While the 1992 film Batman Returns starring Michael Keaton in the titular role provided audiences with one of the most iconic versions of Selina Kyle ever portrayed on the big screen, the project almost went in a completely different direction. Apparently, Keaton didn’t want Michelle Pfeiffer to play the role of Catwoman in the sequel because the two performers used to be involved in a romantic relationship before production began on the movie. While Batman’s love life has always been complicated in the comics, the history between two of the main cast members from the sequel had a larger story to tell.
Tim Burton Returned To Direct and Needed a Catwoman
After the massive success the original Batman movie saw in the summer of 1989, it was clear that Warner Bros. wasn’t going to be done with the intellectual property any time soon. Tim Burton agreed to come back to direct a sequel to his superhero blockbuster, and it was decided that new characters from the Caped Crusader’s long history in the comic books had to be thrown into the mix. The idea behind a romance between Batman and another vigilante was too good to resist, and a wide search for the new Selina Kyle quickly began, in what would define the future of the franchise.
Since the studio needed someone who could rival Batman’s ability to take down villains while retaining a personality that could be as strong as Bruce Wayne’s, a very capable actress had to be selected for the part. Gone were the days when Superman introduced a love interest that was conventional and ready to just be left behind while the protagonist saved the day. Catwoman could even be considered one of the greatest foes from the Dark Knight’s Rogues Gallery, merely based on how many times she has earned the hero’s trust before breaking his heart and impacting the safety of Gotham City.
It was decided that Danny DeVito would portray the main villain of the movie when he stepped into the shoes of Oswald Cobblepot, better known as the Penguin. But with the role of Catwoman yet to be cast, it became increasingly clear that Michelle Pfeiffer was the right person for the role of Selina Kyle. However, things wouldn’t turn out to be as easy as originally planned, with the main star of the film displeased with the studio’s choice to portray his love interest.
Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer Used To Be in a Relationship
Apparently, this version of Batman and Catwoman had already met and fallen for each other in real life, and it wasn’t the outcome the studio could’ve hoped for. Keaton and Pfeiffer were involved in a romantic relationship way before the second movie in the series was planned, and while they split on amicable terms, it could’ve still been an uncomfortable situation for Keaton to get himself involved in a story where his love interest was played by someone from his past. But with Pfeiffer being the right person for the role, coming from a list that included Madonna and Nicole Kidman as major contenders, it was clear that there was nothing left to do, and that Batman Returns would make two heroes fall in love played by actors who used to be together in real life. “To put a little fly in the ointment, Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer had previously dated and broken up,” says actor Robert Wuhl. “At the time, Michael told me he was trying to get back with his ex-wife. Keaton was firmly, and underline firmly, against that casting of Pfeiffer” and that he and producer Jon Peters “got into it.”
The stage was set for the return of Bruce Wayne, and if his first adventure had taught him anything, it was to expect the unexpected when it came to the costumed people he met while trying to protect Gotham City from falling into a reign of terror. Batman Returns featured intimate banter between Batman and Catwoman that worked so well due to Keaton and Pfeiffer’s chemistry, which has another whole meaning to it knowing the pair dated in real life. It isn’t easy to step into the set of a major blockbuster, especially when someone had fought as hard as Pfeiffer did while looking to be cast as Catwoman. Batman had never met a love interest who was capable of doing what he did when jumping from rooftop to rooftop in Gotham City, but he had finally met his match when Selina Kyle walked into his life. The hardest problem for Wayne moving forward was keeping an eye on Catwoman while trying to stop the Penguin from also going deeper into a life of crime.
Zoë Kravitz Is the Latest Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
The legacy of what the characters established in Burton’s sequel is alive and well, with Matt Reeves’ recent The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, and Paul Dano putting Batman and Catwoman’s dynamic at the center. It was time for a new kind of romance to fill the air. Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is merely trying to save her best friend from the criminals of Gotham when she meets Batman for the first time. As it usually goes when these two characters meet each other in any version of the DC Universe, they fight each other at first, before realizing that they have more in common than they originally thought. By sharing information with each other, they managed to get to the bottom of the mystery behind Gotham’s corruption, even if it meant Wayne would have to pay a heavy price.
The new adaptation of the timeless hero turned out to be extremely successful, gathering over $700 million at the worldwide box office. This makes it no surprise, then, that a sequel was announced with Robert Pattinson set to reprise his role as the iconic Batman. While Batman and Catwoman took different paths at the conclusion of the first movie, many things were left open-ended and unsaid, and will hopefully be reunited by the time the second installment makes its way to the big screen.
The Big Picture
- Batman Returns almost had a different Catwoman due to Michael Keaton’s discomfort with Michelle Pfeiffer playing his love interest onscreen.
- The studio needed a strong actress to rival Batman’s abilities, and Michelle Pfeiffer was ultimately cast as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
- The chemistry between Pfeiffer and Keaton, who had previously dated in real life, added depth to their characters’ relationship in Batman Returns.
