Natalie Portman Denies ‘Superman’ And ‘Batman’ Rumors

You can imagine what it’s like being a respected actor, diligently improving your craft, exploring differing aspects of humanity in diverse, challenging roles, only for journalists to consistently ask you about superhero movies. So it goes for Natalie Portman, a possible Oscar nominee for her immensely challenging performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan,” as well as an expectant mother with four high-profile film roles in the coming year.

Tenuous rumors have linked her to “Superman: Man of Steel” (tentative title) as well as “The Dark Knight Rises” (legit title). But if you ask Ms. Portman, she is not privy to the Internet casting merry-go-rounds that mention her for both films. When asked by Entertainment Weekly (via Coming Soon) about ‘Superman,’ she replied, “What is that? (laughs) No, I haven’t heard anything.” And after a query in regards to the next ‘Batman’ film, “Oh, I don’t know anything about that.”

Of course, none of this means anything. While some of us have an eerie obsession with following Ms. Portman and detailing her every word (the courts have nothing, so leave me alone), these comments don’t necessarily mean she isn’t involved with either of these films, since studio negotiations tend to remain secret with actors usually encouraged to keep a lid on anything. Chances are, however, they aren’t even casting these pictures yet, or they may have their eyes on someone else. But it’s also hard to believe the Harvard grad, currently entering the geek gulag for next summer‘s “Thor,” wouldn’t have heard the noisy chatter regarding her association with two beloved superhero properties. Stay tuned, as we may finally have the excuse to dig through her garbage we’ve been waiting for over the last decade.