Batman and Catwoman have one of the most fabled romances in comic book history but which actors portrayed it the best on-screen?
Batman has a rich history with all of his infamous villains but it’s his relationship with Catwoman that is the most complex. These two are destined to fight against each other – and alongside each other – for all of time, fighting their feelings for each other as they do so.
They are two sides of the same coin, and that makes their recurring romance one of the most compelling to read about. As far as comic book relationships go, Batman and Catwoman are right up there at the top, alongside Superman and Lois Lane, The Flash and Iris West, and Green Arrow and Black Canary. They are arguably the most iconic relationship to come out of the genre ever, so it should come as no surprise to learn that they have been adapted on-screen multiple times, too.
But which of those live-action interpretations had the best chemistry? Which ones stick in our memories as the very best? Let’s take a moment to look back at all of the screen pairings of the Bat and the Cat and rank them while we’re at it.
6. Adam West and Eartha Kitt
When Julie Newmar was unable to return as Catwoman in season 3 of the 1966 Batman TV series, the role was recast a second time. This time, legendary singer and actress Eartha Kitt stepped into the role, and to say she was a force on-screen would be an understatement.
She also had a great dynamic with Adam West, who played the Caped Crusader on the show, as the pair engaged in quite a few back-and-forths. The only downside here is that they shared far less screen-time than you might think. That’s partly due to the fact that Kitt only played the role in three episodes, but whenever she did appear, the show opted against leaning into the character’s history with Batman.
As a result, she spent most of her screentime teaming up with Cesar Romero’s Joker or launching an attack on Batgirl. That meant that we never truly got to see West and Kitt portray anywhere near as much of that legendary relationship as we would have liked.
Nevertheless, Eartha Kitt earned herself a place among the greatest Catwomen of all time – perhaps as the greatest. She was fiercer in the role than her counterparts and was the only one who could pull off that iconic purr. We just wish the show made more of her chemistry and dynamic with Batman.
5. Adam West and Lee Meriwether
When Batman: The Movie premiered in theaters in 1966, Julie Newmar was unable to reprise her role as Catwoman, so Lee Meriwether was cast as her replacement. But that wasn’t the only thing that was different. The movie is seemingly set in a different continuity than the series, as Batman does not recognize Catwoman when she isn’t wearing her mask.
Thus, a relationship ensues between Bruce Wayne and the mysterious Miss Kitka, who Catwoman is posing as. While their relationship isn’t exactly real, the chemistry between Adam West and Lee Merwiether was through the roof, as the pair’s romantic scenes were some of the best in the whole movie. As much chemistry as West had with the other actresses to play Catwoman, we never got to see the series pursue any kind of romantic arc for the pair (though it did tease it heavily with Newmar), so to see Bruce and pre-Selina Catwoman embark on a relationship – fake or not – was quite the monumental moment for the kooky world of the ’60s Batman.
Their kiss in Miss Kitka’s apartment, their romantic “reunion” in the villains’ lair, and the heartbreaking moment in which Batman sees Catwoman without her mask, realizing that he had been played this whole time; this was an absolutely thrilling watch for fans of the comic book couple, especially as the series often steered clear of developing a romance between them.
It wasn’t what it could have been, but as this Catwoman was colder than Newmar’s, it was a perfectly executed twist that also paid tribute to their comic book chemistry.
4. Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway
The Dark Knight Rises is the final installment in Christopher Nolan’s legendary Batman trilogy and it introduces Catwoman into the mix. Being that Nolan’s movies opted for a more “realistic” approach to its characters, she never took on the moniker of Catwoman in the film, as Selina was a veteran thief and cat burglar known as “The Cat”.
This was a Selina in need of a new life (she was literally chasing a device named the clean slate). She got an opportunity at that – and redemption – when she helped Bruce save Gotham, ultimately killing Bane to save his life. It was a pivotal moment for her as she had previously betrayed him to protect herself from Bane.
Though she never understood why Batman would work so tirelessly to protect people who would turn on him in an instant, she knew that letting the League of Shadows kill thousands of people was wrong. In the end, she got her new life, free from Gotham City with a retired Bruce. At last, Selina could stop running and even, dare we say it, find some happiness.
The chemistry between Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway was strong from the offset, as their constant back-and-forth bickering was a delight to watch on-screen. Their relationship could have done with a tad more development (there was a lot going on in The Dark Knight Rises) but that’s probably just because every time they were on-screen, we wanted more.
3. Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz
Talk about chemistry!
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz were tasked with bringing Batman and Catwoman’s complicated relationship back to the big screen in Matt Reeves’ recent hit The Batman and they understood the assignment. From the very first moment their eyes met from across the room in The Penguin’s office, their dynamic captivated audiences – and it did not stop for the remainder of the movie.
The pair’s partnership became the core of the movie after that, as Selina went undercover for Batman in the Iceberg Lounge to help him find out more about the city’s underworld and so that he could ultimately help her figure out what happened to her friend Annika. Their back-and-forth was amazing, as Selina would go rogue whenever she felt she had to, and was always able to hold her own. The movie did a wonderful job of highlighting their conflicting views and how that played into the complexity of their relationship.
This is the most we have ever seen Batman and Catwoman team up on-screen, but the tension between them made it a gripping watch. They weren’t a well-oiled machine, but they were a force to be reckoned with, as their relationship very much became the heart of the movie. And oh how we long to see them back together again in the sequel.
2. Adam West and Julie Newmar
When comic book fans think of their definitive Batman and Catwoman pairing, Adam West and Julie Newmar pops to mind for a lot of them. It’s for good reason too, as the pair produced what is easily the best portrayal of the pair’s iconic relationship that the 1966 TV and movie franchise tackled. Their chemistry was clear right from the very beginning, but it was only in its second season that the storyline really leaned into that.
Newmar’s Catwoman could be evil when she wanted to be, but there was a playfulness to her; almost as if she enjoyed putting Batman in deathly situations that she knew he would escape from. She wanted to ignore her feelings for him, but when it ultimately came to pulling the trigger, she couldn’t do it because she cared for him. Similarly, Batman struggled to be the upstanding protector of the law whenever it came to her. It was the perfect balance, and so in-line with who they were as characters.
The Batman TV series may have been campy but its writing was so intelligent. It knew what it was doing, and it struck gold with these two. West and Newmar were at their very best when on-screen together, and it makes us wish that they went all in on the romance at some point instead of just teasing it.
1. Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer
I said earlier that Batman and Catwoman are like two sides of the same coin. No adaptation captured that more perfectly than Batman Returns. The 1992 film featured Michael Keaton in the titular role, while Michelle Pfeiffer whipped her way onto screen in an equally as career-defining performance as Selina Kyle. It was magic whenever they were on-screen together.
Pfeiffer’s nuanced portrayal of Catwoman made her the perfect counterpart for Keaton’s Batman. The Dark Knight was a lone protector of a grim city full of monsters and outcasts and he was committed to protecting it. He tried having a relationship like a normal person, but that just wasn’t on the cards for him. When he crossed paths with Selina – a woman who also struggled with balance, duality and chaos – he had found an equal.
Here’s the incredible thing: This Catwoman wasn’t an antihero, she was a fully-fledged villain, hellbent on getting back at the society that kept casting her out (and for a time even trying to frame Batman). Her and Bruce were on opposite sides of the law, and yet they were incredibly attracted to each other; perhaps seeing the other as their way of finding true happiness.
Bruce and Selina, Batman and Catwoman; they were opposites and equals at the same time. As Batman himself said in the movie’s final act: “We’re the same”.
And that is the perfect representation of the Batman and Catwoman relationship. Keaton and Pfeiffer outdid themselves here.