is reportedly in final negotiations to join the cast of The Batman Part II, the long-awaited sequel to Matt Reeves’ gritty 2022 hit.
This development, first broken by Nexus Point News and swiftly confirmed by outlets like Variety and Deadline, marks a bold crossover for the Oscar-nominated actress, fresh off her Marvel swan song as Black Widow.
As pre-production ramps up in Glasgow for a spring 2026 shoot, Johansson’s potential involvement injects star power into a project that’s been shrouded in secrecy since its script was locked away in a high-security pouch.
Reeves, known for his meticulous world-building in films like Cloverfield, has teased a villain “never really done in a movie before,” fueling speculation that Johansson could be stepping into uncharted territory.
The news arrives amid heartbreak for fans: Zoë Kravitz is not expected to reprise her role as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, the enigmatic anti-heroine who stole scenes—and hearts—in the original.
Kravitz’s departure, hinted at during press junkets as early as August and now corroborated by production insiders, aligns with her character’s motorcycle exit from Gotham at the film’s close, but it stings for those who saw her as the perfect foil to Robert Pattinson’s brooding Bruce Wayne.
This casting pivot underscores Reeves’ vision for a standalone “BatVerse,” distinct from James Gunn’s broader DCU reboot. With The Batman grossing $772 million worldwide and spawning the acclaimed HBO series The Penguin, expectations are sky-high for Part II’s October 1, 2027, release.
Johansson’s addition could bridge high-octane action with emotional depth, but without Catwoman’s whip-smart allure, will the sequel claw its way to the same heights?
Johansson, 40, has been on a roll, headlining the dino-thriller Jurassic World Rebirth, which roared past $800 million at the box office earlier this year, and gearing up for Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist reboot under Blumhouse.
Her directorial debut, the intimate drama Eleanor the Great starring June Squibb, premiered to critical whispers of awards contention.
Yet, trading Avengers Tower for Gotham’s shadowed spires feels like poetic justice. After nearly a decade as Natasha Romanoff—culminating in the bittersweet Black Widow solo outing—Johansson has voiced a desire for “grounded, character-driven” roles over CGI spectacles.
Reeves’ noir-infused take on Batman, emphasizing psychological torment over bombast, seems tailor-made for her chameleon-like range, seen in indies like Under the Skin and blockbusters alike.
Sources close to the production whisper that her role could be a fresh love interest for Pattinson’s haunted billionaire, perhaps Julie Madison, the socialite from early Batman comics who once donned the Batwoman mantle.
Madison, portrayed fleetingly by Elle Macpherson in 1997’s Batman & Robin, represents Bruce’s pre-vigilante innocence—a stark contrast to Selina’s dangerous spark.
Alternatively, buzz on platforms like Reddit and X points to Andrea Beaumont, the Phantasm from the 1993 animated gem Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. As Bruce’s jilted fiancée turned vengeful vigilante, Beaumont’s arc of love, loss, and mobbed-up betrayal mirrors Reeves’ themes of corruption and identity.
Johansson’s ability to layer vulnerability with ferocity—think her icy turn in Lucy—could elevate this obscure character to iconic status.
Dark horse theories abound: Could she be Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy, the eco-terrorist seductress whose botanical wrath has long eluded live-action glory? Or Vicki Vale, the intrepid reporter from Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, reimagined as a sharper thorn in Bruce’s side? Whatever the guise, her presence promises to deepen the sequel’s exploration of Wayne’s fractured psyche, especially post-Riddler flood.
Kravitz’s absence as Catwoman hits harder than a Batarang to the gut. At 36, the High Fidelity star brought a raw, lived-in edge to Selina—part alley cat, part avenging angel—that echoed Eartha Kitt’s sultry purr and Michelle Pfeiffer’s feral hiss, but with modern bite.
Her chemistry with Pattinson crackled, from that rain-soaked kiss to her defiant “I’m not leaving without you” plea amid Gotham’s chaos.
Fans aren’t mincing words online. “No Selina? What’s the point?” one X user lamented, while Reddit threads in r/DC_Cinematic erupted with pleas for a standalone Catwoman series, akin to The Penguin’s mobster machinations.
Kravitz herself has been coy, focusing on projects like the punk-rock thriller Blink Twice with Channing Tatum, but her off-screen nod in The Penguin’s finale—a letter to half-sister Sofia Falcone—teased unfinished business.
Reeves’ decision might stem from narrative purity: Selina’s arc concluded on her terms, fleeing to Blüdhaven for a clean slate. Sidestepping a forced reunion allows Part II to plunge deeper into Batman’s Year Two isolation, per comic lore.
