Every superhero has their weakness, like Superman with Kryptonite and Wonder Woman with gunfire and melee weapons, for instance. As a human being, Batman can be slowed down by plenty of things, but his skills as a strategist and indomitable typically keep him defiant in these situations. However, the one thing – or, person, I should say – who rarely fails to weaken his knees is one of Gotham’s greatest criminals, Catwoman.
The popularity of Selina Kyle’s thieving alter ego – who is more of an anti-hero than a straight-up villain and has been known to team up with her batty on-and-off beau – has transcended DC Comics, thanks to iconic interpretations in various animated or live-action Batman movies and TV shows. Let’s explore some past portrayals that most fans would consider purrr-fect.
Zoë Kravitz As Catwoman In The Batman
How fitting that my personal choice for the best live-action Batman movie so far also features my favorite interpretation of Catwoman yet. Now, you could accuse me of recency bias, but you cannot deny that Zoë Kravitz gives a breathtaking performance as Selina Kyle – her second time playing the role, actually, after voicing her in The LEGO Batman Movie – that is key to why Matt Reeves’ The Batman is observed as a classic detective fiction throwback. Her interaction with Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight is a perfect reflection of the film noir femme fatale persona that inspired the character in the first place.
Elizabeth Gillies As Catwoman In Catwoman: Hunted
When Selina Kyle got her own DC animated movie in 2022, they cast an actor who really had a great handle on how to voice the character in the form of Elizabeth Gillies. Taking inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer (whom we will get to soon), the star of CW’s Dynasty absolutely nails the burglar's alluring qualities in Catwoman: Hunted – a funny, action-packed thriller that sees her teaming up with Batwoman (Stephanie Beatriz) after an attempt to steal a priceless jewel puts her at odds with a powerful crime cartel.
Sanaa Lathan As Catwoman On Harley Quinn
Now, if we really want to talk about funny portrayals of Catwoman, there are few greater examples than on the hit, Max exclusive series, Harley Quinn, which is also home to many other great, comically inspired depictions of classic DC characters. However, I believe Sanaa Lathan’s portrayal is something really special, reinventing Selina Kyle as a fully self-serving woman who actually gets a little fed up with all the attention she gets from Diedrich Bader’s Bruce Wayne. It is a clever and hilarious reinvention of their relationship on par with Batman and Joker in The LEGO Batman Movie.
Naya Rivera As Catwoman In Batman: The Long Halloween
That being said, I am still a sucker for the Bat and the Cat’s moments of solidarity, such as when they team up to investigate an ongoing case of serial killings in 2021’s Batman: The Long Halloween. However, the two-part, animated adaptation of Jeph Loeb’s acclaimed series does shed light on Bruce Wayne (Jensen Ackles) and Selina Kyle’s (Naya Rivera) romantic troubles, for which the former Glee cast member also brings an enriching sense of authenticity and gravitas. As one of Rivera’s final performances before her untimely death, it succeeds as an all-time great moment for Catwoman in my book.
Julie Newmar As Catwoman On Batman
Catwoman made her live-action debut on Season 1 of the 1960s Batman TV show with Julie Newmar in the role. The star of stage and screen was noted for her keen sense of humor, which made her a perfect fit for the series’ signature campy tone. While she would later reprise Selina Kyle in two DC animated movies (Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders in 2016 and 2017’s Batman vs. Two-Face), she is not the only actor to steal the heart of Adam West’s Bruce Wayne.
Lee Meriwether As Catwoman In Batman: The Movie
With Newmar unable to appear in 1966’s Batman: The Movie – which contains many of the funniest Batman movie moments – Lee Meriwether joined the cast to assist The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), and The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) in a sinister world domination plot. However, the Emmy nominee and former Miss America is not just playing Catwoman, because Selina Kyle disguises herself as the Russian Miss Kitka to lure Bruce Wayne into a horrible trap. Regardless, Meriwether’s devilishly funny and tastefully seductive performance makes for a memorable big screen debut of the character.
Eartha Kitt As Catwoman On Batman
Meriwether would also appear on the Batman TV series, but in an entirely different role, because Catwoman had once again been recast by Season 2. Emmy nominee and recording artist Eartha Kitt (whom younger audiences might recognize as Madame Zeroni in Holes or as the voice of Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove) would make history as the first Black actress to play the supervillain in 1967. Her performance is just as historical, nailing the character’s most essential traits with a scenery-chewing glow.
Michelle Pfeiffer As Catwoman In Batman Returns
Even though Batman Returns goes hog wild with its interpretation of Selina Kyle by making her a murdered secretary magically resurrected by cats turned into an agent of chaos, many fans still call Michelle Pfeiffer their favorite Catwoman to this day, and it is easy to see why. For one, among the strongest elements of Tim Burton’s otherwise controversial 1992 sequel is its refreshing examination of Selina’s relationship with Bruce Wayne, especially in one of Michael Keaton’s best moments in the role when the turbulent pair show up maskless to a costume party, reflecting how the masks they usually wear best represent their true selves. Plus, the line “I am Catwoman, hear me roar” saw the beginning of a wave of feminism in new superhero movies.
Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman on Batman: The Animated Series
The success of the Tim Burton movies (1989’s Batman, particularly) led to the creation of Batman: The Animated Series, which boasts the quintessential version of the Dark Knight (voiced by the late Kevin Conroy) in many fans’ eyes. I would say that the Emmy-winning cartoon’s iteration of Catwoman (voiced by Scream Queen Adrienne Barbeau) is the first to really get the character right in all facets, from her stunning thievery (aided by one intelligent feline) to her romantic connection with Bruce Wayne. The relationship feels even more authentic and naturally well developed overtime than even Keaton and Pfeiffer’s pairing, if you ask me.
Eliza Dushku As Catwoman In Batman: Year One
Selina Kyle (voiced by Eliza Dushku) and Bruce Wayne (voiced by future Gotham cast member Ben McKenzie) only share one direct interaction in 2011’s Batman: Year One that is very fervent and shows neither of them in costume. However, this animated favorite – based on Frank Miller’s acclaimed reimagining of Batman’s origin – has one of the most grounded and grittiest takes on Catwoman we have seen yet, portraying her as a sex worker from the seedier areas of Gotham City who turns to crime to help make ends meet.
Anne Hathaway As Catwoman In The Dark Knight Rises
Of course, it is tough to deny how grounded and gritty Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway’s take on Selina Kyle in the final chapter of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy turned out to be. To be frank, I actually believe her consistently earnest and faithful approach to playing Catwoman as a conniving, ruthless femme fatale who finds she has a soft spot for Christian Bale’s Batman is one of the few reasons why 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises is worth revisiting. If there was ever a chance of her returning the role – which Hathaway said she would be game for – I would be game to see it.
Camren Bicondova As Selina Kyle On Gotham
There are plenty of reasons why fans love to revisit Gotham – the Batman prequel series that aired on Fox for five seasons – and its own take on Catwoman is certainly one of them. This version of Selina Kyle (played by Camren Bicondova before Lili Simmonds takes over in the series finale) is a teenage orphan who befriends a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and becomes his ally in the early days of his crusade against crime… when she is not dabbling in crime herself.
You may have taken notice of the fact that Halle Berry’s Razzie-winning performance in 2004’s Catwoman as Patience Phillips (not Selina Kyle) is nowhere to be seen on the list above. It was actually not until recently that I learned some audiences might take offense to her exclusion, as they find the portrayal to be exceptional and even important to the character’s legacy. Well, I am happy that they feel that way, but, personally, I am thankful for how dramatically different and more accurate to the source material the other Catwomen we have listed above proved to be.
