Catwoman in other media

Adaptations of Catwoman in other media
Created by	Bob Kane Bill Finger
Original source	Comics published by DC Comics
First appearance	Batman #1 (1940)
Films and television
Film(s)	Batman (1966) Batman Returns (1992) Catwoman (2004) Batman: Year One (2011) The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns: Part 2 (2013)
Television show(s)	Batman (1966) Batman: The Animated Series (1992) The New Batman Adventures (1997) The Batman (2004) Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008)

Catwoman is a fictional character first appearing in Batman #1. After her debut she would appear in many forms of media appearing in the Batman TV series and its film adaption, Batman Returns, the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, the critically panned Catwoman, the hit film The Dark Knight Rises and the popular Batman: Arkham series just to name a few.

She was portrayed by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway and Camren Bicondova and was voiced by Adrienne Barbeau and Grey DeLisle.

Television (live-action)

Batman (1966–1968)

Julie Newmar as Catwoman in the 1966 TV series.

Catwoman in the 1966 live action television series Batman is portrayed by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt. Newmar portrayed Catwoman in the first and second season, and Kitt portrayed Catwoman in the third season. This version of the character was given neither a background nor an alter ego, but focused instead on her costumed aspects. The costume created for the series was similar to the green catsuit appearing in the comics at the time, though it was constructed by Newmar from black Lurex fabric. One of these costumes tailored for Newmar is part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

Due to other commitments, Newmar was unavailable for the tie-in film produced after the first season, and for the series' third season. The producers cast Meriwether for the film and Kitt for the third season. An uncredited Caucasian body double played the role in a cameo in "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra", the series' penultimate episode.

Birds of Prey

The 2002 television series Birds of Prey included an adaptation of the Silver Age Huntress as one of its main characters. Catwoman was also adapted for the series as she is an integral component of the back story for Huntress. That adaptation was limited to the alter ego, a costume design similar to the one used in the 1992 film Batman Returns, and adding the aspect of the character being a "metahuman". Catwoman was portrayed by actress Maggie Baird and her appearances were limited to a flashback of her death which was edited into the series title sequence and the rare in-episode flashback.

Gotham

A younger version of Selina Kyle is featured in the TV series Gotham, portrayed by Camren Bicondova. Selina Kyle is depicted as a 14-year-old thief and orphan who lives on the streets of Gotham City. In the series' pilot episode, she witnesses the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne. She forms a tenuous alliance with Gotham City Police Department Detective Jim Gordon after he saves her from kidnappers working for the Dollmaker. She promises to help him solve the Wayne murders if he helps her get out of trouble with the law. Gordon arranges for her to stay at Wayne Manor, where she befriends the young Bruce Wayne. She saves him from a gang of hired killers, and gives him his first kiss. She also helps Bruce find Reggie Payne, the man who stabbed Bruce's butler Alfred Pennyworth. She pushes Payne out of a window to prevent him from telling the people who hired him that she and Bruce are onto them. In the season finale, "All Happy Families are Alike", Selina meets mobster Fish Mooney upon her return to Gotham City and joins her gang. She disappears during a skirmish between Mooney and Maroni's forces.

In the show's second season, she is working for Oswald Cobblepot. She also helps a young Firefly take revenge on a gang of sex traffickers, and tries to protect Bruce from corrupt billionaire Theo Galavan and his niece, Silver St. Cloud. She teams up with Gordon and Cobblepot to save Bruce when he is kidnapped by the Sacred Order of Saint Dumas. She then briefly takes him to live with her on the streets so he can learn firsthand how criminals operate. She volunteers to help Bruce find out what Hugo Strange is up to at Indian Hill, a secret laboratory in the bowels of Arkham Asylum, but once inside she finds herself threatened by Firefly and Mr. Freeze. Firefly ultimately decides to defend Selina, however, and incapacitates Strange. Selina then offers to help Bruce investigate the secret society behind his parents' murder.

Television (animated)

Filmation series

Catwoman was first adapted to television animation by Filmation, for the 1968 series The Batman/Superman Hour. The character design and aspects adapted were similar to those used in the previous live-action television series: a focus on the character in costume, lack of a backstory, and use of the then-current green catsuit. Like the live action TV series, Catwoman behaved like many of her villainous counterparts (Joker, Riddler), by speaking in puns and hiring henchmen who wore outfits similar to hers. Jane Webb was cast to provide the voice for the character.

