Scarlett Johansson In Talks for The Batman 2 -- Theories on Who She Could Play!

According to reports out Wednesday, the Black Widow actress is in talks for a mystery role in The Batman 2, opposite Robert Pattinson's caped crusader. The movie will once again be directed by Matt Reeves, who rebooted the series in 2022 to massive success; Zoe Kravitz, who appeared as Catwoman in that film, will reportedly not return.

Johansson circling the project comes after her stint as Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which came to an apparent end with her death in Avengers: Endgame and prequel Black Widow film. She also headlined Jurassic Park Rebirth earlier this year and will star in an upcoming Exorcist film from Mike Flanagan.

Absolutely zero details have been revealed about who Johansson could play, but that hasn't stopped fans from theorizing all over X and Reddit after the news broke. Outside of an original role, some familiar names, as well as a fair amount of deep cuts, have popped up online in the past 24 hours -- and we've pulled together the most popular theories.

• Andrea Beaumont/Phantasm: The name that has popped up the most is Andrea Beaumont, also known as the Phantasm from the 1993 animated film, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The vigilante kills crime bosses across Gotham, with a storyline similar to that of Reaper from the Year Two comics; she also dates Bruce Wayne, who doesn't know she's Phantasm until a big reveal. Of course, it would be hard to cast Johansson as Beaumont without giving away the reveal.
• Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy: Another popular fancast is Poison Ivy, who fans have been dying to see in a live action film since Uma Thurman played her in the critically-panned Batman & Robin. Her metahuman powers to control plants, however, aren't exactly a great fit for Reeves' more grounded universe, with the InSneider reporting that won't be who she's playing. Also, do we think Johansson wants to play another comic redhead?
• Samantha Vanaver/or Someone from The Court of Owls: Fans have been hoping to see the villainous Court of Owls organization on the big screen for a while now, causing mayhem all over Gotham. The animated 2015 Batman & Robin film introduced Vanaver as the Grandmaster of the Court, and girlfriend to Talon William Cobb, a possible role for Johansson. Scarlett could also play a Talon herself, or someone like Cressida Clarke or Mary Turner, the latter of whom became one of the Birds of Prey.

• Speaking of the Birds of Prey, any of them could also be in play. While it seems unlikely that we'll get another version of Dr. Quinzell/Harley Quinn so close to both Joker 2 and Margot Robbie's films, her name has been floated out amongst the fandom. That superhero team-up also included Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress.
• Vicki Vale: A character who has appeared in almost every Batman medium and played by Kim Basinger in the 1989 film, Vale is a reporter and love interest of Bruce Wayne's. She's often a damsel in distress, however, something which really plays against the type of roles Johansson has been taking on of late; some character tweaks would likely be in the cards if she took on that role.
• Lady Arkham: One such tweak on the Vicki Vale character that would be a lot more exciting is Lady Arkham. Born Victoria Arkham and adopted by the Vale family, this version of the character was the leader of a terrorist group, the Children of Arkham, and had a personal vendetta against the Waynes. She's a deep cut, however, only appearing in the Batman: The Telltale Series video games.

• Talia al Ghul: Daughter of supervillain Ra's al Ghul and leader of the League of Assassins, Talia is a popular Batman enemy. She, of course, appeared in The Dark Knight Rises already, however, played by Marion Cotillard. Another possibility from the same family is Nyssa, Talia's half-sister and daughter of Ra's; the character has appeared on both Arrow and Gotham.
• Julie Madison: With a lot of talk about Johansson's role being a love interest for Bruce, Julie's name has also made the rounds online. Julie was Batman's first comic girlfriend and appeared in Batman & Robin, played by Elle Macpherson. She would be a bit of a blank slate for Johansson and the filmmakers to play around with.
• Tommy Elliot/Hush: While there are a lot of gender-bending options that could also come into play, some have speculated Johansson could play a female version of Tommy Elliot, a childhood friend of Bruce's who becomes the supervillain Hush. With Reeves saying the new plot ties into Bruce's past, Hush would make sense -- but many fans have also pointed out a number of the character's traits are similar to those of Paul Dano's The Riddler in the first film.

What do you think?