Scarlett Johansson offers rare insight into ‘The Batman Part II’ role: ‘Very hard to figure out’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Scarlett Johansson has opened up about the rare challenges of joining the superhero franchise, revealing that her undisclosed role in 'The Batman: Part II' pushed her outside her comfort zone and proved particularly difficult to figure out.
The actress, who previously starred in Marvel's superhero franchise, offered a glimpse into her experience with the upcoming DC sequel, admitting that understanding her character was not an easy process.
Scarlett Johansson says 'The Batman: Part II' role was difficult to figure out
Johansson discussed her upcoming role in the Robert Pattinson-led feature during an interview with Entertainment Tonight while promoting her upcoming film 'Paper Tiger'. Although the actress has previously been part of the superhero genre, she explained that working on 'The Batman: Part II' presented a different kind of challenge.
“It was very hard to figure out,” she said. “I don’t know why, whether it was just the role or it was just where I am in my life, but it was just hard to crack it. And that’s all I can say about it.”
Johansson's involvement in the film was confirmed in May through an X post by director Matt Reeves. The announcement featured a GIF showing the actress' reflection in a car's rear-view mirror from her 2013 film 'Under the Skin', without revealing any details about her character.
Her casting was announced alongside several other actors with previous superhero franchise experience, including Sebastian Stan and Brian Tyree Henry. Their respective roles in the upcoming film have also not been disclosed.
Meanwhile, Reeves previously discussed the direction of the sequel, explaining that the story would focus more closely on Pattinson's Bruce Wayne after the first film primarily followed his Batman incarnation.
“Once you get past the origin tale, which we didn’t quite do, but we did something that referred to his origins, then you start telling the Rogues Gallery story and that character’s sort of arch,” Reeves said in an interview last year.
“But I never wanted to lose [Robert Pattinson] at the center of these stories, and so that is really what we set our aim on.”
Steven Soderbergh helps Matt Reeves complete 'The Batman: Part II'
Production on 'The Batman: Part II' underwent a temporary change following Reeves' decision to step away due to a family matter. Warner Bros. announced on October 5 that filming had been temporarily paused, although the studio did not disclose the specific circumstances behind the change.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh subsequently stepped in to help complete the project. However, Reeves remains the film's director, with DC Studios co-chief James Gunn confirming that the filmmaker continues to lead the sequel.
“Matt is still the director of ‘The Batman 2’ and always will be. I can’t express how profoundly grateful and moved we are by Steven’s offer to help him complete his vision,” Gunn wrote on Threads.
Soderbergh also expressed his admiration for Reeves' work on the first film, explaining that his involvement would focus on helping the director complete the sequel.
“I thought Matt Reeves’ work on ‘The Batman’ was stunning; it was intentional, specific, and rigorously coherent,” Soderbergh said. “The goal here is to work with Matt and his team to generate footage that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already been shot so Matt can properly finish his film.”
