WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Batman, now in theaters.
Batman has always had a colorful list of heroes and villains with whom he's crossed paths, but none have left him with a deeper emotional connection than Catwoman. Initially introduced as a villain, she has since become a staple ally and anti-hero in the DC Universe, where she's aided the Bat-family and also double-crossed them on more than one occasion. Since she appeared, she's also played a significant role in Hollywood in live-action and animated Batman properties. Over the many iterations, her biggest impact has arguably been in films. But of the various actors to don the ears, which one could be called the best?
Lee Meriwether Was Deceptive but Lacked Character Development
1966's Batman: The Movie took all of the camp and fun from the original television series and brought it to the big screen. The film saw the Dynamic Duo take on Penguin, The Riddler, Joker and Catwoman as they tried to take Bruce Wayne and the UN hostage. Lee Meriwether donned the ears not as Selina Kyle but as a new character named Kitka. She was perfect in the art of deception, even romancing and tricking Bruce Wayne into being taken captive. However, with such a stacked cast, her characterization lacked any depth. Because of this, she was nothing more than another costumed bad guy, but even still, she managed to maintain all of the qualities that make up Catwoman.
Michelle Pfeiffer Was Motivated but Wasn't Much of a Thief
Batman Returns introduced a very different Selina Kyle to live-action. Rather than a traditional cat burglar, Selina Kyle was a woman that was constantly belittled by a shady businessman who couldn't care less about her. When he attempted to murder her, she was resurrected as a supernatural being full of rage and nine lives she devoted solely to revenge over her death and justice for those whose power was taken from them. Michelle Pfeiffer's motivations as Catwoman defined every iteration since, with a small cost being that she wasn't much of the thief that has been presented in comics and other forms of media.
Halle Berry Had the Mannerisms but Was a Major Character Departure
Catwoman chose to depart from the story of Selina Kyle and instead cast Halle Berry as Patience Phillips. Like Selina from Batman Returns, Patience was timid and didn't speak her mind. But after being brought back from the dead, she gained newfound confidence and fought to bring down the people that ordered her death. This version captured the essence of the many live-action iterations before her and even showed her as a thief, much like in the comics. However, the story structure and narrative were so much of a departure that many fans haven't warmed up to the film, making her edition an outlier among the others.
Anne Hathaway Had the Essence but Suffered From the Film's Realism
Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is best known for its villains and highly grounded realism, making Batman's world feel more tangible than ever. The Dark Knight Rises is no exception. This can also be seen with Anne Hathaway's portrayal of Selina Kyle. For starters, she is shown heavily as a thief, even trying to steal from Wayne Manor early in the film. However, the movie also showcases her internal struggle to be a better person while also succumbing to her urge to kill or be killed. On paper, she had all of the makings to be the ideal Catwoman, but the franchise's ties to realism made her less of a cat and more of a highly-skilled thief who stole for fun rather than survival.
Zoë Kravitz Balances All Character Elements but Her Origin Is Unfocused
In The Batman, Zoë Kravitz's take on Selina is another fascinating character exploration. All of the character elements that make up the character are evident in the film right off the bat. From her feminine wiles to get information to her cold-blooded violent streak, the many sides of Catwoman are on full display. That said, she hasn't embraced the title of Catwoman yet in this universe. As a result, she leaves the film with fans wanting more and eagerly awaiting her full embrace of the Catwoman name, which is admittedly impressive for Kravitz's first outing as the character.
Winner: Kravitz Masters All Aspects of Catwoman While Promising Even More
Each iteration of Catwoman brought something to the table that made them stand out. However, when Kravitz snuck onto the scene, she showed that she could balance the best parts of what came before with the character who has been a mainstay in the comics for decades. But what Reeves' film helped establish was that all of these qualities existed in Selina before she took on the name Catwoman. In doing so, her appearance and departure from the film tease that when she returns, her character will be more developed and promise even more classic yet new moments with the anti-hero. Therefore, Kravitz is the best Catwoman because she takes what worked from the past and leaves a promise for the future.
To see Kravitz's first outing as Catwoman, The Batman is currently playing in theaters.