Scarlett Johansson has finally said a little about her experience working on The Batman – Part II, although don’t expect her to reveal who she’s playing just yet. The Matt Reeves sequel, which brings Robert Pattinson back as the Dark Knight, apparently turned out to be a particularly difficult project for the actress. Speaking to ET Tonight, Johansson said the role was even harder to get her head around than her work on another upcoming film, The Exorcist: Martyrs. She kept the details to herself, naturally, but described the preparation as emotionally draining and even spoke about experiencing a kind of “existential dread” while trying to figure the character out.
“It was very hard to crack. I don’t know why—maybe it was the role itself, where I was at in my life, or everything that was going on. In many ways, it was a really tough part to get a handle on,”
Johansson admitted. It’s not much to go on, but it’s certainly an interesting comment, especially when so little is known about her character. Matt Reeves has kept the story of The Batman – Part II tightly under wraps, and Johansson isn’t about to spoil anything.
One popular theory is that she’s playing Gilda Dent, the wife of Harvey Dent in DC Comics. The rumour has been doing the rounds for some time, but Warner Bros. and DC Studios haven’t confirmed it. If the casting reports turn out to be true, Johansson could have a significant part in the story surrounding Harvey Dent and his eventual transformation into Two-Face. Of course, that’s still speculation for now, and even Two-Face’s involvement in the sequel hasn’t been officially established.
From Black Widow to Gotham: Scarlett Johansson Joins a Sequel with Plenty of MCU Connections
Johansson isn’t the only familiar Marvel face making the move to Gotham. The Batman – Part II also features Sebastian Stan, known for playing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, and Brian Tyree Henry, who appeared as Phastos in Eternals. Neither actor’s role has been revealed, which has naturally led to plenty of fan theories about where Reeves is taking the story. It’s quite a collection of former MCU stars, even if none of them are bringing their Marvel characters along.
Stan, for his part, hasn’t offered much information about his role or whether it could lead to future appearances in the franchise. He has said that he prefers to approach major projects one film at a time, something he learned during his years working with Marvel Studios. It’s probably a sensible way to handle a film like this, considering how little anyone outside the production seems to know about its actual story.
There have also been some unusual developments behind the camera. Matt Reeves temporarily stepped away from overseeing the production on a day-to-day basis because of a pressing family matter. Steven Soderbergh took over the on-set directing duties during that period, working closely with Reeves to keep things moving. Robert Pattinson has praised Soderbergh for stepping in and helping out, while also making it clear how much he appreciated the director’s willingness to support Reeves.
The Batman – Part II is currently scheduled to arrive in cinemas on February 18, 2028. There’s still a long wait ahead, and the film’s biggest story details remain a mystery. Johansson’s comments don’t tell us much about the character she’ll be playing, but the fact that she found the role so difficult to figure out is intriguing. Whether she’s actually Gilda Dent or someone else entirely, it sounds like Reeves has given her quite a challenging part.