Yet, it risks alienating viewers who cherished her as the film’s moral compass, challenging Bruce’s vengeance-fueled crusade with empathy and guile.
Still, hope lingers. Insiders note Kravitz’s exit isn’t ironclad—scheduling clashes with her directorial ambitions could shift. A Falcone-Kyle spinoff, perhaps exploring Selina’s diamond-heist roots, feels plausible in HBO’s expanding BatVerse. For now, though, Gotham’s nights grow lonelier without her shadow.
As The Batman Part II assembles its ensemble, confirmed returnees include Pattinson’s sinewy Dark Knight, Jeffrey Wright’s steadfast Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis’ wry Alfred Pennyworth, and—under heavy prosthetics—Colin Farrell’s scheming Oswald Cobblepot.
Barry Keoghan’s Joker, that unhinged Arkham tease from the post-credits stinger, looms as a wildcard, though Reeves has downplayed an immediate showdown.
The script, co-penned by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin (The Batman’s Year Two beatsmith), was finalized in June after months of clandestine tweaks. High-security measures—think locked pouches and NDAs thicker than the Batcave walls—hint at a plot twisting familiar foes into fresh nightmares.
Reeves, at September’s Emmys, gushed about Pattinson’s New York read-through, praising the script’s “emotional core” amid Gotham’s rot.
Production under DC Studios’ James Gunn and Peter Safran adds oversight polish, with Reeves’ 6th & Idaho banner steering the wheel alongside Dylan Clark. Warner Bros. eyes a $200 million-plus budget, banking on IMAX spectacles to eclipse the original’s moody cinematography by Greig Fraser.
Early set photos from Glasgow suggest rain-slicked streets and brutalist architecture, amplifying the sequel’s tactile dread.
For Johansson, this leapfrog from Marvel to DC isn’t just career chess—it’s a meta-commentary on superhero fatigue. Post-Avengers: Endgame, she’s championed female-led stories, from Marriage Story’s raw divorce drama to producing The Outpost’s war-torn grit.
In Batman’s orbit, she could subvert the damsel trope, perhaps as a therapist unraveling Wayne’s trauma or a corporate shark entangled in Wayne Enterprises’ shadows.
Speculation swirls: If Poison Ivy, envision lush greenhouse lairs where flora turns fatal, pitting intellect against Batman’s brawn. As Talia al Ghul, League of Shadows heir, she’d weave global intrigue, her maternal twist on The Dark Knight Rises’ Miranda Tate.
Johansson’s voice work in Sing proves her sonic versatility for a masked menace, too.
X timelines buzz with fan art: Johansson as Ivy, vines coiling like Black Widow’s webs; or Beaumont, her Phantasm armor gleaming under moonlit gargoyles.
“ScarJo swinging from ledges? Sign me up,” one post quips, while another frets, “Don’t let her outshine Pattinson—keep it grounded.” The discourse mirrors the film’s ethos: heroes as flawed humans, not gods.
Yet, beneath the hype lies tension. DC’s reboot under Gunn prioritizes interconnected whimsy—think Superman’s heart in 2025—while Reeves’ Elseworlds saga stays earthbound, a cop thriller in cape drag. Johansson’s franchise hop bridges that chasm, her MCU gravitas lending legitimacy to Batman’s indie streak.
Will it pay off? The Penguin’s Emmys nods suggest yes, but box office whispers demand innovation.
Kravitz’s void amplifies the stakes. Catwoman’s been Batman’s mirror since 1940—seductive, independent, a thief of both jewels and resolve. Without her, Part II risks a broody echo chamber, unless Johansson’s enigma fills the purr.
Fans petition for cameos, even flashbacks, but Reeves’ track record (The Morning Show’s layered ensemble) favors bold cuts.
As 2026 dawns with cameras rolling, one truth endures: Gotham never sleeps, and neither does its storytellers. Johansson’s rumored ingress promises reinvention, a siren call amid the fog. But in a city of capes and claws, will she soar or scratch? October 2027 holds the verdict.
This breaking wave reshapes the BatVerse, blending Johansson’s luminosity with Reeves’ shadows. From Jurassic roars to exorcist chills, her 2026 slate’s a gauntlet, yet Batman beckons as capstone. Catwoman’s farewell? A narrative feint, perhaps, priming a solo prowl.
For now, the Bat-Signal flickers with promise—and peril. In Hollywood’s endless night, every deal’s a riddle, every role a revelation. Johansson in Gotham? That’s not just news; it’s legend in the making.