From the imagination of Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the character of Catwoman made her first noticeable appearance in the comic book Batman # 1, published in 1946. Under her tight black costume and her cat mask, hides Selina Kyle, a former delinquent teen turned enemy of Batman, with whom she loves to play cat-and-mouse. Her character has also been an environmental secretary, a prostitute murdered by her pimp, and a burglar - the personality of Catwoman has been shaped over the ages by many writer's interpretations, but she often embodies an abused woman who must die in order to reinvent herself and take revenge. The heroine will make her big return to the screens in 2022 in The Batman played by Zoë Kravitz. Vogue looks back at the actresses who have donned this complex character's latex suit in the past.
Julie Newmar in the “Batman” series (1966-1967)
The first Catwoman in history was played by American actress and pin-up girl Julie Newmar. Her cat ears were actually screwed onto her head, with a tight-fitting costume covered in sequins, heavy eyeliner, and a 60's hairstyle. The actress takes over on the small screen with a mischievous portrayal of the comic heroine who excels in the art of titillating Batman and his teammate Robin.
Lee Meriwether in“Batman” (1966)
Julie Newmar, having been warned too late and already under contract for another project, had to pass her catsuit onto actress Lee Meriwether for Leslie H. Martinson's rendition of Batman. Equipped with the same lurex costume, the Catwoman in the film is just as charismatic. United with the Joker, the Penguin, and the Sphinx, the Cat Woman sequesters a researcher who has found a process allowing him to dehydrate human bodies to the state of powder.
Eartha Kitt in the “Batman” series (1967-1968)
After the departure of Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt appears in the third and final season of the Batman series, for which she plays the rebellious heroine in a more bitter and dramatic version than her former colleagues. In her acting, the actress draws from her daily life as a dancer, cabaret singer, and muse of Orson Welles, whom he would even qualify as the “most exciting woman in the world”. The young girl with an unhappy childhood ultimately experienced international success, becoming an international star for her role in films such as C'est si Bon and Santa Baby. She was also the first African-American actress to play the character of Catwoman, and Zoë Kravitz will follow in her footsteps in The Batman.
Michelle Pfeiffer in "Batman Returns" (1992)
In Batman Returns, released in 1992, Michelle Pfeiffer dons the latex catsuit with seams, where Catwoman has returned from the dead thanks to alley cats. Feline, mischievous and terribly sexy, the American actress wields the whip and spreads it like no one else, so much so that she is named the most desirable woman in a film at the MTV Movie Awards that year. It must be said that Tim Burton's Catwoman enjoys an assumed SM aesthetic, which Halle Berry also took on 10 years later.
Halle Berry in “Catwoman” (2004)
Wobbly polt, ridiculous costume, outrageous kitsch… Pitof's Catwoman ticks all the boxes of a flop. A film destroyed by critics, even before its release, for which Halle Berry received the Razzie award for Worst Actress. Hilarious and full of self-mockery, the actress still came to collect her prize, with her Oscar, obtained two years earlier.
Anne Hathaway in “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises marks the end of Christian Bale wearing the Batman costume, the death of Marion Cotillard's character, and the elegant comeback of Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway. In the latest installment of Christopher Nolan's cult saga, the actress was chosen to wear the skin-tight jumpsuit and cat ears in The Dark Knight. A successful interpretation, after Halle Berry's Catwoman attempt.
Camren Bicondova in the series “Gotham” (2014-2018)
Launched in 2014, Gotham follows a young Bruce Wayne, who a few years earlier witnessed the murder of his parents on a dark street in Gotham. The whole series is about the investigation of Inspector James Gordon (Ben McKenzie), the only non-corrupt official in the tainted city, who also wants to find the perpetrator of this murder. We meet the many protagonists that will appear in the future for Batman, still in their young years, such as Selina Kyle, alias Catwoman, played by the American actress Camren Bicondova. The adult Catwoman is later be played by Lili Simmons in the series finale.
Zoë Kravitz in “The Batman” (2022)
What kind of Batman will Robert Pattinson be? We will have to wait until summer 2022 to find out. The actor, who has proven himself time and time again when it comes to playing dark and tortured characters, recently revealed in an interview with Variety that he was interested in the character's duality. The English actor may well be the audience's favorite new Batman. By his side, we will find Colin Farrell in the role of the penguin and Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. According to the first photos of the set taken in Liverpool, the new generation Cat Woman looks amazing. Draped in a black vinyl leather trench coat and ultra-sexy lace-up boots with a matching hat, the Catwoman played by the 31-year-old actress is undoubtedly the most fashionably dressed yet. We can't wait to see it!
Translated by Dawn Orlin
Read more on Vogue.fr:
Summer special: Zoë Kravitz in 6 inspiring looks
Batman: The 6 actors that brought the Caped Crusader to life
The Joker: 5 actors who brought the character to life
