Scarlett Johannson is reportedly in final talks to join the cast of Frank Miller’s adaptation of The Spirit, the seminal noir comic by sequential art pioneer Will Eisner.

Scarlett will play a dangerous femme fatale named Silk N. Floss, secretary to criminal mastermind the Octopus, played by Samuel L. Jackson.

This is a good cast – Scarlett has the curvy mannerism needed to dominate a role such as this. Still, I was a bit surpised she played the villain. A testament to Johannson’s versatility, I would have picked her to play Ellen, the daughter of Spirit’s confidant Dolan and the crimefighter’s often-ill-suffering girlfriend, who often must witness multiple females clamoring over the hardly-reluctant Spirit.

This also raises another point – is Silk N. Floss the only fatale to make an appearance? There were many, many deadly female figures to dominate the strip, including the infamous P’Gell, who herself was the probable basis for Miller’s own sultry creation, Elektra. If this is the case, the Spirit could be graced by one of the most suitable sexy ensemble casts to date.

The Spirit starts filming in October, aiming for a 2009 release.