There is so much excitement when a superhero movie is announced. When it is, one of the first things that fans speculate is who could play the hero. Who could the villain be. And who could play that villain. But sometimes, it’s reversed. Sometimes an actor could be announced to join a film and fans start the speculation on what character they could play. Multiple guesses are thrown around. That is happening now. Recently, reports are suggesting Scarlett Johansson will be joining Robert Pattinson in The Batman: Part II. Immediately, guesses to who she might be playing soon followed the report. With a handful of characters that it could be, a simple answer to who Johansson might be is non-existent. Some assumptions are better than others. But who are viable characters, within Batman’s world, could Scarlett Johansson be playing?
The most logical one, perhaps the one that came to mind first, is Poison Ivy. When it comes to female supervillains, Poison Ivy has a great argument to claim that title of being the best one. She has a legacy not only in Batman’s corner of the DC Universe, but in the DC Universe as a whole. Poison Ivy has been a staple in Batman’s lore. Her status is so great, she is one of the characters that the mainstream know of. Her power over botany and control over the minds of men, has made her a formidable opponent for Batman and some of his family. And it only strengthens when her relationship swings to Harley Quinn and Catwoman. Johansson has the skills to bring that character to life. However, what possibly takes Poison Ivy out of conversation is the world that The Batman is in. Matt Reeves has really grounded Batman much more than Nolan did with his turn. Everything in The Batman feels believable and a little bit more realistic than what was seen in The Dark Knight trilogy. From his suit to his vehicles to his gadgets, it doesn’t seem more advanced that what could be used in the military. So, since Poison Ivy’s power exists in the world of mysticism or science fiction, her place in this world maybe unviable. To go from something so real in The Batman – and even The Penguin – to something as small as Poison Ivy’s power, could take a small shot at the reputation of the world that has already been established. Of course, adding small traces of it incrementally, could make it more believable. But that would mean that eventually this universe will shift from its foundation that was set up in the first film.
The next popular assumption is Andrea Beaumont. Andrea Beaumont had her main fame introduced in what many regard as the best animated Batman film; Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm. She is a former lover of Bruce Wayne and tries a second chance with him, to which Wayne also agrees with. It gets so serious for them, that Wayne contemplates about leaving his life as Batman behind him. But just like him, she also has a secret life as a vigilante known as The Phantasm. As the Phantasm, she takes out people who wronged her father. If Reeves were to go this route, it will obviously bring a new Batman villain to the screen. And from the small details that he has dropped about the film, he has said the film will explore Bruce Wayne questioning his time as Batman. Again, Bruce Wayne’s love for Andrea is so genuine, he thinks about leaving Batman behind. There ia also some mystery and shady stuff that was thrown under the rug in Mask of the Phantasm. That could also stem from another detail that Reeves shared. This film will explore an even deeper secret in Gotham. Mask of the Phantasm also revealed a little backstory to The Joker. Since, The Joker was introduced in The Batman, The Batman: Part II could explore that as well. But there is also a problem with this too. Fans of the movie and Batman know that Andrea Beaumont turns out to be The Phantasm. That was a huge plot in that film. So, everyone that knows of the animated film, will see that twist coming from miles away. What Reeves could do is set things up in a way where all things point at Andrea Beaumont being The Phantasm. Then when Batman confronts her about it, it turns out she is no where close to being The Phantasm. It turns out it is someone else. Scarlett Johansson playing the part makes sense because she just looks the part. But to hire an actress of her caliber just to be a bait-n-switch character, seems under her.
Another option fans are speculating Johansson could be is Viki Vale. Viki Vale is a reporter in Gotham who has a romantic life with Bruce Wayne time to time. A reporter could be a nice addition to what has already been included in Reeves’ Batman universe. A lot of the events that occurred in The Batman needs to be reported on. Falcone’s secret power, the Wayne’s keeping a secret about Martha Wayne, the floods and the fact the prince of Gotham, Bruce Wayne, was a target for the Riddler. All that steals the curiosity of a reporter like Viki Vale. But to bring in an A-Lister like Johansson to play a character that is seldomly used, will it be a perfect fit? Sure, this movie could be that one story that helps Viki Vale claim a lot of fame to make her name recognizable. Help Vale rise to the popularity of other characters in Batman’s world. An actress like Johansson could help with that. She could even have a similar role to what Lois Lane has had in the last Superman film installments. So, it would make sense for Johansson to take on that role.
Batman film franchises do have a small, unofficial tradition of including original characters. Johansson could be in that company. Some details that Reeves has dropped for The Batman point in a very particular direction that has stirred some excitement among fans. That detail he dropped referenced a deeper secret of power within Gotham. For fans who are familiar with them, that detail hinted at the Court of Owls. The Court is a secret elitist group that actually controls Gotham. They make the rules while their resurrected warriors, the Talons, enforce those rules. In the graphic novel, there were different roles within the Court and some of them included the hierarchies. These are the individuals that commanded the entire court. Having that much authority over an organization like the Court of Owls, means that person has power. This is a role that Scarlett Johansson could properly portray. To bring in an actress like her means a role needs to reflect that. A role where that character has command over a secretly powerful group like the Court of Owls, is a perfect role for Johansson. If this is the direction they go, Reeves could combine the flare of Andrea Beaumont and another character in The Court of Owls novel. In that book, Bruce Wayne had a long-lost brother who was a Talon. This made the final fight with him, a personal battle for Bruce. If this is the role Johansson will be playing, she could be a former lover or a sister that has a power position in the Court. Which will make the fight for Bruce a bitter and personal one. Movie goers have seen Johansson take on plenty of heroic roles, especially over the last several years with Marvel. But to perhaps see her on a villainous role in a Batman movie, would be a perfect match.
Scarlett Johansson is a more than capable actress to portray any female character in the Batman world. It’s a common thing for fans to project a character on an actor when an actor or actress is announced to be in a comic book movie. This case was no different. Regardless of the role Johansson will play, no doubt she will make it memorable and worthy of being a great addition to the live action Batman saga. Plus, being in this franchise will be another great franchise for Johansson. It will be added to Marvel, Transformers, and Jurassic Park. Right now, her involvement is heavy speculation. Until it’s concrete, speculation of the role she might be portraying will remain in speculation. But that doesn’t stop ideas swirling on what character she might bring to life.
