An Unexpected Oscar-Winner Passed on Major 'The Batman 2' Role

 As one of the most anticipated superhero projects in recent memory, the hype for The Batman - Part II has continued to grow as it moves closer to production next year. With casting now underway, fans are starting to learn who is set to join Matt Reeves' DC sequel. Scarlett Johansson is the first casting addition, but another major movie star nearly nabbed the same lead role.

TheInsneider reports that Oscar winner Emma Stone (Poor Things, Bugonia) passed on a key part in The Batman - Part II before it was offered to Johansson. It's unclear why Stone did not join the highly anticipated superhero film, but the report claims that Johansson moved quickly to position herself as the next option. Though Johansson has a busy schedule coming up, including Mike Flanagan's Exorcist film, she apparently asked her agents to do whatever was necessary to make The Batman 2 possible. As of this writing, it is unknown which role both Stone and Johansson were offered, but it is said to be a new love interest for Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne.

Stone declining an offer to join The Batman sequel may be surprising, especially since the upcoming film is clearly attracting some high-level talent. However, Stone is no stranger to the genre, having starred as Gwen Stacy in the two-part Amazing Spider-Man franchise with Andrew Garfield. There is a chance that Stone feels like she has already done enough in that realm. No matter the case, Stone has been on a hot streak with acclaimed roles, including her latest Yorgos Lanthimos collaboration, Bugonia.

So, Who Is Scarlett Johansson Playing in 'The Batman - Part II'?

With Scarlett Johansson now in line to join The Batman — Part II, fans have wasted no time speculating which character she could be playing in the superhero pic. Reports claim that she will portray a new love interest to Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), while there is a chance that a villainous turn is in play. The obvious guesses have been Vicki Vale, Poison Ivy and Talia al Ghul, but there is one name that has risen above the rest. Andrea Beaumon has been a top choice, especially since the character has yet to receive a live-action adaptation.

Based on the original character from the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Andrea Beaumon is known as Bruce Wayne's ex-fiance who unexpectedly returns to his life while he pursues a vengeful vigilante killing off Gotham City's mob bosses. Her potential inclusion in The Batman 2 would allow the film to further explore Bruce's life prior to becoming the Caped Crusader. Matt Reeves has long teased the DC sequel to be a deeper exploration of Bruce Wayne's psyche, and a new love interest with ties to his tragic past would do just that.