\n\tFour years after leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind, Scarlett Johansson is headed to DC\u2019s Gotham City.<\/p>\n
\n\tSources say the actress is in final negotiations to join The Batman<\/a> Part II, the long-gestating sequel to Matt Reeves\u2019 2021 hit. If the deal comes together, it\u2019d be a jolt for the project which aims to go before cameras next year. She will first film The Exorcist, to which she signed on <\/a>last week, before moving on to Batman.<\/p>\n \n\tJohansson is one of the more bankable stars in the world, with her work in Black Widow\/Natasha Romanoff in the MCU just part of her hits, which also include July\u2019s Jurassic World: Rebirth. She also recently released her directorial debut, the low-key drama Eleanor the Great, starring June Squibb.<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s been a winding road to The Batman sequel, which Warner Bros. first announced in April 2022 at CinemaCon. In early 2023, DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran said the film<\/a> would open in October 2025, but a year later that was pushed back<\/a> a year to Oct. 2, 2026, and then pushed again<\/a> to Oct. 1, 2027.<\/p>\n \n\tRobert Pattinson will return to star as Batman\/Bruce Wayne, with filmmaker Reeves helming and co-writing the script with Mattson Tomlin. The Batman, released in March 2022, was a solid performer at the box office, grossing $770.3 million. It also birthed a Max spinoff centering on Colin Farrell\u2019s Penguin. The cast included Zo\u00eb Kravitz as Catwoman, Jeffery Wright as Jim Gordon, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Andy Serkis as Alfred and Barry Keoghan as an Arkham Asylum inmate believed to be a version of The Joker.<\/p>\n