Catwoman could be a key character to the story of Matt Reeves' The Batman. Reeves' movie will introduce audiences to a new and very different Dark Knight in Robert Pattinson's Batman. Indeed, Pattinson's Batman persona, seen in the trailers for the film, show him as a loose canon with a lot of suppressed rage that he's now venting on Gotham City's criminals.
Granted, an angry Batman certainly isn't new since it was an essential element of both Christian Bale and Ben Affleck's versions of the Caped Crusader. Still, Pattinson's Batman seems to be on a different wavelength of rage, particularly with the intellectual challenges posed by the Riddler (Paul Dano). This could also be what makes Selina Kyle's role in the story so important.
The trailers indicate Kravitz' Catwoman in The Batman is unique. The character appears to be blending elements of past Selina Kyles, but is also the opposite of Pattinson's Batman in not just what their goals are, but how they operate. By having Selina in this film, she could actually show Batman the vigilante way like no other version of Catwoman ever has before. Here's why Catwoman could be essential to the story of The Batman.
Bruce Wayne Is Still Relatively New To Being Batman
While not an origin movie in the vein of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, next to the introductions of past versions of Batman, Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader in The Batman is still a comparatively inexperienced vigilante. Both trailers also show Pattinson's Batman as being quick to anger, and with the Riddler seemingly two steps ahead of him at all times, he's already facing his most challenging enemy ever as the World's Greatest Detective.
Additionally, Pattinson's suit, itself quite the departure from the kind of cowls his predecessors have donned, also hints to him being relatively new to the job. Compared to previous big-screen Batsuits, Pattinson's looks more like a work in progress. Though it's shown able to stand up to machine gunfire from the torso up, the suit still has the appearance of one that's being tweaked and adjusted as he adapts to the challenges of properly protecting himself while fighting criminals. While Bruce Wayne might still be on a learning curve as Batman, Selina Kyle is another story.
Selina Shows Bruce How To Craft A Vigilante Identity (But Not To Become A Thief)
In the trailers for The Batman, Selina Kyle seems to be much more in her element as a cat burglar than Bruce Wayne is as a crime fighter, but there are also indications that The Batman could (and even should) go further than the usual Batman-Catwoman romance. One quick snippet in the first trailer shows Selina holding her own against Batman in a fight scene, while the second trailer goes a bit more into their relationship. Compared to the much more short-tempered Bruce, Selina seems far more cool and level-headed, and that could be central to her role in The Batman and how her relationship with Bruce unfolds.
With Selina navigating criminal life with a masked identity as well as she is, she actually displays to Bruce how to lead a double life. While he's not intending to head down the same path as Selina in becoming a thief, the fact that she's apparently so much better at balancing both lives suggests Catwoman will be a key figure in Batman's attempts to stop to the Riddler's plot. For Batman, Catwoman's goals might not align with his, but her methods are undeniably effective. At the same time, the relationship between Batman and Catwoman has always been a complex one.
Catwoman Gives Batman A Nuanced Outlook On Criminals
Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's romance is well-known in DC lore, and the trailers for The Batman show it starting to develop between them. However, The Batman might also have a different angle in mind for that, and just as importantly, the impact that this has on Bruce Wayne's perspective on criminals. Though Selina Kyle's evolved into an anti-heroine from the villainess she began as, she's still very much a thief, and the fact that Pattinson's Batman will meet Kravitz' Catwoman at the stage that he does could mean a lot for his arc in the film.
With Bruce having such a quick temper and appearing to employ less stealth and more fists, Pattinson's Batman might inch towards using lethal force. His relationship with Selina as a criminal herself could be what tempers his anger, and not just for their romance. Selina, in setting an example to Bruce of how to live a vigilante life in the shadows, could also give him a more grey view of criminals than what he starts out with. The Riddler and even the Penguin (Colin Farrell) represent mere enemies to be stopped, along with the many henchmen Batman beats up — but having a direct relationship with Catwoman can give Bruce a more humanized perspective on Gotham's criminals. In doing so, Catwoman could be how the rookie Batman learns to harness his rage and direct it in the most effective ways to fight crime.
Catwoman has never been seen in the introductory film of any previous cinematic Batman, and having her appear alongside the Dark Knight in the debut of Pattinson's version might actually have more importance to the story than the marketing has thus far indicated. Pattinson's Batman is clearly working out some internal issues and struggling more than previous portrayals of Batman have. At the same time, Catwoman's always been one of the most important characters in any previous Batman movie she's appeared in: her murky morality contrasts Bruce Wayne's own in both Batman Returns and The Dark Knight Rises. However, The Batman might actually position Catwoman to explain Riddler's plan in The Batman, making her a significant character to the origin story in a way that she's never been before.
