Tim Burtonchanged the cinematic game with his Batman films;Batmanwas one of the first comic book adaptions to become a bona fide blockbuster long before capes and cowls became a fixture in movie theaters, andBatman Returnsfeatured compelling antagonists in the form ofDanny DeVito’s Penguin andMichelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. In the latter case,Pfeiffer was able to exude a sinister yet alluring vibethat put her at odds withMichael Keaton’s Batman…and also drew the Dark Knight to her like a moth to the flame. It’s no surprise that a spin-off was considered, andBatman ReturnsscreenwriterDaniel Watershad a pitch that would have been way ahead of its time.
During a screening ofBatman Returnslast year, Waters was in attendance andrevealed his pitch for aCatwomanspin-offthat would have servedas a metaphor for her relationship with Batman. “I wanted to make a ‘Batman’ movie where the metaphor was aboutBatman. So, I had her move to a Los Angeles version of Gotham City, and it’s run by three asshole superheroes… wasThe BoysbeforeThe Boys,“Waters said. It was a great idea in theory, but the execution ran into plenty of obstacles.
Batman Returns
While Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.
What Was the Plot of the ‘Catwoman’ Spin-Off?
Waters’Catwomanscript found Selina Kyle living in the city of Oasisburg, amnesiac after seemingly killing herself and Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) during the climax ofBatman Returns. Oasisburg, much like any other major city in the DC Universe, had its own superhero team called the Cult of Good; in addition to stopping bank robberies, they’re also bona fide celebrities. But when Selina discovers that the Cult of Good is actually setting up the crimes they stop, she winds up regaining her memories and donning her Catwoman suit to stop them. Waters brought a satirical edge to his work onBatmanandBatman Returns, and that edge is prominentthroughout hisCatwomanscript. Oasisberg is a “crazed amalgamation of LA-Vegas-Palm Springs-Disneyland,” the Cult of Good’s leader is named “Captain God” (yes, really) and a scene where most of Oasisberg’s female inhabitants are inspired by Selina to don their own Catwoman suits flies off the rails – turning into a literal cat fight.
Eiza Gonzalez Was Very Nearly Robert Pattinson’s Catwoman in ‘The Batman’
“That whole process was shocking and I couldn’t believe it.”
Waters even got his wish to put a spin on certain aspects of the Batman mythos, specifically Batman and Catwoman’s long and complicated relationship.Selina winds up having two love interests over the course of the movie:the dashing billionaire Brock Leviathan and ace reporter Lewis Lane (no relation to Lois). But in a major twist, Selina doesn’t pick either of them. She also refuses to play the standard heroic role, outright scoffing when Oasisberg builds a statue of her and an actual Cat-Signal. “I did not want the fame or the glory or the city’s keys,” she says in a biting line of dialogue that only Michelle Pfeiffer could deliver.
‘Batman Forever’ Led to the ‘Catwoman’ Spin-Off Being Axed – and Redeveloped Into the 2004 Version
As Waters was working on theCatwomanscript, Warner Bros. was scrambling to take the Batman franchise in a new direction following the mixed reception toBatman Returns. They ended up withBatman Forever, which took a zanier approach to Gotham City courtesy ofJoel Schumacher. Waters even lampshaded the change in direction during an interview withBatmanOnline.com. “Of course, turning it in the dayBatman Foreveropened may not have been my best logistical move, in that it’s the celebration of the fun-for-the-whole-family Batman andCatwomanis definitely not a fun-for-the-whole-family script.” Burton also had a different vision for the film – he wanted to make a black and white version with Selina in a small town.TheCatwomanspin-off then landed in development hell once Burton & Pfieffer left, but it took on a new life with 2004’sCatwomanstarringHalle Berry.
Ironically, theCatwomanfilmwas the result of two other films being sent to development hell:aBatman Versus Supermanfilmthat was slated for 2004, and a potential spin-off fromDie Another Daythat would have focused on Berry’s Jinx. Berry even beat outAshley JuddandNicole Kidmanfor the lead, butCatwomanturned out to be a critical and commercial failure. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though; Berry had a successful superhero franchise in theX-Menmovies, and Catwoman played a prominent role in other Batman movies thanks toAnne HathawayandZoe Kravitz.
‘The Boys’ and Other Superhero Satires Have Taken Off in Recent Years
TheCatwomanscript didn’t make it to the silver screen, but that didn’t mean that superhero satires weren’t viable.The superhero genre’s had a number of spoofs over the years, starting withMystery Menin 1999.James Gunnexcels in delivering these types of stories, and even giving them some heart -–seeThe Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Guardians of the Galaxyand even his earlier work inThe SpecialsandSuper.M.O.D.O.K., though it was sadly short-lived, features its titular villain (Patton Oswalt) trying to balance family life with world domination. And of course there’sThe Boys; making its debut in 2019 (and on the week after San-Diego Comic-Con no less!), it served as a funhouse mirror to the epic thrills of previous superhero stories.
TheHarley Quinnanimated series is another great series that pokes fun at the world of superheroes and supervillains –and it even features Catwoman in a supporting role!This time, the feline fatale is voiced bySaana Lathan, and her caustic dialogue is almost on par with Pfeiffer’s. Given howHarley Quinnis popular enough to survive a multitude of regime changes at Warner Bros – and even get its own spin-off withKite Man: Hell Yeah!– it raises the question whether Waters would have been able to sell hisCatwomanidea in the modern day.
Batman Returnsis currently available to stream on Max in the U.S.
