Is Emma Watson getting ready to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe? That's the hot new rumor going around right now. Rumor being the operative word. Before digging into this possibly crazy news at all, we should definitely caution that this isn't coming from anyone directly connected to Marvel Studios so it should only be regarded as a rumor for the time being. That said, the former Harry Potter star is reportedly being eyed to star alongside Scarlett Johansson in the Black Widow movie.

According to a new report, Emma Watson is being eyed for the second female lead and has been prominently discussed in conversations between director Cate Shortland, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and producer Brad Winderbaum. It doesn't sound like she's actually auditioned for the role just yet. More importantly, as it pertains to the hardcore Marvel fans out there, it hasn't been revealed what character this would be. So it's unclear if this is someone prominent from the pages of Marvel Comics, or if it's a character being created specifically for the movie. The character is described as a "kick ass female Bond" for whatever that may be worth.

Other actresses that are said to be in the running for the same role include Alice Englert (Beautiful Creatures), Dar Zuzovsky (Hostages) and Florence Pugh (Fighting With My Family. Coincidentally, Emma Watson is starring alongside Pugh in the upcoming new adaptation of Little Women, which is being directed by Greta Gerwig, which serves as her follow-up to Lady Bird. Specifically, the report states that Englert and Zuzovsky have auditioned for the role and that they made an impression on the studio with their respective efforts.

Still, it would be hard to argue against Emma Watson being the most high-profile and splashy name on this list. Not that Marvel needs to do anything to prove the power of their brand anymore, but having one of the core stars of the Harry Potter franchise, who has since solidified herself as a powerful female voice in Hollywood, sign up for the Black Widow movie would be huge. It's well worth noting that Watson previously worked with Disney, who owns Marvel, on 2017's live-action Beauty and the Beast, which went on to become the highest-grossing movie released that year.

For the time being, there are precious few details about the movie available. Much of that has to do with the fact that Marvel Studios is keeping very quiet regarding their slate beyond Avengers: Endgame and, technically, they haven't formally announced this project. Though, Kevin Feige has acknowledged its existence in several interviews. Rest assured, it's happening. And there's at least a chance Emma Watson will be along for the ride. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available. Black Widow does not officially have a release date set, but it's expected to go into production very soon. This news was first reported by That Hashtag Show.