Scarlett Johansson Joins ‘The Batman Part II’: Matt Reeves Are Transforming the Gotham Forever
Casting choices can be just as over the top as the movies in superhero movie culture. And December 2025, well, the industry just got a real tremor in its boots. Scarlett Johansson, Marvel’s Black Widow herself was said to be in final talks to appear in Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, an addition described by insiders as a “geopolitical shift” in franchise cinema. What appears to be a casting headline is, in essence, a seismic shift for the Gotham saga and a no-holds-barred power play by Warner Bros.
From Marvel Assassin to Gotham’s Mystery Player
Scarlett Johansson’s departure from Marvel was already public, more so after her lawsuit with Disney regarding Black Widow’s release. But her move to DC’s darker, auteur-led “Elseworlds” slate is a smart reinvention. She’s swapping glossy interconnected universes for a grounded, noir-styled crime opera.
And what makes this move all the more interesting is her schedule. Johansson is currently rounding out Universal’s Exorcist reboot after starring in Jurassic World Rebirth, before moving on to the production of The Batman Part II in early 2026. The studio is now making the schedule bend to accommodate her and that tells you everything about how they want her.
In an era of “superhero fatigue,” the closest thing to a cheat code is a star on Johansson’s scale. But who is she playing? That notion is a closely held secret and the secrecy is spawning some of the most fascinating theories the fandom has had in years.
The Catwoman Void Hurts But More Darker Door Opens
Fans were stunned to find out that Zoë Kravitz, whose Selina Kyle brought a raw, emotional electricity to the first film, is not returning. Her departure is not petty drama, quite the opposite. She and Robert Pattinson are indeed teaming up after dark on How to Save a Marriage, which she is directing and Pattinson producing.
Her absence is an artistic decision, not a matter of availability. Reeves appears determined to take a lonelier, more psychologically weighed-down Batman in second unit. Selina’s exit at the end of the first movie was a poetic one—and that’s the emotional terrain Reeves is holding on to.
“Still, Catwoman is missed, and creates a void,” Fans writes on Reddit. And the addition of Johansson seems custom made to fill it—not as a replacement love interest. As something much, much darker.
Which Role Scarlett Johansson Plays in Batman Part II
The prevailing theory among both critics and fans is that Johansson is playing Andrea Beaumont, the identity of The Phantasm to which die hard batman fans recognize from the fantastic animated film Mask of the Phantasm.
Why this theory fits perfectly:
- She’s never been brought to life on screen — in keeping with Reeves’ promise of a villain “who no one has seen, or done, before.
- Andrea is emotionally and psychologically related to Bruce Wayne — a former lover who has become an assassin.
- Her arc is the reflection of Bruce’s darkest desires, so she can be viewed as the thematic sequel to Bruce’s ‘Vengeance’ arc from Part I.
Johansson has both the emotional depth for the tragic romance and the physicality for the vigilante role, as well as the subtlety needed to play a character who is at once a mirror and a threat. If Reeves wants the sequel to cut deeper, this is the character who can make it hurt.
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A New Visual Identity for Gotham
There’s a big change on the staff — Erik Messerschmidt (Mindhunter, Mank), whose work is cool and precise, comes in for Greig Fraser.
This turn suggests The Batman Part II will double down on procedural noir. Look for the visuals to be crisp and icy, more interrogation rooms, less rain-soaked alleys. It’s a perfect fit for a tale that explores Gotham’s corruption with forensic precision.
A Strategic Move in a Split DC Landscape
Warner Bros. is busy juggling two Batmen at once: Pattinson’s noir Elseworlds and James Gunn’s more mainstream DCU offering. Getting Johansson locks in a message to Hollywood that The Batman Part II is prestige cinema – not just franchise material.
According to CBR, with production scheduled for 2026 in Glasgow, Liverpool and Leavesden Studios, a darker, more intimately-scaled Gotham is in the offing.
Conclusion
The Batman Part II is not merely a sequel — it’s a tonal, cast, character psychology, and even Hollywood-political recalibration. Losing Selina Kyle is disappointing, but gaining Scarlett Johansson in a role as potentially powerful as Phantasm completely changes the game.
If Reeves nails the landing, October 2027 could give us a Batman movie not just expanding Gotham mythology — it could redefine what superhero noir can look like.
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