Filmation returned to the character in 1977 for the animated series The New Adventures of Batman, where Melendy Britt was cast to voice the character in four episodes. Again, no backstory or alter ego were presented within the episodes. The yellow and orange costume design used was unique to the series.

DC animated universe

Catwoman, as she appears in Batman: The Animated Series (left) and The New Batman Adventures (right).

Catwoman was adapted for Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, set in the same continuity from the DC Animated Universe, voiced by Adrienne Barbeau.

The character design for Batman: The Animated Series was as a long-haired blonde look (based on Michelle Pfeiffer's appearance) when Selina wasn't wearing her costume, and the costume itself was a predominately gray catsuit based on the costume used in Batman Returns as well, and with long black gloves and high-heeled boots.

When The New Batman Adventures went into development, Catwoman's redesign resulted in an all-black catsuit, blue-white face make-up and short black hair. The first series establishes Catwoman as a socialite and animal rights activist in addition to a costumed thief in the early appearances. Beyond this, no backstory or actual origin is provided within the series. The series does play somewhat on the relation between Batman and Catwoman. She had a crush on Batman, but tried to keep her distance between her and Bruce Wayne.

Catwoman also appears in the short featurette Chase Me.

The Batman

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Catwoman, as seen in The Batman.

Catwoman was adapted along with a number of other Batman related characters for the 2004 animated series The Batman, voiced by Gina Gershon. The character design used was based loosely on the then-current costume used in the comic books. This resulted in a black/dark grey catsuit with a pull-up collar mask, dark red, claw-tipped gloves, a black cowl with exaggerated cat ears, and large amber goggles. The initial episode featuring Catwoman establishes her as working as a charity fund raiser in her identity of Selina Kyle. With the remaining appearances focusing on her activities only as Catwoman, an origin for the character is never provided.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Catwoman was among the many DC Comics characters adapted for the 2008 animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Nika Futterman. Keeping with the tone of the show, the character design used for most of her appearances was drawn from the 1950s through mid-1960s and again from the late 1970 to the mid-1980s. This being the purple long sleeved dress with green cloak and purple headdress/mask with cat-ears.

DC Nation

Catwoman appeared in the Batman of Shanghai shorts on the DC Nation block voiced by Stephanie Sheh. In a departure from the comics, she was portrayed as a Chinese thief active in Shanghai during the 1930s.

DC Super Hero Girls

Catwoman appears in the web series DC Super Hero Girls as a student at Super Hero High.

Film (live-action)

Batman (1966)

Lee Meriweather in Batman (1966).

The first feature film to include an adaptation of Catwoman was Batman, produced immediately after production of the first season of the 1966 television series of the same name. When the producers realized that Julie Newmar would be unavailable due to prior commitments, they cast Lee Meriwether to portray the character.

Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, a television film which aired in 2003, was a semi-documentary of the production of the 1966 television series and film. It featured dramatizations one of which included Julia Rose portraying a young Julie Newmar on set in character as Catwoman. Newmar and Meriwether also appeared in the film.

Batman Returns (1992)

File:PfeifferCatwoman.jpg

Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman in Batman Returns.

Catwoman is portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1992 feature film Batman Returns. Re-created by Daniel Waters, the character is based on the Selina Kyle from "Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper". Annette Bening was originally cast in the role but dropped out due to pregnancy. Other actresses including Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Jennifer Beals, Lorraine Bracco and Demi Moore were all linked to the role, and actress Sean Young campaigned heavily to get it (even turning up to Warner Bros. studios in a homemade catwoman suit). When it was suggested to Tim Burton that Michelle Pfeiffer was interested, something clicked to the producers thinking "She's perfect. She also could be both Selina Kyle and Catwoman."

This version of Selina Kyle is depicted as a mousy, lonely, and frustrated secretary of corrupt tycoon Max Shreck. After Selina accidentally discovers Shreck's plot to build a power plant that would steal Gotham's electricity, Shreck attempts to murder her by pushing her out the window of his top-story office. She survives the fall and is mysteriously revived by a group of alley cats that flock around her and begin gnawing at her fingers. When she returns home, she suffers a psychotic breakdown and fashions a black PVC outfit for herself, becoming Catwoman, a formidable and totally different persona from Selina Kyle. To that end, she allies herself with the Penguin, which attracts Batman's attention. Meanwhile, her personality as Selina Kyle also changes and she begins a relationship with Bruce Wayne, at first not knowing that he is Batman. At the climax of the film, Catwoman tries to kill Shreck. Although Shreck shoots her several times, he fails to kill her. She then kills Shreck by kissing him with a taser in her mouth while holding onto an exposed power cable. An explosion ensues, but afterwards, Batman only finds Shreck's charred corpse with Catwoman nowhere to be found. As the Bat-signal later shines in the night sky, a figure seen from the rear but wearing Catwoman's outfit watches it from afar, suggesting Selina/Catwoman survived.

Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman derives heavily from the Pre-Crisis version of the character.

Catwoman (2004)

Halle Berry as Catwoman / Patience Phillips in Catwoman.

In 2004, the feature film Catwoman was released. Starring Halle Berry, this film's Catwoman bears little resemblance to the comic book version. Berry portrays Patience Phillips, an artist and graphics designer who works for a cosmetics company called Hedare Beauty, which is ready to ship a new skin cream called Beau-Line that is able to reverse the effects of aging. However, as Patience visits the factory where it is being manufactured, she learns that the product has deadly side-effects. Laurel Hedare (Sharon Stone), the wife of the company's CEO, orders her killed. Hedare's minions drown her, but she is mysteriously brought back to life by Midnight, an Egyptian Mau cat, and from that point on develops cat-like abilities. A researcher named Ophelia Powers (Frances Conroy) tells Patience that Egyptian Mau cats serve as messengers of the goddess Bast, suggesting that Patience has been granted supernatural powers. Wearing a mask to disguise her identity, Patience stalks the night as Catwoman seeking revenge against her murderers. Eventually, her search leads her to Hedare, who murders her husband and frames her for it. In the film's climactic fight scene between Hedare and Catwoman, Hedare falls to her death. Patience is cleared of murder charges, and decides to become Catwoman permanently.

The movie alludes to other women who have been granted such cat-like abilities, particularly in a scene in which Patience is introduced to a series of photos of prior Catwomen, including Pfeiffer's Batman Returns version of Selina Kyle.

The film's story has nothing to do with the Batman universe, and is considered "Catwoman in name only". It was poorly received by critics and audiences, and is commonly listed as one of the worst films ever made.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises

Selina Kyle is portrayed by Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises. Entertainment Weekly describes this version as an enigma, a wily and witty con artist, as well as a high society grifter. She is depicted as a femme fatale antiheroine whose actions often blur ethical lines, similar to her portrayal in the comics.

In the film, Selina Kyle is hired by corrupt businessman John Daggett to steal Bruce Wayne's fingerprints; Daggett in exchange promises to expunge her criminal record with a "Clean Slate" computer program. Bane subsequently uses Bruce's prints to attack Gotham City's stock exchange and bankrupt Bruce with bogus stock trades. She also steals the pearl necklace belonging to Bruce's deceased mother and takes a congressman hostage. After Daggett betrays her, Selina leads Batman to Bane's trap without realizing that Batman and Bruce are the same person. She attempts to flee Gotham, fearing that Bane's terrorist group will eventually kill her. She is arrested by John Blake for kidnapping and takes her to Blackgate Prison to await trial. She is subsequently "released" when Bane takes control of Gotham. As Bane's criminal army terrorizes the city, Selina begins to show deep regret over the chaos and anarchy that she has helped bring about. When Batman returns to Gotham and offers her the "Clean Slate", she aids the Dark Knight and others in liberating Gotham City from Bane's chaos. With Selina's help, Batman rescues Lucius Fox. Using the Batpod, Selena destroys the blockade at the tunnel leading out of Gotham. During the battle, Selena kills Bane with the Batpod's grenade launcher and helps Batman destroy Talia al Ghul's convoy. At the end of the movie, Bruce leaves the Batman mantle behind and enters a relationship with Selina. She is never referred to as "Catwoman" in the film, although she does receive the moniker in related The Dark Knight Rises collectibles and books. Instead, emphasis is made upon her profession as a "cat" burglar in headlines shown in the film; also, her safecracking goggles resemble cat ears when not in use.

Film (animated)

• A Crime Syndicate of America version of Catwoman named She-Bat briefly appeared as one of Superwoman's henchmen in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. She-Bat is a cross between her and Man-Bat.
• Eliza Dushku voices Catwoman in Batman: Year One. The DVD and Blu-ray release also features a short film DC Showcase: Catwoman, again with Eliza Dushku providing the voice.
• Selina Kyle appears in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by Tress MacNeille.
• Catwoman will appear in The Lego Batman Movie.

