Catwoman made her comic debut in Batman issue number one in 1940 as Bob Kane and Bill Finger sought to give Bruce Wayne a romantic love interest that would somehow fit in Gotham City. And yet, despite such a long-storied run in Batman, it’s arguable that Hollywood has never found its purrrfect formula for Selina Kyle.
With skin-tight outfits, a complex moral code, Robin Hood-like qualities, plus a seductive and ever-evolving personality, it’s not hard to see where Catwoman’s charm comes from, why fans love the character as much as Batman, and why she had to be in it from the very start. As Zoe Kravitz tackles live-action Catwoman with the benefit of hindsight, it’s worth seeing what every Selina Kyle before her brought to the table.
Julie Newmar - Batman Series (1966-1967)
The 50s and 60s were for DC what the current day landscape is for Marvel, as Superman led the Justice League’s heroes' first incursions into television that gave birth to the first and now meme-worthy Batman series starring Adam West. Newmar was already a known face when she was cast and she quickly became loved by male and female Batman viewers thanks to a portrayal that perfectly fit the tone of the series.
Newmar’s Catwoman was a rare sight at the time as there weren’t many roles that portrayed women as cunning criminals, add her playful relationship with Batman and lots of cat-themed humor and the results speak for themselves. Unfortunately, Newmar went on to pursue different things in her career which caused her to step away from the role but being first cemented her place in history.
Lee Meriwether - Batman (1966)
Seeing as the Batman series was such a hit after its first season, a Batman movie was naturally in order. The film captures most of the same vibes from the Adam West series with most of the cast reprising the roles, except for Newmar who was replaced by Meriwether.
The former Miss America already had a blueprint for who Catwoman was supposed to be in this comical Batman universe, she even rocks the same costume Newmar did. Though the film was profitable and is still viewed positively, Meriwether being a temporary solution often causes her to be forgotten.
Eartha Kitt - Batman Series (1967-1968)
After Newmar’s departure, producers decided to shake things up quite a bit by casting Eartha Kitt, a woman more famous for her singing career whose early life was not too dissimilar from Catwoman’s fictional biography. Despite Catwoman's race changing constantly in comics nowadays, having a black actor play such a prominent and recurrent role in the 60s was still groundbreaking at the time and Kitt was as perfect for it as Zoe Kravitz.
Kitt’s own personality and stage presence were very cat-like, and her purring singing style made its way into her iconic portrayal. However, despite achieving another milestone for black entertainers, Kitt’s introduction coincided with Catwoman and Batman no longer being in romantic terms which might just suggest writers or audiences weren’t mature enough to see an interracial relationship at the center of such a high-profile show.
Michelle Pfeiffer - Batman Returns (1992)
It took more than twenty years for Catwoman to return and Tim Burton made sure she came with a bang for his Batman sequel. Unlike the Catwomen from the 60s, Burton turns Selina Kyle into the main focus for the character giving her a unique origin story that, despite being a stark departure from the comics, makes for an altogether better movie.
Pfeiffer is who most people associate with Catwoman and her captivating performance in a very distinct and notoriously uncomfortable costume made fans love her. Although The Batman might change that, to this day this remains the biggest showcase for Catwoman as an individual character.
Halle Berry - Catwoman (2004)
There is not a whole lot to say about this one, with Halle Berry at the peak of her fame she collected a hefty $14m paycheck to star in Catwoman not as Selina Kyle but as Patience Phillips instead.
The movie is widely considered one of the worst films of all time, putting Berry in an unnecessarily skimpy outfit in the middle of some of the worst action sequences one could imagine.
While Berry has always been quite graceful when criticized for Catwoman, this one is probably best left untouched.
Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Hathaway is never referred to as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s Batman world, but her performance is as Selina as it gets in the grittier and more realistic Gotham and that’s all without donning a whip nor claws. She does get bleeding-edge tech cat ears, though even that subtle touch is not necessary due to the way Hathaway’s character is written and how she carries herself.
It’s almost as if this Selina was the fix for the previous films that barely featured Rachel as little more than a necessary damsel in distress. Hathaway is a big part of why The Dark Knight Rises final scene hits so hard, she makes audiences care about Selina.
Camren Bicondova - Gotham (2014-2018)
Even if Gotham mostly focuses on James Gordon as its protagonist, the dynamics of the relationship between a young Bruce and Selina are just too fun and often sweet to watch. Perhaps it’s the effect of Hathaway in Dark Knight Rises that makes this character so much better since at times it appears like they’re actually the same person, only at different points of their lives.
Throughout its five seasons Gotham hits plenty of highs and lows, and regardless of that David Mazouz and Bicondova manage to be among the show’s most consistent aspects up until they each adopt their new identities. Bicondova gets replaced in the series finale by an older Lili Simmons, so while that may barely count, she helps bring the number of Catwomen to nine when counting Kravitz.