Catwoman is one of the most important people in Batman’s life and lore. Selina Kyle is the one person he can never say no to because she has a hold on his heart. On the flip side, she remains as free as she wants. However, it would be a lie to say this is one-sided. Selina isn’t immune to her feelings for Bruce Wayne. They’re the epitome of opposites attracting.
We’ve seen various women of all races and genres play Catwoman. For example, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Anne Hathaway. They weren’t known for being action stars but they shined in their Batman projects. It makes you wonder who could have played Catwoman over the years.
This article will highlight the ten best women who could’ve played Gotham City’s premiere cat burglar and the projects that prove it.
Rosie Perez
Younger people won’t remember how great Rosie Perez was, but she had the fire and sex appeal that Catwoman is known for. However, she did a great job showing she can play an action star when she was Renee Montoya in Birds of Prey.
Rosie Perez 's interpretation of Selina Kyle before she became Catwoman would’ve been wonderful. She could have been the most believable person to get under Batman's skin.
Movie to check out:
Dina Meyer
Dina Meyer was the one everyone wanted Rico to be with during Starship Troopers. She had a coolness and girl-next-door vibe that people loved. Plus, she was a believable butt-kicker. Dye her hair black, give her a whip, and let Dina Meyer become the cat burglar we needed.
Alicia Vikanderv
It’s a shame more people didn’t see Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider. I’m guilty of not seeing it in theaters and I regret it. The project was an amazing origin story of Lara Croft and an example of Vikander’s skills as an action star.
Alicia Vikander won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (The Danish Girl). She was nominated for Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress (Ex Machina) and Best Actress – Drama (The Danish Girl). This shows that she can act the part too. This could be the most interesting what-if on this list.
Carrie-Ann Moss
A lot of this has to do with The Matrix. Yes, Carrie-Ann Moss wore black leather, but it’s not that. All of Trinity's confidence and fighting easily translate to a Catwoman role. We can also look at her performance as Jeri Hogarth in Jessica Jones to hit the point home.
Jeri Hogarth was tough and stern like Selina but she had a vulnerable side too. This sensitivity is a must when Catwoman is around people she loves. Selina isn't always robbing the rich and being chased by Batman. Sometimes she's tender around the people who care about her.
Mila Jovovich
Mila Jovovich was one of the biggest action stars. The Fifth Element wasn’t her first role, but it put her name on the map. Four years later she starred in Resident Evil and became a household name. Imagine what she could have done side-by-side with Batman or in a solo Catwoman project.
Hailee Steinfeld
Admittedly, this could still happen. Hailee Steinfeld is a young actress who’s already played two Marvel Comics characters (Gwen Stacy in Spider-Verse and Kate Bishop in Hawkeye). She’s also been in action movies like Bumblebee and True Grit.
Hailee Steinfeld would have been the perfect person to star in a Catwoman franchise. We could have seen her as a 20-year-old Selina Kyle growing into her life of crime and eventually leading a crime syndicate. She wouldn't need Batman either.
It's still possible for her to play Catwoman, but not in an origin story. Then again, Zoe Kravitz was in her thirties in The Batman.
Zoe Saldaña
There’s no other word to describe Zoe Saldaña other than icon. She is an accomplished actress who can do anything required for a film and in four of the ten highest-grossing movies. In each of those four, she's made an impact. That’s on top of her action roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, The Losers, and Colombiana. It’s easy to picture her playing Selina Kyle on the streets of Gotham or Catwoman robbing a high-rise.
Michelle Yeoh
Never forget that Michelle Yeoh has been beating people up in movies since the 1980s. The award-winning actress could've played Catwoman with ease. Picture her fighting Batman, but, instead of the normal whip and flips, she’s using a different and more disciplined fighting style. Viewers would have eaten this up.
Scarlett Johansson
Catwoman’s ability to appear insecure when she’s the most confident person in the room is her biggest weapon. Scarlett Johansson would thrive at this. An example of this is during The Avengers when she’s getting interrogated.
Black Widow made herself look like a weak woman to guys who thought they were alpha males. Then, when she didn’t need to, she gave her “captors” looks to show how dumb they were and beat them down. Selina Kyle excels at this and Scarlett Johansson would be too.
Ignore the 2004 superhero movie she was in that won’t be mentioned. That doesn’t count. It's a poor representation of Halle Berry and shouldn't be held against her. She has been an amazing actress for decades and hasn’t slowed down yet. If the villain and script were better, she would have been one of the best actresses to play Catwoman.
I’m all for giving her a do-over. I guarantee Halle Berry would show everyone she was the right pick for the 2004 movie. She's so good that fans wouldn't need Batman. If viewers can get past the other project, it'll be watched. However, it should probably go to Max instead of theaters.
Who would you cast as Catwoman? What topics would you like discussed? We want to hear from you. You can email us at entertainment@fansided.com