Video games

• Catwoman appears as a boss in the 1993 Batman Returns game based on Tim Burton's 1992 film.
• In the 1999 side-scroller Catwoman video game by Kemco, Catwoman is hired by Talia al Ghul to steal an ancient crystal skull from the Gotham City Museum. Ra's al Ghul wants to use the skull to create a powerful weapon that will be capable of destroying an entire city.
• The Patience Phillips version of Catwoman appears in the Catwoman video game (a tie-in to 2004's Catwoman feature film) voiced by Jennifer Hale.
• Catwoman appears as a fighter in the crossover fighting game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, played by Brenda Barrie and voiced by P. J. Mattson. This version is classified as a villain in the game. Her first fatality has her wrapping her whip around her opponent's throat and dragging them to the ground where she then jumps on their back and pulls back on the whip breaking their neck, whilst her second fatality has her claw out her victims eyes before hurling them to the ground. Though her role in the game is small, her story begins as she is approached by the Flash after stealing from the Gotham Museum. Though the Flash defeats her in combat, she reclaims her "purr"-loined jewel after an intervention from Kano, and whilst she makes her escape she gets pulled into a portal that teleports her to the Special Forces base in the Mortal Kombat universe. Here, she finds her counterpart Sonya Blade and requests to use the base's portal to return to Gotham. Sonya defeats her in battle however, and locks her away in a cell. She is eventually set free when Lex Luthor is also captured, and they aid each other in escaping. The two form an alliance, approaching both Deathstroke and the Joker and recruiting them for the battle against the invading warriors. With their help, she assists Batman and his allies in the battle against Dark Khan. In the battle between the DC heroes and villains and the Mortal Kombat warriors, she defeats Sonya before getting defeated as well. Her game ending features her returning to Gotham City and discovering that due to the magical essence of the worlds merging, she now has the ability to transform into a black panther at will, enhancing her speed and strength. She uses these newfound powers to ensure she will never again be caged.
• Catwoman appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame, voiced again by Nika Futterman. In the game, she teams up with Catman to steal an ancient artifact and turn all of the police into cats, in order to terrorize the city easier. When the pair believe they have killed Batman and Robin, Catwoman feels guilty and misses Batman. When they terrorize Wayne Manor, the Dynamic Duo appear to stop them, much to her joy.
• Catwoman appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Kelley Huston. She is classified as a villain and is seen as a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains, although her main plot is considered heroic and far from villainy. Catwoman plots to steal the jeweled cat relics from Gotham University. She then forces the players to get the Cat's Eye Diamonds back in their rightful place in order to prevent all of Gotham City from becoming a "wild kingdom" since they are turning people into cat-like creatures. Once the players obtain the Cat's Eye Diamonds from the Cat Avatars Tiger Eye, Cheetah Claw, Lion-Mane, and Panther Fang, Catwoman activates the relics causing the spirits of the Cat Avatars to take control Catwoman into attacking the players when they did not want to end up under her control. The players had to fight her nine times in battle while the Cat Avatars try to summon their minions to also fight the players. Once Catwoman is defeated, the relics disappear as Catwoman is displeased that the "alien relics" possessed her. Catwoman tells the players that the next time they meet, she owes them one of her nine lives.
• Catwoman appears as a playable fighter in Injustice: Gods Among Us, with Grey DeLisle reprising her role from Batman: Arkham City. This version is classified as a villain in the game. At the game's beginning, the mainstream iteration is seen fighting the Justice League alongside other villains but are eventually arrested with them. During the game's main story, the alternate reality iteration is allied with Superman's faction of ruthless heroes. She engages the Justice League's Cyborg at the Hall of Justice where there was a mentioning that the Regime's Cyborg went out with Catwoman. In her fight with the Resistance's Batman at Stryker's Island, Catwoman claimed that she joined up with Superman's Regime to protect Batman, but Batman rejects her when she reveals this as other heroes have been sacrificed by her actions, defeating her in combat before going on to rescue the mainstream Batman. In Catwoman's ending, Catwoman resolves to fight crime in the newly-rebuilt Gotham City until she can reconcile with Batman. In the game, Catwoman has various alternate outfits such as mainstream and alternate as well as the design from Batman: Arkham City.
• Catwoman appears as a playable character in Infinite Crisis, voiced again by Grey DeLisle.

