32 Years Later, This Unforgettable Batman Villain Returns in Chilling Scarlett Johansson Fan Art

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Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.

The following article contains spoilers for Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

One of the biggest news stories in Hollywood, let alone the biggest to come out of the world of comic book movie news, arguably, is Scarlett Johansson negotiating to star in The Batman - Part II. One DC fan has already dreamed up the perfect role for the actor.

The Instagram account dccommunityofbengal shared a photo that turns Scarlett Johansson into Andrea Beaumont. Of course, Batfans will better recognize her as the titular villain of the classic animated Batman movie, 1993's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

The fan art is in response to the widespread and widely desired rumor that Scarlett Johansson is playing Andrea Beaumont in co-writer and director Matt Reeves' upcoming, long-awaited sequel to his 2022 hit, The Batman. If true, there is no doubt that the two-time Academy Award nominee would be a perfect fit for the character.

Dana Delaney originated the role of Bruce Wayne's (late, legendary Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy) unexpected love interest, who comes into his life as he is developing his vigilante persona, in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. The DC Animated Universe-canon film, a flop at the box office and later regarded as one of the all-time best Batman movies, eventually reveals that Bruce's "one who got away" moonlights as a masked, scythe-wielding vigilante called The Phantasm (voiced by Stacy Keach).

Andrea Baumont later made her comic book debut in a 1994 graphic adaptation of the film before appearing in more illustrated stories set in the DCAU and, eventually, being incorporated into Tom King and Clay Mann's run of Batman/Catwoman in 2020. There are many other great DC characters Scarlett Johansson could portray alongside Robert Pattinson in The Batman Part II, such as Poison Ivy or Vicki Vale, but seeing her bring The Phantasm to life in a live-action setting for the first time would be epic.

Scarlett Johansson's Comic Book Movie History

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow striking her signature pose in Iron Man 2

It is no secret that The Batman Part - II would be far from Scarlett Johansson's first comic book adaptation. The actor was a key factor to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her beloved, butt-kicking portrayal of assassin-turned-Avenger, Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff, whom she first appeared as in 2010's Iron Man 2. She would later receive her own solo adventure with 2021's Black Widow, following the character's sacrificial demise in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

Of course, not as many people realize that Johansson actually made her comic book movie debut in Ghost World, co-writer and director Terry Zwigoff's Academy Award-nominated adaptation of Daniel Clowes' graphic novel. She stars in the quirky, thought-provoking 2001 coming-of-age dramedy as recent high school graduate Rebecca, whose close bond with her off-putting best friend, Enid (Thora Birch), is tested when the latter begins to spend more of her time with a middle-aged loner named Seymour (Steve Buscemi).

Among her more obscure (not to mention widely criticized) comic book movie credits, Johansson shared the screen with the future Nick Fury to her Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson, as Silken Floss in director Frank Miller's 2008 adaptation of Will Eisner's classic pulp comic, The Spirit. Also, in 2017, she led director Rupert Sanders' live-action adaptation of Masamune Shirow's beloved manga, Ghost in the Shell, which had previously inspired an acclaimed anime film in 1995.

Clearly, Scarlett Johansson, who was recently named the highest-grossing actor of all time, has already led a prolific and, for the most part, widely celebrated career in bringing comic book characters to life. Even so, joining the cast of The Batman Part II is quite a way to follow the MCU.

The Batman - Part II is set to fly into theaters on Oct. 1, 2027.