The Batman: Rumored Catwoman Shortlist Includes Tessa Thompson, Lupita Nyong'o, and More

The Dark Knight of Gotham City is coming back to the big screen in 2021 for his first solo movie in nearly a decade. The Batman, written and directed by Matt Reeves, will star Robert Pattinson in the ever-popular role of Bruce Wayne, taking the character in a much younger direction than in the past couple of iterations. With production set to begin in the near future, Reeves and Warner Bros. have started to fill out the cast around Pattinson with some big names, such as Jeffrey Wright, who will reportedly play James Gordon, and Jonah Hill, who will either take on the role of Riddler or Penguin. All that to say, one of the most important roles in this Batman story may still be to come, and it could be portrayed by a bigger name than the rest. A couple of the biggest names in the industry are rumored to be on the shortlist for Catwoman.

It's been reported that Reeves is looking to cast an actress of color to play Selina Kyle in his film series, and this rumored new shortlist certainly lines up with that report. According to GWW's Thomas Polito, the shortlist includes Us star Lupita Nyong'o and MCU breakout Tessa Thompson, along with other budding names like Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alexandra Shipp, and Logan Browning.

Now, before we go any further, take this one with a substantial grain of salt. Polito has been right before, giving this some credibility, but GWW isn't exactly the most trusted source of information out there. A lot of these names make sense for the role, and there's no denying Warner Bros. and Matt Reeves would love to land any of them, but just keep expectations in check for now.

Nyong'o and Thompson are obviously the two most notable names on this list but they're also the two that are least likely to end up in the role. Both of these women are currently playing important roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thompson as Valkyrie in the Thor films and Nyong'o as Nakia in Black Panther. While there isn't an actual rivalry between the DC and Marvel franchises, they are competing superhero brands and there's not a great chance they'd be allowed to play such prominent parts in both, especially not at the same time.

As far as the other names on the list, it could be anyone's role to lose as far as we know. Until Reeves makes things official with a casting announcement, everything surrounding The Batman is just speculation.

Who do you think should play Catwoman in The Batman? Let us know in the comments!