The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating life in theaters, with plenty of peaks and valleys to spare. But following the poor performance of Justice League, Warner Bros. pivoted away from big ensemble projects and toward director-driven solo movies. Shazam! and Aquaman had strong outings in theaters, and DC fans are especially eager to see what Matt Reeves will do with The Batman.
Development for The Batman appears to be moving forward, with Robert Pattinson attached to play the title character. Fans are eager to see which actors are cast as members of Batman's rogues gallery, and plenty of stars have already made their intentions known. This includes Parks & Rec icon Aubrey Plaza, who has a particular interest in playing Catwoman. But she doesn't think she'd ever actually get the part. As she recently explained:
Okay, I’ve said that in like a couple interviews because… I get asked questions like, ‘If you were a superhero, which one would you want to be?’ And I just always think of Catwoman because I just love that character and I love the Catwoman movie. The Halle Berry one. But it’s not something I think about every day… I’m just not gonna even try to get that part. There’s no way in Hell they’re gonna cast me.
Leave it to Aubrey Plaza to be the one defender of Halle Berry's ill-fated Catwoman movie. But it looks like she does have a comic book character in mind, although the rising actress doubts she'd ever actually land the role of Selina Kyle.
Aubrey Plaza's comments come from her recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. While appearing on the talk show to promote her leading role in the Child's Play reboot, eventually the conversation about Catwoman came up. She's made a few comments about wanting to play the role before, something that Colbert was privy to. And since The Batman's cast is being assembled, it seems like the perfect time to broach that subject again.
Related: All The Batman Villains Rumored To Show Up In Matt Reeves' DC Movie
It's unclear why Aubrey Plaza doesn't think she has a chance of playing Selina Kyle, as the 34 year-old actress' star power was been growing steadily over the past few years. And she's played a comic book villain before, in her acclaimed performance in FX's Legion. But perhaps her concerns aren't with her own performance, but the other actress who are already vying for the role.
You can check out Aubrey Plaza's conversation with Stephen Colbert below, complete with cat ears.
All of Aubrey Plaza's antics aside, she does seem to have an interest in playing Catwoman, despite thinking she doesn't have much of a chance to land the part. And she's got some stiff competition, as plenty of actresses have been vying for Gotham's feline femme fatale.
High School musical alum Vanessa Hudgens is the most recent star to put her name in the mix for playing DC's next Catwoman. After fans began posting art of her as Selina Kyle, Hudgens revealed she's been a lifelong fan, and it's actually a dream role. And a piece of fan art that followed showed what she and Robert Pattinson might look like opposite each other in The Batman. It's too bad Zack Snyder isn't the architect of the DCEU anymore, as she has a working relationship with him through the movie Sucker Punch.
But Vanessa Hudgens isn't the only actress who wants to play Catwoman. Morena Baccarin also listed Catwoman as a dream role, and she's already got experience with the DC side of things. After all, she played Dr. Leslie Thompkins for 82 episodes of Fox's show Gotham. Furthermore, she plays Vanessa in the Deadpool franchise, so comic book properties are something Baccarin is familiar with. When she was asked if she'd play the role, Baccarin was previously quoted saying:
It's so true! I've wanted to play Catwoman forever.
Robert Pattinson is the only actor currently attached to The Batman, so just about anything seems possible. The public has no clue which of Batman's rogues director Matt Reeves wants to play with, so there's the chance that Catwoman isn't even included. So perhaps Aubrey Plaza has more time to campaign for the role, and show her range. Fingers crossed.
Whoever ends up being cast as the DC live-action universe's Catwoman is going to have some seriously big shoes to fill. The character is one of the most beloved villains in Batman lore, especially due to her relationship with Batman. As such, she's been adapted onto the big and small screen quite a few times before.
On the movie side of things, the most iconic Catwoman has to be Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns. Tim Burton's superheroic sequel is still beloved today, and Pfeiffer's performance has remains synonymous with the character. Pfeiffer played the character with madness and vulnerability, and just about every line she utters is quotable. Plus, there's that killer costume.
Most recently, Anne Hathaway played Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. Hathaway brought the character's skills as a thief to the forefront, as she's seen manipulating police and security at various events in Gotham City. She ultimately got to be a sympathetic character, and helped Batman fight of the forces of evil in the epic threequel.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Anne Hathaway brought very different interpretations of the character to the big screen, so whichever actress lands the role for the DCEU will have to find a way to distinguish herself from the previous incarnations of Selina Kyle. Aubrey Plaza, Vanessa Hudgens, and Morena Baccarin are three very different actress, who would each have a unique take on the character. We'll just have to see who ends up taking on the mantle.
You can catch Aubrey Plaza in Child's Play on June 21st, and The Batman is set to arrive June 25th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
