A recent rumor indicates that Bruce Wayne may gain a new love interest in The Batman - Part II. Matt Reeves' dark Batman reboot arrived in 2022, introducing audiences to Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne and Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman/Selina Kyle. After spending years in development, The Batman - Part 2 finally seems to be in motion.
Nexus Point News reported that Scarlett Johansson is in talks to join The Batman Part II, possibly playing a new love interest vying for Bruce Wayne. Johansson previously starred as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the MCU for over a decade, but this would be her first instance of jumping ship to the DCU. Deadline is also reporting Johansson's casting in the DC film, suggesting she is in "final negotiations" for the role.
This comes off the back of rumors that Zoe Kravitz is not in The Batman - Part 2, which Nexus' report also suggests, claiming "at the moment, Zoe Kravitz is not expected to return." With Selina Kyle seemingly out of the picture, this leaves the door open for a new love interest to enter Batman's life in The Batman - Part 2, which Johansson's mysterious new character could fill.
Additionally, scooper Grace Randolph suggested Johansson's role might be that of a villain in The Batman - Part 2. This would make the role similar to Kravitz's Catwoman, who is typically dubbed an antihero but has both heroic and villainous tendencies in the comics.
Along with Pattinson, Nexus Point News noted that Jeffrey Wright (Jim Gordon), Andy Serkis (Alfred Pennyworth), and Colin Farrell (Oz Cobb/The Penguin) are confirmed to reprise their roles. However, past interviews with Farrell seem to suggest that the Penguin will only have a small role in The Batman - Part 2, despite having recently led the HBO series The Penguin to success.
There are expected to be several new roles in The Batman - Part 2, particularly following Kravitz's exit, Farrell's reduced role, and Batman's defeat of the Riddler (played by Paul Dano) in the first film. This leaves both villain and love interest spots open for new cast members, but potentially Johansson's role will be able to fulfil both.
The Batman - Part 2 is being directed by Matt Reeves with a script written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin for DC Studios. Production on the movie is expected to begin in 2026, with the film scheduled for release on October 1, 2027.
This DC Character Would Perfectly Fit Scarlett Johansson’s The Batman 2 Role
While no reports have confirmed exactly who Johansson is being eyed to play in The Batman - Part 2, there are plenty of DC characters that would fit the limited description of her role so far.
If Johansson is indeed playing both a villain and Bruce Wayne's love interest, one of the clear options (which Nexus Point News also suggested) is Andrea Beaumont, also known as the Phantasm. Andrea was introduced in the animated DC film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. She was initially engaged to Bruce Wayne before breaking it off and fleeing to Europe to hide from her family's criminal ties to the mob.
When the mob kills Andrea's parents, she turns herself into the vigilante known as the Phantasm and seeks revenge. The reveal that the Phantasm, who wears a skull-like mask, hood, and cloak, and a voice changer, is secretly Andrea is one of the major twists in Mask of the Phantasm.
While the villain for The Batman - Part 2 has not been announced, Reeves suggested that the character will have "never really been done in a movie before." The Phantasm has technically been adapted in the DC animated film universe. Still, it seems likely that Reeves may have been referring more to live-action Batman adaptations in his comment, meaning Phantasm would still be on the table as a character who hasn't been seen in live-action yet.
Andrea is also one of the notable foils to Bruce Wayne's character, with both sharing tragic backstories that involve the deaths of their parents at the hands of criminals, which motivates them to don masks and become vigilantes. The main differentiator is that Andrea kills her targets and is motivated by revenge. In contrast, Bruce is motivated by justice and follows a no-killing code.
Introducing Johansson as Andrea in The Batman - Part 2 would be an intriguing way to test Bruce's character in the DC sequel. The style of Andrea Beaumont's character, which emulates a femme fatale in a classic noir tale, also suits the gritty detective style that Reeves's The Batman establishes.
While Andrea Beaumont is one potential option for Johansson's role in The Batman - Part 2, there are plenty of other DC characters who could fit the bill of both villain and love interest, including Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy or Batman's common love interest, Talia al Ghul.
