After years of stop-and-start updates, shifting production timelines, and fan speculation, Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 is finally gaining real momentum. And now the biggest spark yet has hit Gotham: Scarlett Johansson is in talks for a major, mysterious role. While Warner Bros. hasn’t confirmed the casting as of this writing, industry chatter suggests that Johansson would play someone who begins as Bruce Wayne’s newest romantic interest before revealing a darker, more dangerous identity. If that rumor sounds familiar, it’s because The Batman thrived on psychological tension, fractured intimacy, and dual identities — all areas where Johansson excels.
Reeves has teased that the sequel’s antagonist will be someone with a personal connection to Bruce and someone we haven’t seen in previous live-action films. That clue alone narrows the field significantly, removing heavy hitters like Catwoman, Joker, or Harley Quinn. It pushes the spotlight toward deeper-cut Gotham characters with emotional complexity rather than theatrical flair. And honestly, that aligns perfectly with Johansson, who brings depth, sensuality, and steel to roles that require an actor to be both disarming and dangerous.
So the question becomes: who fits Reeves’ vision, Johansson’s strengths, and the grounded realism of this version of Gotham? From tragic love interests to elite socialites to covert agents to masked revolutionaries, these seven DC Comics characters stand out as the most compelling and plausible contenders. If Nerdspin predicts the right one, we accept thank-you fruit baskets. If we’re wrong, consider this a fun detective game worthy of Batman himself.
Poison Ivy
If we’re talking pure visual casting, Scarlett Johansson as Poison Ivy feels like the kind of Hollywood no-brainer that ignites the internet on contact. Ivy has always been one of DC’s most striking femme fatales, a character defined by intoxicating beauty, elegance, and a seductive physicality that masks a razor-sharp intellect. Johansson, who has spent over a decade commanding blockbusters with her nuanced body language, quiet intensity, and devastating screen presence, is a perfect match for the character’s aesthetic. The way Ivy glides through a room with disarming confidence mirrors the very style Johansson brings to roles like Under the Skin and Lucy.
But here’s the challenge. Matt Reeves’ universe leans heavily into the grounded, grimy, street-level realities of Gotham City. His version of The Batman has no superpowers, no botanical magic, no eco-witchcraft. Poison Ivy, on the other hand, is deeply rooted in the supernatural. Her abilities traditionally bend the laws of nature, spanning from pheromone manipulation to plant control. Integrating that into Reeves’ stripped-down noir world is tricky. It would require a reimagining of Ivy not as a metahuman but as an eco-terrorist with a scientific background, maybe even a biochemist who weaponizes toxins, hallucinogens, and engineered flora instead of commanding vines with her mind.
Silver St. Cloud
Silver St. Cloud is one of the most overlooked yet emotionally pivotal women in Batman’s long history, and Scarlett Johansson would be a pitch-perfect match for the role. Unlike Gotham’s more bombastic villains, Silver doesn’t rely on combat skills or theatrics. Her strength comes from intelligence, poise, emotional clarity, and an ability to genuinely understand Bruce Wayne. Those traits align beautifully with Johansson’s grounded, nuanced acting style, particularly her performances in Marriage Story and Her, but also have the old school glamour like The Black Dahlia.
What makes Silver so compelling in The Batman 2 is the narrative opportunity she presents. Bruce spent the first film drowning in trauma, avoiding the public eye, and clinging to Batman as his sole identity. Silver forces him to re-engage with the world as Bruce Wayne. She belongs to Gotham’s elite social scene, pulling him into fundraisers, galas, political circles, and the uncomfortable, high-profile spaces he’s been avoiding. Johansson could play these dynamics with elegance and quiet force, pushing Bruce to confront parts of himself he’d rather ignore.
The character also brings natural tension. In the comics, Silver is one of the few civilians perceptive enough to deduce Batman’s identity on her own. Watching Johansson play a woman who notices the things Bruce thinks he hides so well would add sophistication and slow-burn suspense to the film. And because Silver often ends up threatened by Gotham’s villains simply by being close to Bruce, Johansson would have the chance to play fear, resilience, and heartbreak without needing to throw a punch.
