The Dark Knight Rises was Christopher Nolan’s grand conclusion to his Batman trilogy and while not the critical hit of The Dark Knight, it still has its fans. Many agree that Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, was a fine addition. The Oscar-winning actress proved herself in the role, playing Selina as constantly conniving and with more of a violent streak than in previous iterations.
It seemed it was a perfect fit for the actress. However, speaking to Josh Horowitz, Hathaway (who reunited with Nolan on the upcoming The Odyssey) revealed that she was convinced she wasn’t going to play Catwoman, given Michelle Pfeiffer had made the role so memorable in Batman Returns. Instead, she assumed she was going for Harley Quinn.
"Here's the thing that worked in my favor: she's a chameleon. So, I knew I was auditioning for — I was meeting with Chris for the female role in the Batman trilogy, the next installment. I thought that I'd gamed it out, because I was just like, 'It can't be Catwoman because Michelle Pfeiffer was so iconic... [Gasp] It's going to be Harley Quinn!'"
Nolan is infamous for being secretive when casting roles in his films and often going against fan expectations. Thus, it’s logical that Hathaway would believe, rather than an obvious choice of Catwoman, Nolan would go for Harley. It would also fit, as there are rumors the Joker would have had a role in the film, only for Heath Ledger’s death to obviously ruin that. Having Harley in a similar role could have been a solution.
Hathaway continued by saying she went into the audition prepared to play Harley after spending a week prepping.
“So, I spent a week developing demonic Harley Quinn energy. I was wearing weird Jester flats and a striped top. And then, about two hours into our conversation, Chris is like, 'So, the part's Catwoman,' and I was like, 'Transform!'"
Perfectly in keeping with Selina, Hathaway adapted to the twist with ease. “So, I just then decided that I was like, 'Well, this top is very sensual.' And I was going to be very... like a psychopath. I changed personalities like a psychopath.”
This was fitting for Hathaway’s portrayal of Selina, who likewise shifts from innocent to vixen in an instant. It’s interesting to imagine what Hathaway would have done with Harley, as Nolan’s version would have been different than Margot Robbie or Lady Gaga. She wouldn’t have been as wildly over the top but rather softer while still a sociopath playing mind games with the cops and Batman.
While Hathaway made a fantastic Catwoman, her as Harley is a fascinating “what if” for Batman fans.
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