The Batman 2 Officially Steals Scarlett Johansson From The MCU, But Who Is She Playing?

For months — nay, years — we've been anxiously awaiting some news about "The Batman 2." For the longest time, all that seemed certain was that Matt Reeves would return as co-writer/director and Robert Pattinson would reprise his role as the titular Caped Crusader, but beyond that, it's been an endless guessing game. Finally, these past few weeks have seen a ramp-up in news regarding the film as it prepares to enter production. There's been a bittersweet announcement in the form of original cinematographer Greig Fraser being replaced by Erik Messerschmidt, but that was yesterday, and today we have a more thoroughly exciting development. According to scoops from Justin Kroll of Deadline and Jeff Sneider, Scarlett Johansson will be joining the cast.

While Johansson's involvement is effectively certain, what's less clear is who she's going to be portraying. Deadline's piece on her casting doesn't even try to speculate, while Sneider has taken it upon himself to guess that she might be playing a love interest of Pattinson's Bruce Wayne, only to then claim that he hears that her part "will ultimately be revealed as villainous in nature." So, as far as facts go, there's pretty much nothing beyond Johansson's casting. Yet these speculations and rumors do stir up a bunch of very compelling notions, especially since Johansson is at a level where she's likely not going to play someone who's merely "Batman's girlfriend." Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you're impatient for answers), there are a lot of potential characters in the Batman mythos who might fit the bill.

The possibilities are pretty wide open as to who Scarlett Johansson might be playing. A majority of Bruce Wayne's cinematic love interests have been vivacious blonde women, and Johansson is one of Hollywood's most prominent blondes. The quick and easy guess would be someone like Silver St. Cloud, a Gotham City socialite in the comic books who's only appeared in live action once before, in the second season of "Gotham."

Of course, there's the hint that this character may turn out to be a villain. Could she potentially be playing Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy? It would certainly fit Johansson's glamorous aesthetic, plus her portraying a villain in the DC Universe after appearing as the hero Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for so many years might be what attracted her to the role. But is Poison Ivy too much of a fantasy character for Reeves' Bat-verse? "The Batman," while not as intent on remaining grounded in reality as Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy was, still kept things gritty. Could Johansson as Poison Ivy help expand the series' horizons? Or might she be playing someone more down to earth, like Andrea Beaumont, aka The Phantasm?

Whatever the case, there's no doubt that this casting is a coup for Reeves and the film. Johansson not only has extensive experience with comic book material but has also proven herself as a reliable presence in maximalist cinema. "Jurassic World Rebirth" was only helped by her involvement, and her addition to the "Batman 2" cast indicates that Reeves is interested in populating his sequel with more great actors in a similar way that the original movie did. While we wait to hear more, stay tuned to this Bat-channel for more Bat-updates.