Selina Kyle

Lore & Background

In this version of Gotham, Selina Kyle is a much-abused assistant whose only companion is her cat, Miss Kitty. She endures rude comments from Shreck's spoiled heir son, Chip, and works a thankless job until she discovers Shreck's corruption regarding a power plant. After being pushed out of an office window by Shreck, she survives the fall and is found by alley cats, which triggers a transformation into Catwoman. She crafts a leather cat costume and robs several of Shreck's department stores. Selina forms an alliance with the Penguin (Danny DeVito) to destroy Batman, though he later tries to kill her when she refuses to continue their alliance and threatens to expose him. Her relationship with Bruce Wayne develops simultaneously; they eventually discover each other's secret identities, creating tension between their romantic connection and their opposing missions.

In Their Own Story

Selina rushes to deliver a forgotten speech for Max Shreck during a Christmas gala invasion by the Red Triangle Circus Gang. She is attacked by a homicidal clown but saved by Batman (Michael Keaton), whom she had met earlier that day as Bruce Wayne. Back at the office, she uncovers Shreck's plot to hoard electricity and is pushed out of a window. Surviving on fabric canopies, she returns home, breaks down psychologically, and vows to destroy Shreck. She allies with the Penguin but rejects his advances, prompting him to attempt her murder. Meanwhile, she dates Bruce Wayne, unaware he is Batman. At the film's climax, Catwoman confronts Shreck, who shoots her multiple times. Badly wounded, she kills him by kissing him with a taser in her mouth while holding an exposed power cable, causing an explosion that leaves only his charred corpse. As the Bat-signal appears, Selina is seen watching from afar.

Reader's Guide

Michelle Pfeiffer's portrayal of Catwoman was heavily influenced by the graphic novel Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper and the Pre-Crisis version of the character. The costume, an all-black update of the traditional green catsuit, was designed by Tim Burton to resemble a stuffed cat with stitches coming apart at the seams. Over 60 latex suits were created for the six-month shoot at $1,000 each, painted with white silicone rubber to imitate stitches. Pfeiffer had to be covered in talcum powder to squeeze into the tight suit and could only use the bathroom during lunch breaks when it was removed. She trained for months with kickboxing coach Kathy Long (who served as her body double) to master the whip, accidentally cutting her teacher's chin on the first day. The performance received universal acclaim, often cited as the greatest portrayal of the character, though Pfeiffer found it uncomfortable due to the costume's inhibitions.

Did You Know?

• More than 60 latex catsuits were created for the film, each costing $1,000.
• The costume design was inspired by Tim Burton's vision of a stuffed cat with its stitches coming apart at the seams.
• Pfeiffer accidentally cut her kickboxing teacher's chin on the first day of training with the whip.
• Catwoman kills Max Shreck by kissing him while holding a live electrical cable she has bitten, with no stun gun involved.
• In the 2024 novel Batman: Resurrection, it is revealed that Vicki Vale and Alexander Knox once speculated Selina was Max Shreck's wife or mistress.