We learned yesterday that Scarlett Johansson is in final talks to join the cast of The Batman Part II. All signs point to the Black Widow star playing a love interest, villain, or both, but it sounds like she wasn't necessarily Matt Reeves' first choice for the mystery character.
In the latest edition of The InSneider newsletter, Jeff Sneider reveals that The Amazing Spider-Man and Bugonia star Emma Stone passed on The Batman sequel.
When that happened, Johansson reportedly instructed her team to aggressively pursue this role in The Batman 2, doing whatever it took to figure out her schedule so she could potentially board the project. It's not exactly hard to understand why she was so keen; not only does it mean Johansson adds another major blockbuster to her résumé, but Reeves' movie is all but guaranteed to be a critical and commercial hit.
Sneider later expanded on what happened during the latest edition of The Hot Mic. Stone has become notoriously picky with the movies she stars in and likely demanded a $20 million fee (given her awards success, an argument could be made that The Batman 2 needed her more than she needed it).
However, it's Batman as a character who sells tickets more than the actors he's surrounded by, and when Warner Bros. wasn't willing to pay $20 million, the focus shifted to Johansson. She was reportedly willing to take less money up front but may get bonuses based on how The Batman 2 performs at the box office.
Between this and Mike Flanagan's The Exorcist, Johansson is now expected to drop out of Disney's Tangled, where she was being lined up to play Mother Gothel.
It's also been hinted that Jeremiah Arkham could potentially be one of The Batman follow-up's villains, suggesting we can expect to explore more of Arkham State Hospital two years from now. Sneider is also standing by what he's heard about a version of Robin appearing in the movie.
Appearing at the Emmys in September, the filmmaker was asked about reports that Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader will find a sidekick in the Boy Wonder.
"Well, sure, you talk about everything," Reeves acknowledged. "There's probably not any character that we didn't talk about. 'What could this be?' 'What could that be?' That's part of the beginning of anything, so..."
The Batman Part II will see Reeves return as director; the filmmaker wrote the script with Mattson Tomlin, who contributed to The Batman, but ultimately wasn't credited by the WGA.
Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell will reprise their respective roles as Batman, Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, and The Penguin. It's repeatedly been reported that Zoë Kravitz is not returning as Catwoman, no great surprise given that this sequel is set to take place just weeks—or, at most, a couple of months—after the events of The Batman.
Filming on The Batman Part II is scheduled to begin next Spring across England and Scotland. Luke Hull is the production designer, while Erik Messerschmidt recently boarded the movie as its cinematographer.
The Batman 2 is set to be released in theaters on October 1, 2027.