Lego Batman series

• Catwoman appears in Lego Batman: The Video Game, voiced by Vanessa Marshall. She appears as an enemy of Batman and a 1st deputy of the Penguin. She tried to get the Penguin to steal a jewel and was defeated by Batman, but not before sharing a kiss with the Dark Knight, which Robin (Dick Grayson) found disgusting. She later escaped jail and told the Penguin to build a machine, but they were again defeated. She then kissed Batman again, flipped backwards, and went home to Arkham. She is shown as being very cat-like and proficient with a whip, as demonstrated when she snatches a fish from the Penguin's plate.
• Catwoman appears in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, voiced by Katherine Von Till. She is among the inmates freed when Lex Luthor frees Joker from Arkham Asylum.
• Catwoman appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Laura Bailey. In the game, the primary version's default design is her New 52 costume with the 1966 and Pre-52 design as an alternate. Also, The Dark Knight Rises version of Selina Kyle is a separate playable character via DLC.

Arkham series

Further information: Batman: Arkham

The character is voiced by Grey DeLisle, where this version has a unique range of different animations and abilities.

Catwoman in a promotional image for Batman: Arkham Knight

• While Catwoman does not appear in Batman: Arkham Asylum, parts of her costume are found on display inside Arkham Asylum's old mansion and scanning them to solve one of the Riddler's riddles will unlock her bio. She is also referenced by the Joker addressing a crate of Venom to the character as a gift, and appears on a list of Arkham inmates liberated by Harley Quinn.
• She physically appears as a playable character in Batman: Arkham City. With Arkham City, Catwoman is originally captured by Two-Face, intending to have her tried before a kangaroo court for pillaging Two-Face's hideout. After being rescued by Batman, she attempts to locate stolen articles which were seized by the authorities upon her arrest. Catwoman, with the reluctant aid of Poison Ivy, eventually pilfers her loot from Hugo Strange's heavily guarded vault, but sacrifices a chance to escape Arkham City in order to save Batman from the destruction of Joker's base. She returns at the end of the game when Batman carries the Joker's dead body. The character's storyline, which culminates in a final showdown with Two-Face at an old natural history museum, has been estimated to be approximately ten percent of the Arkham City content.
• She later appears in Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. Catwoman is hired by Amanda Waller to break Bane out of Blackgate, for the Suicide Squad; per the plan, a bomb goes off at Blackgate, allowing Black Mask, Penguin and Joker to take over a building each. Tricking Batman into helping, Catwoman breaks into the Arkham Wing to rescue Bane, but is forced to abandon him when the odds are not in her favor.
• She later returns as a playable character in Batman: Arkham Knight. The Riddler captures her to give Batman incentive to solve the puzzles, and Batman does so while receiving aid from Catwoman to destroy the villain's army of robotic combatants while within the boundaries of her confinement. Following her rescue and the Riddler's defeat, Batman informs her that the Dark Knight plans to stop being Batman and that Gotham City needs a "new myth" to defend it. Batman also tells her that because of this, Gotham won't see Batman again and they cannot be together. The two kiss before departing each other.

Miscellaneous

• In the comic series The Batman Adventures, Selina Kyle is featured in issue #10; in the back up story she breaks into a vault at the Wayne Manor during Bruce Wayne's New Year's Ball. After she has left the scene, Bruce tells Robin and Alfred Pennyworth that he felt betrayed, stating that he was the only one of Gotham's high society not to shun her after she was unmasked. He is reassured of her friendship, however, when he finds she has stolen nothing and has left him a card stating her New Year's resolution is to stay on the right side of the law. After Robin questions her sincerity, Bruce states that he believes she will keep her promise.
• Catwoman is portrayed by Denise Donovan in the web-musical Holy Musical B@man!.

Parodies

• In the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Inside Plucky Duck", a cartoon called "Bat's All Folks", parodied Catwoman as Polecatwoman.
• Katnappé from Xiaolin Showdown is essentially a teen version of Catwoman.
• In The Simpsons episode "My Big Fat Geek Wedding", Principal Skinner dressed up as Catwoman (who he thought was Catman) and battles the Comic Book Guy for Mrs. Krabappel's heart.

Radio

• Catwoman, voiced by Lorelei King, appeared in the Batman radio drama The Lazarus Syndrome (1989)