Warning: This list contains plot spoilers for The Batman.
Catwoman is the co-protagonist in Batman Returns is largely seen as the most popular Catwoman, leaving her as the benchmark for success.
Kravtiz’s Selina Kyle more than lived up to the task, however, as The Batman’s Catwoman improved on several aspects that Pfeiffer’s version didn’t do all that well. Since both movies heavily rely on Batman’s connection with Catwoman and the latter’s exploits, it’s worth noting the improvements that can be found in The Batman. It’s likely that Kravitz will return in a potential sequel, so diving into her Catwoman’s strong elements also recaps her story arc.
Selina Kyle Isn't A Pushover
Selina’s intrepidness is what The Batman, which is in contrast to Michelle Pfeiffer’s version who played a stereotypical geek before she turned into Catwoman. The Selina Kyle persona of Pfeiffer’s wasn’t originally assertive, while The Batman’s was never a pushover.
Selina wasn’t a bully or too bold, but she always held her own and didn’t let others talk her down. She kept a low profile by choice rather than be ostracized, engaging in whoever interested her without showing any hints of embarrassment. This level of self-confidence enabled viewers to respect the Selina Kyle persona straight away instead of only taking the Catwoman side of her seriously.
Selina Kyle's Story Is Open-Ended Rather Than Ambiguous
Batman Returns went for an ambiguous ending where Catwoman appeared to have been killed, only to show up right before the movie concluded without reuniting with Bruce. The Batman ended with Selina leaving Gotham after deeming it unsavable, but let Batman know of her decision.
It wasn’t a cliffhanger like Catwoman got in Batman Returns since viewers are led to believe that Selina can show up somewhere down the line. The open-ended nature of her story leaves room to interpret that she might have a change of heart or find peace somewhere else. Either way, she had some measure of closure with Batman here instead of abandoning him as she did in Batman Returns.
Catwoman Is Grounded In Reality
While Catwoman’s The Batman, it was due to her proficiency in combat styles. It was distinct from Batman Returns where Catwoman appeared to have powers of reincarnation and was invulnerable to a degree, capable of taking clean hits with bullets and still surviving.
The Batman did better by showing Catwoman lose at various points because it made her come across as realistic. Her athletic and fighting prowess were understandable given her identity as a burglar. Her problems gainst more powerful enemies and use of her wits over supernatural abilities played true to The Batman’s grounded backdrop, while Batman Returns required a lot of suspension of disbelief.
Catwoman And Batman's Attraction Is Born Out Of Mutual Respect
Catwoman’s femme fatale aura is what drew Batman toward her in Batman Returns, with Bruce also falling for Selina due to her charms. It didn’t fully show Selina’s attributes as the aspect that was most attractive about her, which could make Batman appear as if he just liked her for her beauty.
The Batman had the titular protagonist initially not care about Selina, eventually gaining new respect for her tenacity. It was Selina’s bravery in taking a stand against the criminal underworld among other scary things in Gotham that Batman ired, so a romance out of respect feels natural. Moreover, Selina liked Batman’s own quest for good rather than fall for him because he was supposed to be strong and powerful.
Selina Kyle Has A Richer Backstory
Batman Returns showed Selina as the secretary of Max Shreck, with her backstory pretty much ending right there. Her arc was largely to gain revenge on Shreck for trying to kill her but fans didn’t get to know who she was and where she came from.
The Batman gave Selina her own plot independent of the titular hero, where she uncovered her past and drove the story by looking for Annika’s killer. Selina’s parenthood was depicted as her being the daughter of Carmine Falcone, as she went against her father to expose him for his crimes. Her backstory made Selina someone fans could understand all the way through to understand why she was so driven.
Selina Kyle Can Separate The Difference Between Good And Bad
A lot of the have been directed toward Robert Pattinson since he plays the title character, but Selina shares Batman’s main arc. The pair realize that good and bad can mean the same thing when it comes to vigilantism, as The Riddler tried to emulate Batman.
What made Selina different is that she chose not to have rules like Batman even though she had some inner conflict with taking lives. Batman Returns had shown Catwoman essentially as a killing machine who didn’t understand her bloodthirsty ways due to her resurrection. The Batman brought more depth to Selina due to her grappling with between becoming like one of the bad guys or moving on.
Selina Kyle Is Catwoman's Primary Persona
Part of the appeal of Batman’s character is that being the hero enhances Bruce Wayne’s persona, too, as fans can see him realizing the value of his civilian identity. In the same vein, The Batman had Selina’s primary persona as her real one instead of as Catwoman so that viewers didn’t just perceive her as a construct of the superhero genre.
By placing the Selina Kyle character as the main personality, the film made her activities as Catwoman stand out because she was operating on a different mindset. Batman Returns had Selina Kyle and Catwoman more or less be the same once she was reincarnated, which has made only her Catwoman persona be memorable and leaves the Selina Kyle identity out to be forgotten.
