Scarlett Johansson Reveals Which Role Pushed Her Further Than an ‘Exorcist’ Movie

Scarlett Johansson’s next few years look like a masterclass in genre-hopping. After more than a decade in the Marvel universe, she is reportedly set to cross over to DC for ‘The Batman Part II’, and that is only part of her upcoming slate.

Her schedule has been packed in a way that few actors could manage. Her team was reportedly juggling negotiations for both the Batman sequel and a new Exorcist movie, trying to work out how she could handle both. Somehow, she pulled off both.

Now Johansson has been asked which of those two projects tested her more, and her answer is not the one many would expect. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, she was asked which role from the upcoming ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’ and ‘The Batman Part II’ put her furthest out of her comfort zone. Variety highlighted her reply on X, and it was the Gotham-set sequel that won out.

“It gave me a lot of existential angst, for some reason,” she said of ‘The Batman’ sequel. “It was very hard to figure out. 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.”

That is a striking admission, especially when you consider what the other option involves. In ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs,’ Johansson plays Detective Julie Miller, a New York City homicide detective whose investigation blurs the line between crime and the supernatural. The film, written and directed by Mike Flanagan, is slated for release on March 12, 2027.

On paper, a possession-adjacent horror film sounds like the more punishing job. The cast also includes Diane Lane as Julie’s mother and Jacobi Jupe as her son, so the material clearly carries real emotional weight. Yet Johansson says it was the superhero sequel that kept her guessing.

What makes her comment even more intriguing is how little anyone knows about her part in the Batman follow-up. Her character has not been revealed. That has left plenty of room for guesswork, and rumors have pointed toward a gender-bent version of Harvey Dent, or even Poison Ivy.

Fans have been throwing out their own theories ever since the casting news broke. One fan on X wrote that if she is not Andrea Beaumont, it would be a lost opportunity for generational casting. Whether any of those guesses land remains to be seen.

The sequel itself is moving along behind the scenes. Matt Reeves is directing again, with Robert Pattinson returning as the Caped Crusader. Meanwhile, filming is reportedly nearing its end, with help from Steven Soderbergh. On the casting front, Variety reported that Zoë Kravitz, who played Selina Kyle in the first film, was not expected to return.

Johansson has had a busy fall on top of all that. She briefly stepped away from ‘The Batman Part II’ shoot to attend the premiere of ‘Paper Tiger’ at the New York Film Festival, reuniting with co-stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller. By one report, she arrived visibly tired after a long flight from London.

It was also around this press cycle that she spoke about the Batman role in a joint interview. According to ComicBookMovie.com, she made the “existential angst” remark while sitting down with Driver. That context suggests the comment was offered with a shrug rather than a complaint.

Still, her phrasing leaves a lot to chew on. Johansson did not say the role was bad or the shoot was miserable, only that it was difficult to pin down. In a franchise that thrives on brooding, psychologically tangled characters, struggling to crack a part may be exactly what Reeves is looking for.

Until the film arrives, her mystery character will keep fans guessing. If the actress who just spent months chasing a detective through a supernatural nightmare says Gotham was harder, that alone is reason to keep watching.