The Batman Sequel Needs Scarlett Johansson as Poison Ivy — Not a Zoë Kravitz Replacement

So, Scarlett Johansson might be moving to Gotham. Not as Catwoman, before you ask. She is in talks for a brand-new role in The Batman Part II while Zoe Kravitz, as of now, is not expected back as Selina Kyle. After years of rumor fog, the last couple weeks finally delivered actual movement: Matt Reeves is directing again, Robert Pattinson is back under the cowl, and there’s a behind-the-scenes wrinkle with Greig Fraser stepping away as cinematographer and Erik Messerschmidt taking over.

The Johansson of it all

Variety says Johansson is circling an undisclosed role. The character is being kept under wraps, and nobody is pretending otherwise. Industry tipsters Justin Kroll and Jeff Sneider were the ones who lit the fuse on her involvement, and Sneider even hinted the part could start as a love interest and then reveal a villain streak. Deadline didn’t speculate at all, which tells you the secrecy here is intentional. Translation: Johansson is very likely in, but the who-and-why is locked up tight.

So who could she be?

This is where fans stepped in and built an entire casting board out of thin air. Given Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne has often been paired with striking blondes on the page, Silver St. Cloud was an early favorite. But once the ‘love interest who turns out to be villainous’ idea surfaced, the chatter swerved toward Poison Ivy. A few other names popped up, and some got crossed off fast:

• Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley): The runaway fan pick. People are already imagining Johansson as Gotham’s deadliest botanist. Multiple posts this week flat-out declared it, including one that joked she already played a snake in The Jungle Book, so this feels like the next logical step.
• Silver St. Cloud: Makes sense as a classic Bruce romance, especially with the blonde connection, but the villain tease nudged folks away from her.
• Vicki Vale: A not-crazy option if Reeves wants a grounded spin; some fans called for her return outright.
• Batwoman: Floated, then mostly dismissed as not the right age fit with this younger Batman timeline.
• Talia al Ghul and Harley Quinn: Plenty of fans said these don’t feel like Johansson’s lane here, and they don’t quite match the current Reeves tone either.

Big picture, Johansson isn’t signing up to play wallpaper. After years as Marvel’s Black Widow, the idea of her leaning into something sharper and more dangerous is a smart zag, whether that’s Ivy or a more subtle antagonist. The only real question is how far Reeves wants to push the heightened elements in his very grounded Gotham.

About Catwoman: still a shadow over this world

Even if Kravitz sits this one out, Reeves made it clear back in 2024 he’d bring her back in a heartbeat, praising how deeply she thought through Selina. Pattinson has told the story of her audition before, and it’s a good one:

I still thought I was going to be fired at that point. I didn’t quite understand that it wasn’t my audition; it was her audition. And she was so at ease with the character. She came in improvising! It was crazy.

Kravitz, meanwhile, told Fallon she went a little method and drank milk from a bowl to get into a feline headspace — yes, really — and critics loved what ended up on screen. Variety praised how she handled the femme fatale energy with actual nuance instead of just posing.

Where this leaves The Batman Part II

Johansson’s history with big franchise storytelling — the MCU, and the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth — suggests Reeves is stacking the sequel with actors who can carry weight in a moody, muscular world. The character secrecy is frustrating in the moment but also kind of the point. If Sneider’s right about the turn, that reveal plays much better when you don’t see it coming.

The Batman Part II hits theaters on October 1, 2027. If you’ve got a perfect pick for Johansson — Ivy bloom, Silver St. Cloud twist, Vicki Vale curveball — drop your best theory below. I’ll bring the bat-signal; you bring the plants.