Selina Kyle (Batman Returns)
Meek secretary turned vengeful cat-themed vigilante.
Michelle Pfeiffer played Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, in Tim Burton's 1992 film *Batman Returns*. The character starts out as a timid secretary for the corrupt industrialist Max Shreck. After she discovers Shreck's scheme to steal electricity from Gotham, he throws her out a window. She survives the fall and, driven by a psychotic break, creates a leather cat costume and becomes the vengeful vigilante Catwoman, targeting Shreck. This brings her into conflict with Batman, and she briefly allies with the Penguin. Unaware that Bruce Wayne is Batman, she begins dating him; they later learn each other's identities. In the climax, Catwoman kills Shreck with a taser hidden in her mouth during a kiss, then disappears. Pfeiffer's performance was widely praised and is often considered the definitive portrayal of the character, though she found the costume uncomfortable to wear.
Selina works as Shreck's overworked secretary, with little company besides her cat, Miss Kitty, and endures sexual harassment from Shreck's son, Chip. After uncovering Shreck's power plant scheme, she returns to the office and is confronted by Shreck, who pushes her out a window. Fabric canopies break her fall, and alley cats revive her. She then crafts her Catwoman costume and robs Shreck's department stores. She allies with the Penguin but rejects his advances, leading him to try to kill her. She and Bruce Wayne begin a relationship, eventually discovering each other's secrets. At the film's end, Shreck shoots her multiple times, but she kills him with the taser kiss while holding a live power cable. An explosion leaves only Shreck's body; later, Catwoman watches the Bat-Signal from afar.
In other media, her photograph appears in the 2004 film *Catwoman*. The "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover establishes the *Batman Returns* universe as "Earth-89," where a newspaper article reveals she later became publicly engaged to Bruce Wayne. The *Birds of Prey* TV series depicts her as the mother of Helena Kyle, the Huntress, with Keaton's Batman as the father. She appears in the sequel comic *Batman '89* and its follow-up *Batman 89: Echoes*, reuniting with Bruce to fight Two-Face. The 2024 novel *Batman: Resurrection* reveals she encountered the Joker between the first two films and was traumatized, barricading herself when a disguised imposter appeared.
- portrayed_by
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- film
- Batman Returns (1992)
- based_on
- DC Comics character Catwoman
- occupation
- Secretary and assistant to Max Shreck; later vigilante/burglar
- known_for
- Portrayal of Catwoman considered the greatest of all time by critics and fans
Quick Facts
- Series
- Burton's Batman
- First
- Batman Returns (1992)
- Based On
- Catwoman · Bill Finger · Bob Kane
- Adapted By
- Tim Burton / Daniel Waters / Wesley Strick
- Portrayer
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Voice
- Clara Emanuel (Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight)
- Full Name
- Selina Kyle
- Significant Other
- Bruce Wayne / Batman
- Gender
- Female
- Species
- Human
- Family
- Unnamed mother
- Franchise
- Batman
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Selina Kyle is the meek, much-abused assistant and secretary of wealthy industrialist Max Shreck. Her job is so demanding that her only companionship is her cat, Miss Kitty, and she is regularly sexually harassed by Shreck's son, Chip. After inadvertently uncovering Shreck's plot to build a power plant that would siphon electricity from Gotham City, Shreck pushes her out of a window. She survives thanks to fabric canopies breaking her fall and is awakened by alley cats. Returning home, she suffers a psychotic breakdown and vows to destroy Shreck, crafting a leather cat costume and robbing his department stores as Catwoman.
She allies with the Penguin, which attracts Batman's attention. When she rejects the Penguin's sexual advances, he tries unsuccessfully to kill her.
Reader's Guide
Michelle Pfeiffer's performance as Selina Kyle/Catwoman received universal acclaim and is consistently referred to as the greatest portrayal of Catwoman of all time by critics and fans. She is also considered one of the best villains in the Batman film franchise, ranking #2 in lists by The Ringer and The Mary Sue, and first place by Variety. Pfeiffer regarded the role as one of her most uncomfortable due to the inhibitions she suffered while wearing the costume during filming. More than 60 latex catsuits were created for the six-month shoot at $1,000 each, and Pfeiffer had to be covered in talcum powder to squeeze into the costume, wearing it for 12 to 14 hours at a time. Her interpretation was specifically influenced by the graphic novel Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper and derives heavily from the Pre-Crisis version of the character. The character has appeared in subsequent media, including the sequel comic Batman '89 and the novel Batman: Resurrection, and in the Arrowverse crossover 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' the setting of Batman Returns is established as Earth-89.
Did You Know?
- Pfeiffer undertook kickboxing lessons for the role and trained for months with a whip expert; on the first day she accidentally cut her teacher's chin.
- More than 60 latex catsuits were created for the six-month shoot at $1,000 each, and Pfeiffer had to be covered in talcum powder to squeeze into the costume.
- The final shot of Catwoman watching from afar was added two weeks before release after test screenings responded positively to Pfeiffer's performance.
- Sean Young, originally chosen for Vicki Vale in the previous Batman film, visited production offices dressed in a homemade Catwoman costume demanding to be considered for the role.
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