Batman Returns actress Michelle Pfeiffer says that she's unlikely to return to her role as Catwoman in The Batman, but thinks that her Maleficent: Mistress of Evil co-star Elle Fanning could be "awesome" in the role. Pfeiffer played Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman in Tim Burton's 1992 DC movie, which had a particularly memorable transformation scene of Selina losing grip on her sanity and then creating her Catwoman costume. However, Pfeiffer's most recent comic book role was playing Janet Van Dyne, the original Wasp, in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The Batman will be directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and is expected to begin filming within the next few months. So far the only cast member that has been officially announced is Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman, but Jeffrey Wright and Jonah Hill are also reported to be in talks, and more concrete casting news is believed to be imminent. Among the main roles being cast in The Batman is that of Catwoman, who by turns has been Batman's ally, enemy, and lover in the comics, and was most recently played on the big screen by Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises.
Asked by Variety on the red carpet for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil whether she might play Catwoman again, Pfeiffer looked skeptical and said, "I would be surprised." However, when asked if she thought Fanning, who plays Princess Aurora in the Maleficent films, would be able to handle the role, she replied, "She would be awesome."
While those who are only familiar with the 21 year-old Fanning from her roles in family-friendly fare like Super 8, We Bought a Zoo, and Maleficent, the innocent-looking actress might seem like an unlikely choice to play the DC universe's sharp-tongued and seductive cat burglar. However, one of Fanning's most notable recent roles was in Nicolas Winding Refn's grisly arthouse thriller The Neon Demon, in which she played an aspiring model who succumbs to supernatural predation within the fashion industry. While it might not be what she's best known for, Fanning has proven she can handle a darker role.
Warner Bros. has done an impressive job of keeping casting news for The Batman under wraps, so for all we know Fanning could be in the running for the role. Mission: Impossible - Fallout star Vanessa Kirby was speculated to be in line for the role, but when asked about it on the red carpet this summer said it was the first she'd heard of it, adding, "I would love to be Catwoman. It would be a dream. I'd have to do lots of squats."
Source: Variety
