Catwoman
Selina Kyle is a character who has worn many hats since her initial introduction in Batman #1 (1940). Originally introduced as an adversary of Batman, she has gone through many changes and has progressed as a complex character in her own right. She ultimately changed her ways and became somewhat of an anti-heroine sometime in the early 1990’s The fact that she has just as many live-action portrayals as The Joker should say something about not only her popularity but also a testament as to who and what she is as a character.
Even though she will always be tied to Batman, that doesn’t mean that she can’t have a life and adventures of hero own and this is what I would like to see in a new Catwoman movie.
Feline Fatale
I just recently finally got around to reading Ed Brubaker‘s run on Catwoman (2002), and thoroughly enjoyed it for the most part. For anybody who has read anything by Ed Brubaker will know that he has quite the knack for getting into the heads of his characters and every single one of his books is purely character driven, and this one is no exception.
Most, in not all of his books, focus on some type of crime noir element in some way and this is what he chose to do with Selina Kyle when he agreed to take over the title. This series saw Selina Kyle being brought back down to the streets of the East End of Gotham City.
This book was pretty much flawless … except for one thing: editorial interference.
The first 24 issues of this series are flawless, but it feels like he might not have been able to accomplish what he intended to do with the character. Forcing him to drop his plans and accommodate with the upcoming “War Games” crossover. As great as this series was to read, there are a lot of loose ends left unresolved and it ultimately lacks a proper ending.
Protagonists
Kristen Stewart | Selina Kyle
The thought of casting Kristen Stewart as Selina Kyle is pretty much the main reason why I wanted to make this article in the first place and it has everything to do with Robert Pattinson portraying Bruce Wayne in The Batman (2022). The Twilight series became a little overrated, (I’ve seen the first one and enjoyed it), to ever have any interest in checking it out but it’s undeniable that these two went onto do different things in their careers. They both refused to allow Bella and Edward eclipse what they had set out to do as performers.
Kristen Stewart has been given a bit of a difficult time over the years because of her lack of facial expressions, making the equivalent of a blank sheet of paper, but that is exactly what this incarnation of Selina Kyle needs; a blank slate. The idea was to cast somebody who would be convincing enough to be able to blend in with Gotham’s underworld.
Lastly, one of the biggest things that makes Selina stand out from the majority of other female comic book characters is due to her complex nature. I’ll admit that I was never a huge fan of Kristen Stewart but I wanted to cast her because I feel she has this bit of a mysterious gaze that sets her apart from the other actresses born around the same time period, and she would be capable of pulling off a torn woman repressing a dark past.\
Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Samuel “Slam” Bradley
Slam Bradley is probably the major highlight of this series. That can mostly be credited to the ‘private eye’ character tropes, whish doesn’t get anywhere near the amount of love anymore. But it’s one that Ed Brubaker absolutely thrives on writing. Slam was initially hired to find Selina after her so-called death after the events of “No Man’s Land”. He and Selina would eventually team-up together and eventually become allies, helping each other try to clean up The East End. They would become lovers for a brief period in the series, (which might seem a little odd given the large age between the two actors). Regardless, I can’t think of anybody who would be able to better encompass the rugged, take-no-guff, worn out, won’t back down attitude of Slam than that of Jeffery Dean Morgan.
Sadie Sink | Holly Robinson
This was an easy one to cast, I’m sure everybody in the world first got introduced to Sadie Sink through Stranger Things, (and brought a lot to the main cast). Holly Robinson is a character who is somewhat similar to Selina in that she was a young woman who turned to prostitution in order to survive. However, Selina saved her from a life on the streets. In the comic book series, she is mainly used as a side character who is able to be used as an extra set of eyes and hears on the streets for Selina in her attempt to clean up Gotham’s East End.
Antagonist
Michael Fassbender | Black Mask
This might be considered type casting, but it goes without saying that Michael Fassbender as Magneto is one of the major highlights of the comic book boom in the 2010’s. He did such a great job in the X-Men movies that I wouldn’t mind seeing him take on another comic book villain role. Black Mask was only in one story arc of Ed Brubaker‘s series and it almost seemed as if he was being set up as the big bad but there were other plans for the character. Even though there were other villains in the series, establishing Black Mask as a foe for Catwoman would be beneficial to both characters.
Supporting
Diane Keaton | Dr. Leslie Thompkins
Leslie Thompkins appeared as a minor character throughout Ed Brubaker‘s run. She is a trusted ally of Bruce Wayne’s and her relevance in Gotham is the reason for her inclusion. She serves as a type of therapist and confidant for Selina to turn to when she needs somebody to lean on, as well as offers and provides her with the proper aid and medical help with and whatever the situation calls for. (Similar to that of The Night Nurse).
This is who I would cast in a live-action Catwoman movie if I were using the source material from Ed Brubaker‘s comic book run.