What influenced Zoë Kravitz's Catwoman in Matt Reeves' 'The Batman?' Exploring comic inspirations for the role of Selina Kyle

Catwoman is one of the primary characters of the Batman universe. High Fidelity star Zoe Kravitz will don the cat claws in Matt Reeve’s highly anticipated movie The Batman.

While the cat fans are excited to witness the newest version of the cat burglar, director Reeves revealed Zoe’s iteration of Catwoman was inspired by one of the classic Batman stories – Batman: Year One.

In a recent press conference, Matt Reeves talked about Zoe’s approach to the character. He said:

"There were images literally from the comic books that she was like, 'God, if we could do this moment.' There was stuff from Year One, and there was literally, 'Can we do this image?' I was like, 'Let me see if we can do this image,' and we would do that kind of stuff. There were certain things that are some of my favorite moments of lines in the movie, and they're yours."

---

Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One explores the origins of Catwoman

Selina Kyle made her first appearance in the caped crusader’s Batman #1. The feline-inspired hero has a rich history of more than eight decades. With great solo titles under her name like Catwoman: The Replacements and Catwoman: Anodyne, Frank Miller’s 1987 masterpiece Batman: Year One is the best origin story of the cat.

In year one, Miller provides a realistic take on the cat burglar. Selina Kyle is a prostitute working in Gotham's red-light district. Due to her own tragic upbringing, Selina has a particular fondness for strays. Her empathy for stray cats and child prostitute Holly Robinson makes Selina a lovable character.

Director Matt Reeves states that inspiration can be clearly witnessed in the film. He said:

"We were talking about this notion of the background that she comes from and what her life was, and that, in essence, because she was essentially an orphan as well, that she was a stray, and that she was collecting cats because now she's decided she's going to protect strays."

Comic book fans love it when their favorite characters are interpreted as per the literary sources. As of now, fans are delighted to hear that the makers are listening to them. According to Reeves, the film is inspired by Batman: The Long Halloween, a compelling detective story.

The two characters will make their big-screen appearance on March 4, 2022. With Robert Pattinson starring as Batman, Paul Dano as Riddler, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon.