Summary
- The DC Universe introduces its own version of Batman in "The Brave and the Bold," which highlights the importance of properly adapting Catwoman.
- Catwoman has been consistently portrayed well in live-action films, except for the critically panned 2004 movie starring Halle Berry.
- "The Brave and the Bold" is set to debut in the DC Universe, following the comic series and promising new character introductions and recasts.
The The Brave and The Bold, and it needs to stand out from previous Batman movies by not being ashamed of Catwoman. The DC Universe is preparing for its official launch with the TV series Creature Commandos in December 2024 and the movie Superman in 2025, but the plans for this connected universe already look promising. The DC Universe is keeping characters from the DC Extended Universe, introducing new ones, and recasting others, and in the latter category, the one who stands out is Batman.
Although there’s already an active version of Batman thanks to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, this Dark Knight lives in a separate world from the DC Universe. This allows this universe to have its version of the Caped Crusader, who will debut in the live-action movie The Brave and the Bold. At the time of writing, no actors have been cast yet in The Brave and the Bold and no characters have been confirmed aside from Batman and Damian Wayne, but if it stays true to the comic book series, then it needs to stop being ashamed of Catwoman.
32 Years Later, It’s Clearer Than Ever DC Wasted Its Best Movie Catwoman
Tim Burton's Batman Returns introduced Michelle Catwoman's beloved Catwoman portrayal, yet no other movie or TV show took advantage of its popularity.
Catwoman Hasn't Been Name-Checked In The Last 2 Batman Appearances
Selina Kyle Hasn’t Been Called “Catwoman” Recently
The most recent big-screen appearances of Catwoman were in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
Gotham City is packed with memorable characters – heroes, allies, villains, and more. One of the most popular and fascinating characters in Batman’s universe is Catwoman, the alter ego of Selina Kyle. Catwoman made her debut in DC Comics in 1940, where she was simply known as “the Cat”, and she has since become one of the most prominent characters in Batman history, and not just in comic books. Catwoman is part of the famous rogues gallery, but she’s also Batman’s most enduring love interest, and their relationship is a very complex one.
Selina Kyle is a burglar, and she wears a skintight bodysuit and usually carries a bullwhip as a weapon. Catwoman has gone from villain to antiheroine throughout her comic book history, and given her popularity, she has also made it to other media. In film, Catwoman made her first appearance in the 1966 movie Batman, where she was played by Lee Meriwether. In 1992, she was played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, and later by Halle Berry in Catwoman.
The most recent big-screen appearances of Catwoman were in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and they have one thing in common: they don’t refer to Selina as “Catwoman”. Both The Dark Knight Rises and The Batman simply referred to her as Selina Kyle (played by Anne Hathaway and Zoë Kravitz, respectively), despite them wearing the outfit and embodying the Catwoman alter-ego.
The Batman: Why Selina Kyle Isn’t Called Catwoman
The Batman uses Selina Kyle as a focal point in Gotham's story but shies away from using her iconic nickname Catwoman - and for a good reason.
The Brave & The Bold Needs To Adapt Catwoman Properly
The Brave & The Bold Can Do Justice To Catwoman
By the time of the events of The Brave and the Bold, Catwoman would already be a well-established character.
Catwoman can have a place in the DC Universe thanks to The Brave and the Bold. The comic book series The Brave and the Bold had its first run from 1955 to 1983, followed by a reprint miniseries in 1988, two original miniseries in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an anthology title in 2007 and 2023. James Gunn has said The Brave and the Bold will be based on Grant Morrison’s 2006 to 2013 run in the comics, and if it includes Catwoman, it needs to do her justice.
By the time of the events of The Brave and the Bold, Catwoman would already be a well-established character, so there’s no need to introduce Selina Kyle like Nolan and Reeves did. The Brave and the Bold can have Catwoman in full antiheroine mode and be referred to by her mysterious alter-ego rather than by her real name and identity.
Catwoman's Movie History Has Only One Mistake
Catwoman Has An Almost Impeccable Track Record In Film
Catwoman has had a consistently good track record in live-action films except for one project.
Batman has had many ups and downs in his live-action film history so far, with some critically acclaimed movies like The Dark Knight and some infamously bad movies like Batman & Robin. On the other hand, Catwoman has had a consistently good track record in live-action films except for one project. In 2004, Catwoman was released, directed by Pitof and starring Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, a graphic designer who is murdered after discovering a conspiracy and is revived by an Egyptian mau cat that grants her superhuman cat-like abilities.
Catwoman was a major critical and box office failure, grossing $82 million against a budget of $100 million. With just an 8% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, Catwoman was criticized for its plot, logical inconsistency, and absurdity, but Berry’s performance was pointed out as the one good thing about it. However, Catwoman made so many changes to the DC Comics character that it doesn’t feel like an adaptation of her, and she definitely deserves a proper adaptation after all this time.
