If The Batman Part II does, in fact, adapt a specific DC Comics storyline, then many likely already know what the movie's major twist will be and who it will involve. Fans have waited for The Batman Part II for years now, and it is a relief for many that DC Studios and Matt Reeves have finally provided some positive updates regarding its development and release. One of the biggest announcements made about the 2027 title was that Sebastian Stan would be cast as Harvey Dent, but another actor, who was announced to be joining him, could be far more important to the story.
It has not been made official who she will play in the upcoming film, but the MCU's Scarlett Johansson was also revealed to have a role in The Batman Part II. Given Johansson's status as one of the biggest and most successful actresses of all time, fans can expect her to play a major part in the movie and be a character with a decent amount of screen time.
The most prevalent rumor is that Johansson will portray Gilda Dent, the wife of Harvey Dent. The basis for these claims is that The Batman Part II is expected to either faithfully adapt or heavily base itself on the comic storyline known as The Long Halloween.
If The Long Halloween is the central plot for The Batman Part II, which rumors heavily suggest that it is, then the film has essentially already spoiled Johansson's character arc and the movie's big revelation.
For reference, in The Long Halloween, the storyline follows Batman as he teams up with Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon to take down a mysterious serial killer who has been dubbed Holiday. The reasoning behind the killer's nickname is that they only kill on holidays, with deaths coming on one specific holiday each month.
As the story progresses, more killings take place, Harvey Dent becomes disfigured, and the mystery of who the Holiday killer is only grows deeper.
In the source material, it is revealed that Gilda Dent was the original Holiday killer and that she started the murders to get revenge on the Falcone crime family. However, Alberto Falcone (the son of Carmine Falcone) eventually admits to being the killer, implying that Gilda started the murders and then Alberto took her place.
If Scarlett Johansson has, in fact, been cast as Gilda Dent, that makes it even more likely that The Batman Part II will adapt The Long Halloween and feature the twist that Gilda is the Holiday killer. As mentioned, Johansson is an extremely popular actress, so it would only make sense to cast her as someone like Gilda Dent if she were going to play a major role in the movie.
Johansson's role has not been confirmed yet, but if it is announced that she will portray Gilda Dent, many fans will already know the movie's big twist, which could make it less effective. At this point, all signs point to Johansson playing Gilda and the movie following The Long Halloween, but only time will tell if Matt Reeves will pivot and change up the storyline.
Which Other Batman Characters Could Scarlett Johansson Play?
Most likely, Scarlett Johansson will end up playing Gilda Dent in The Batman Part II, and The Long Halloween storyline will be adapted, but it is possible that she could be cast as someone else. There are more than a few major characters for Johansson to take on, but a couple would make more sense than the rest.
One other character Johansson could portray is Andrea Beaumont, who is better known as the Phantasm. Mask of the Phantasm is one of the most beloved Batman movies of all time and is a direct spin-off of Batman: The Animated Series. Matt Reeves loves The Animated Series and even has ties to it (he helped Bruce Timm create a semi-sequel to it called The Caped Crusader), so it wouldn't be a stretch to theorize that Johansson could bring the Phantasm to life.
Another character Johansson easily fits the bill for is Poison Ivy. She already has the red hair and the acting chops to play a character who is extremely important to the world of Gotham. Poison Ivy does appear in The Long Halloween, so Reeves could still adapt that storyline and feature Johansson as someone other than Gilda Dent.
There are a few other characters the Marvel actress could play, but DC Studios and Reeves most likely want her to be a major name with a lot of screen time. After all, Johansson will likely be receiving a pretty hefty paycheck no matter who her character is, so it would make sense for her to bring to life an A-list Batman character so that DC will get its money's worth.