Julia Pennyworth
Julia Pennyworth is one of the most intriguing deep-cut characters Reeves could bring into The Batman 2, and Scarlett Johansson could turn her into a breakout figure overnight. The daughter of Alfred Pennyworth carries complicated emotional baggage in the comics, and introducing her would open the door to exploring Alfred’s past in a way the first film only hinted at. Johansson could play Julia as a woman whose strained relationship with her father resurfaces just as Gotham’s chaos begins to intensify, forcing the two to confront long-buried resentments.
There are two compelling directions Reeves could take. The first is a deeply grounded family drama thread: Julia returns to Gotham resentful, believing Alfred chose Bruce over her. Given that Alfred nearly died in The Batman, Johansson could powerfully portray a woman wrestling with grief, abandonment, and the painful realization that the father figure she pushed away might not be around forever. That tension, mixed with Johansson’s ability to layer vulnerability under a hardened exterior, would give the film an emotional backbone outside Bruce’s trauma.
The second direction leans into her espionage roots. In several comic runs, Julia is a trained operative working for MI6 or the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. In a Reeves universe built on realism, Johansson could play Julia as a world-weary investigator or covert agent who arrives in Gotham with intel that intersects with Batman’s mission. She and Bruce could clash, bond, and reluctantly cooperate, creating a “grudging step-sibling” energy that’s fresh for live action.
Julia Pennyworth may be unexpected, but in Johansson’s hands, she could become one of the film’s richest new additions.
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul may be unlikely in The Batman 2 due to James Gunn’s upcoming The Brave and the Bold — which will feature her son, Damian Wayne — but that doesn’t mean she should be completely ruled out. Scarlett Johansson slipping into the role of one of Bruce Wayne’s most iconic and complicated love interests would be a bold, attention-grabbing move, and one that fits neatly into Matt Reeves’ grounded Gotham. Unlike her more mystical comic interpretations, Reeves could introduce Talia as a mysterious, elegant, and dangerously composed woman who enters Bruce’s orbit as a seemingly ordinary socialite or philanthropist with ties to global wealth.
What makes Talia compelling is the duality at her core. She can be warm, magnetic, and emotionally disarming while hiding a ruthless lineage as the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. Johansson excels at these dual-layered performances. She can portray someone Bruce trusts, maybe even falls for, only to later reveal that she’s been concealing an empire of assassins, political connections, or a hidden agenda tied to Gotham’s destabilization.
Reeves’ version of Talia doesn’t need Lazarus Pits or supernatural abilities. She could be written as a power broker, a strategist, or a global operator whose family business is morally radioactive. In that framework, Johansson’s performance could build slowly: starting with charm and subtle intrigue before shifting into cold precision once Bruce discovers who she truly is.
A Talia twist would dramatically upend Bruce’s emotional arc, force him to reconsider every instinct he relies on, and set the stage for one of the most explosive betrayals Batman has ever faced in live action. Scarlett Johansson could make that reveal unforgettable.
Vicki Vale / Lady Arkham
Vicki Vale is traditionally known as Gotham’s tenacious, truth-seeking reporter, but Batman: The Telltale Series reinvented her as something far more sinister: the masked anarchist Lady Arkham. If Matt Reeves chooses to tap into that version, Scarlett Johansson could deliver one of the most chilling, emotionally layered villains Gotham has ever seen in live action. In this interpretation, Vicki isn’t just a journalist digging into corruption. She’s Victoria Arkham, the last surviving member of a disgraced family erased by Gotham’s elite — including, in some interpretations, Thomas Wayne himself.
