After literally years of waiting, The Batman Part II is finally starting to come together. A bombshell bit of casting news recently dropped, with Scarlett Johansson set to star in the sequel. The Oscar-nominee is known best for her work as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, she’s now poised to make the jump to the DC Universe. But before Warner Bros. offered her the role, it nearly went to someone else.
According to The InSneider, Oscar-winner Emma Stone was initially offered the role that eventually went to Johansson. As of this writing, it’s unclear which character it is. Speculation has run rampant, with Poison Ivy a popular guess but that’s all hearsay at this point. As for why Stone passed? As reporter Jeff Sneider put it, it came down to money, as these things often do. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“I know [Stone] wanted a big payday for Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie, and I imagine she’d want the same for The Batman Part II…As a two-time Oscar nominee, Johansson doesn’t exactly come cheap, but I’ve heard whispers that she may have taken a lower salary upfront for The Batman Part II in exchange for points on the backend, ultimately betting on the success of the sequel. It’s unclear whether Stone was willing to make a similar concession or if the role simply didn’t speak to her.”
Stone previously starred in The Amazing Spider-Man movies as Gwen Stacy. In the years since, she’s only become more in demand, taking home two Oscars. One for La La Land and another for Poor Things. That means she commands a price and has options. If Warner Bros. didn’t want to meet her rate, she wasn’t willing to settle for less. Johansson, meanwhile, appeared to be willing to work with the studio a bit more.
Plot details for the sequel currently remain under wraps. Director Matt Reeves is returning, with Robert Pattinson also reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Filming is due to begin early next year after years of delays. These reports also recently confirmed that Zoe Kravitz is unlikely to return as Catwoman, which would be a shake up since she was such a big part of the first movie.
Colin Farrell has also confirmed that Penguin has a smaller role. Meanwhile, Sofia Falcone from The Penguin TV show has also been confirmed not to be appearing. At this stage, the biggest question is who the main villain will be. Again, speculation has run rampant but nothing has been confirmed. We should be learning more in the coming weeks/months as production begins to ramp up.
The Batman Part II is currently set to hit theaters on October 1, 2027.
What do you think? Are you excited to see Scarlett Johansson in the DC Universe? Or would you prefer to see Emma Stone? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
