Scarlett Johansson is in final negotiations to join the cast of The Batman - Part II, bringing one of Marvel’s foundational heroes into the heart of the DC Universe. The potential casting, reported by Variety, positions the actress opposite Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated sequel, currently slated for an October 2027 theatrical release. While details concerning her role remain heavily guarded, leading to rampant fan speculation over characters like Poison Ivy, Vicki Vale, or Andrea Beaumont (The Phantasm), her jump from the MCU is immediately historic.
Johansson’s move solidifies her as the 12th major Marvel actor to cross the aisle and feature in a live-action film connected to the Batman franchise. She follows a long line of performers who have traded in their vibranium shields, gamma rays, and cosmic powers for a trip to Gotham City.
Johansson began her MCU tenure as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in 2010's Iron Man 2, quickly becoming one of the founding and core members of the original six Avengers. Her role as an elite spy and assassin spanned an impressive 11-year period.
Across nine major MCU films, including her final main continuity appearance in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Romanoff served as the team's moral compass and master tactician. Her narrative arc famously concluded with her heroic sacrifice on Vormir to obtain the Soul Stone, an act crucial to reversing Thanos' Blip.
She later starred in her long-awaited, chronologically earlier solo film, 2021's Black Widow, which detailed her past and served as a perfect send-off to the character. Now, Johansson brings that substantial franchise experience, along with her two Oscar nominations, to Matt Reeves’ Bat-Verse.
MCU Stars Who Have Featured in DC's Batman Franchise
Christian Bale
Christian Bale defined the gritty, realistic take on Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader across Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012). His disciplined, brooding portrayal is often cited as the gold standard for cinematic Batman performances, anchoring three of the most financially and critically successful comic book films ever made.
He made his MCU debut a decade after his final Batman outing, transforming into the terrifying villain Gorr the God Butcher in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder. Wielding the ancient weapon, All-Black the Necrosword, Gorr's motivation centered on systematically ridding the universe of all gods who failed their worshipers.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton was the first actor to anchor the modern Batman franchise, portraying the eccentric and reclusive Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). He has since reprised the role in other DC projects, cementing his legacy as a definitive version of the hero.
He joined the MCU as the villainous Adrian Toomes, the tech-savvy salvager who becomes Vulture, in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Vulture used alien Chitauri technology to become a black-market arms dealer, serving as the first major cinematic antagonist for Tom Holland's Spider-Man.
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer delivered a career-defining performance as the anti-heroine Selina Kyle/Catwoman in 1992's Batman Returns, capturing the character’s duality.
She was later introduced into the MCU as the long-lost original Wasp, Janet van Dyne, in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp and reprised the role in subsequent sequels. Janet was rescued from the Quantum Realm after being trapped there for decades, bringing critical knowledge and a maternal presence to the Pym family.
Tom Hardy
Tom Hardy played the physically imposing and brilliant mercenary Bane in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. Using a specialized mask that pumps the super-steroid Venom into his body to manage his chronic pain, Bane served as the chief antagonist, successfully taking over Gotham and breaking Batman's spirit.
While his primary comic book role is as Eddie Brock/Venom in Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU), the character officially crossed into the MCU timeline. Hardy appeared as the symbiote-bonded journalist in the post-credits scene of 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, confirming his place in the multiverse.
J.K. Simmons
J.K. Simmons has also played a key authority figure in both the Marvel and DC comic book universes. Within the DC Extended Universe, he first portrayed the pragmatic and incorruptible Commissioner James Gordon in the 2017 Justice League film and its 2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League cut.
Simultaneously, he maintains an iconic Marvel legacy, seamlessly transitioning his role as the outrageously abrasive Daily Bugle editor, J. Jonah Jameson, from the non-MCU Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy directly into the current Marvel Cinematic Universe. This began with a surprise cameo in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones played the duality-obsessed, criminally insane villain Harvey Dent/Two-Face in the 1995 film Batman Forever. His portrayal captured the character's manic energy and signature coin-toss decisions, serving as one of the film's two main antagonists.
He was a key supporting player in the MCU's historical films, portraying the no-nonsense officer Colonel Chester Phillips. Phillips was the commanding officer responsible for the super-soldier experiment that successfully created Captain America in 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger.
Ben Mendelsohn
Ben Mendelsohn appeared in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises as the corrupt and ruthless Gotham businessman John Daggett. He was a corporate foil for Bruce Wayne and a significant pawn in Bane’s larger, financially and politically motivated scheme to destabilize the city.
He took on a foundational role in the MCU's Phase 3 as the Skrull leader Talos in 2019's Captain Marvel. Talos became a crucial ally to Nick Fury and the protection of Earth, later appearing in Spider-Man: Far From Home and taking a central role in the 2023 Disney+ series Secret Invasion.
Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis currently serves as the compassionate and world-weary family butler Alfred Pennyworth in Matt Reeves' new continuity, beginning with 2022's The Batman. He is set to reprise his role opposite Johansson and Pattinson in the upcoming sequel.
In the MCU, he was a menacing and energetic villain in the earlier phases, portraying the black-market arms dealer Ulysses Klaue. Klaue first appeared stealing Vibranium in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron before meeting his violent end in 2018's Black Panther.
Jon Favreau
Before becoming the chief architect and director of the MCU, Jon Favreau had a brief, uncredited early-career appearance as a pilot who aids Bruce Wayne in the 1995 film Batman Forever, a minor yet notable part of DC franchise history.
Favreau is one of the pillars of the MCU, directing Iron Man and Iron Man 2, while starring as Tony Stark’s highly loyal bodyguard and friend, Happy Hogan. He has appeared in numerous MCU films, starting with 2008's Iron Man, making him one of the longest-serving actors in the franchise.
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne played the cynical and determined editor of the Daily Planet, Perry White, in the foundational films of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), including 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
He joined the MCU as Dr. Bill Foster, a former colleague of Hank Pym and an expert in Pym Particle technology, in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Foster was responsible for training Ava Starr (Ghost) to use her phasing abilities.
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill was cast as the definitive DCEU hero, Clark Kent/Superman, a character whose philosophical and literal confrontation with the Caped Crusader formed the central conflict of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
He officially entered the MCU by making a surprise cameo appearance as a variant of Wolverine in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