Johansson excels at portraying characters who wear masks in more ways than one. As Lady Arkham, she could craft a performance that shifts between polished media professionalism and cold, calculating vengeance. She could charm Bruce with brains, grace, and confidence, only to reveal a second identity that has been orchestrating a slow, methodical takedown of Gotham’s institutions from the shadows. In a grounded universe like Reeves’, the Children of Arkham could operate as a violent, ideological movement rather than a supernatural cult, giving Johansson a more realistic but still deeply terrifying framework to play in.
This storyline also dovetails beautifully with The Batman’s existing mythology. Reeves has already connected Martha Wayne to the Arkham family and hinted at dark secrets within the Wayne legacy. Johansson’s Lady Arkham could expose these truths, manipulate public sentiment, and target Bruce not only as Batman but as the heir to a corrupt dynasty. That dual-front attack would challenge Pattinson’s version of the character in new and psychologically brutal ways.
Lady Arkham gives Johansson the space to be magnetic, wounded, ruthless, and shockingly unpredictable — a role worthy of a major star entering Gotham.
Gilda Dent / Holiday
If the latest rumor from scooper Jeff Sneider is even partially true, Gilda Gold — later known as Gilda Dent — may be one of the most intriguing possibilities for Scarlett Johansson in The Batman 2. Sneider recently reported that Harvey Dent will appear in the film, though he stressed that nothing is confirmed until Warner Bros. or Matt Reeves says the word. Still, if Harvey is entering this universe, it immediately opens the door for his complicated, often tragic partner. And Gilda, especially in her The Long Halloween incarnation, gives Johansson the kind of layered, emotionally rich role she thrives in.
In the comics, Gilda is Harvey’s wife, a woman quietly suffocating under the pressures of Gotham’s corruption and the emotional distance of a rising political star. Some interpretations even tie her to the mysterious Holiday killings, casting her as a deeply sympathetic figure pushed to the edge. Johansson could take that internal struggle — longing, resentment, isolation, and moral conflict — and elevate it into a gripping noir performance.
A Johansson-led Gilda would also give The Batman 2 a slow-burn psychological storyline running parallel to Bruce’s main arc. If Harvey Dent is destined for eventual tragedy, Gilda becomes an essential emotional anchor in his fall. Johansson could play her as the elegant, wounded observer of Gotham’s decay, someone outwardly composed yet carrying a storm beneath the surface.
In a grounded universe obsessed with trauma, masks, and moral ambiguity, Gilda Gold may quietly be one of the most compelling roles Johansson could inhabit. And if Sneider’s rumor proves accurate, the pieces are lining up in a way that’s hard to ignore.
Andrea Beaumont / Phantasm
Andrea Beaumont, better known to longtime fans as the Phantasm from Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, is one of the most emotionally devastating figures in Bruce Wayne’s mythology. She represents the rare moment when Bruce genuinely considered abandoning his vow and choosing a normal, hope-filled life — only to have that possibility ripped away. Scarlett Johansson stepping into this role would give The Batman 2 the chance to explore Bruce’s heart in a way no live-action adaptation ever has, grounding the story in loss, temptation, and the dangerous pull of nostalgia.
Andrea’s power comes from her emotional complexity. She is not just a love interest; she is a mirror. Like Bruce, she lost a parent to violence. Like Bruce, she committed her life to justice. Unlike Bruce, she embraced vengeance without restraint, transforming into the Phantasm, a grim reaper-like vigilante who hunts down the mobsters responsible for her father’s death. Johansson could thread that duality with devastating subtlety — the warm, wounded woman Bruce once loved and the cold, relentless assassin that trauma shaped her into.
In Reeves’ grounded universe, the Phantasm persona could be reimagined as a hooded, tactical vigilante rather than an apparition-like specter, keeping the story gritty while preserving her haunting silhouette. Johansson could easily command both sides: the tender, romantic chemistry that shakes Bruce’s foundations and the fierce, morally compromised crusader whose choices terrify him.
Bringing Andrea into The Batman 2 would force Pattinson’s Bruce to confront what his life could have been and what it risks becoming. Johansson, with her emotional precision and commanding presence, could deliver the most tragic and unforgettable love story Gotham has seen in decades.
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