The Batman may have been out for a few months, but internet darling Zoe Kravitz's portrayal of Catwoman is still making waves in the DCEU community. Her performance as the female anti-hero was hailed in the movie by almost everybody, but when news of her previous attempts to try out for the role and failing because she was "too urban" arose, fans liked her Catwoman a whole lot more.
The mantle of Batman's lover and nemesis has been occupied by several other talented actors before Kravitz, all with unique costuming and traits that have become their signature. This time around too, the Catsuit was distinctive, less femme fatale, and more badass than it has ever been. These are the hidden details fans may have missed on the first watch.
One of Zoe Kravitz's signatures in the movie was her very tall, shiny, laced-up leather boots with towering heels, which she wore while she worked at the club as Selina. Many fans thought that those eye-catching boots made it to her other avatar too, but that was not the case.
She switched out too much more practical, platform-heeled boots which were in a matte finish and blended with the rest of her bodysuit when she moonlighted as Catwoman. This was a big change from the ankle-breakers that the character is known to wear otherwise.
From Julie Newmar to Anne Hathaway, their Catwoman roles have had very pristine looking suits. The materials are seamless, often textured, but show almost zero visible signs of wear and tear, even during strenuous fights and tussles.
In The Batman, Kravitz's costume was given a more rugged feel, with several slashes on her shoulders that had been sewn up with large, obvious stitches (like Pfeiffer's). While being realistic, this was also a great stylistic choice that depicted what Catwoman goes through.
Another very realistic and rustic element in the new costume was the mask. In all the variants of Catwoman, there is a mask and ears of some sort, and most are quite hard and rigid. They seem plastered to the face and a lot tougher to remove, whereas Kravitz's resembled a wooly hat that one could tear off easily.
Besides being a lot more faithful to real-life (a newly minted vigilante would perhaps tinker an outfit like this together) it also had the most subtle cat ears, which would be missed at first glance. The subtle homage to her love for cats was pretty cool.
Nothing gets more iconic than Catwoman's claws, and they are featured in some of her most iconic scenes. There have been different variations of the talons that the anti-heroine sports, like Michelle Pfeiffer's retractable ones, but Zoe Kravitz got cool nails that she kept long and sharp all the time.
Her nails were not something that only came out during her stints as Catwoman, but a stylistic element that she kept around in her day job (so to speak) as well. They were lethal weapons, and it was nice to see them naturally incorporated into her persona.
Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Eartha Kitt's portrayals of the formidable feline have featured patent leather heavily in their outfits, again lending to the femme fatale look and vibe of the character. Kravitz's costume is pretty matte and textured at first, but it has some subtle but amazing patent leather details that look sharp.
The closed collar and belted waist of the Catsuit have that glint of shiny black that fans love to see on Catwoman. The type of styling and elements on this suit show a great evolution in how to keep it subtle but sleek for Selina Kyle.
Halle Berry's Catwoman was a bad superhero movie, but her costume was a unique one, to say the least. Moreover, her suit was the last one that leaned heavily on buckles and straps, mainly because there was just less of it.
In an unintentional homage to the previous Catwoman, the new one had lots of buckles incorporated in her outfit, albeit differently. Her belt had a large, oblong buckle, as did the neckline of Kravitz's suit. It seemed like there were none, but there were quite a few big buckles expertly blended in there. A large silver zipper also zipped up to her neck.
Pfeiffer, Hathaway, and Berry leaned into the red lip, cat ear vibe greatly, but Kravitz's face as Catwoman took inspiration from the early versions of Newmar, Meriwether, and Kitt with a nude lip and subtle makeup to concentrate on her stealth and abilities.
Other Catwoman versions had interesting eye makeup, but Kravitz is the only one who sported a true cat eye with her costume, which makes sense considering it is very much in trend right now. Her makeup contributed hugely to her avatar as Catwoman versus Selina Kyle.
Not only were Kravitz's claws a big part of her costume but they were accommodated fantastically too. Fans would have to carefully observe her hands — she wears gloves that are slightly longer, molded, and carved into the shape of her nails.
The leather above the nails is also shinier than the rest, worn to a shiny patina by extended use, most likely. This is a detail very few fans would have noticed while watching the movie.
As her name suggests, the superheroine has very feline characteristics which are reflected in her costume. Except for Gotham's Camren Bicondova, all the outfits were quite skin-tight and sexual. The former is true for Zoe Kravitz, but her suit is more motorbike gear-inspired.
The paneled leather, the wrap collar, and the seamless boots add to the sporty look and feel of the suit. Zoe got different, more evolved Catwoman.
It wasn't as obvious in the movie, but the whip was part of Zoe Kravitz's suit in The Batman. It was weathered and quite formidable looking. Catwoman is known to use her whip because it's a weapon that requires skill and can't be turned on her, which fits Kravitz's persona well.
She didn't use it much in the movie, and fans would have wanted her to weaponize it more. At least they got the whip in her suit in the first place!
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