Catwoman star Halle Berry playfully says her oft-maligned DC Comics adaptation helped pave the way for another cat-themed superhero movie to claw up the box office: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Each story builds on the next,” Berry said during an appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards (via Decider).
“It’s like that old saying goes: behind every Black Panther is a great black Catwoman!”
“You know, I’ve gotten a really bad rap for this role, and I think Catwoman deserves another g—damn chance, don’t you?” Berry asked the audience, who cheered and applauded.
“I knew this room would understand,” a smiley Berry said.
Catwoman was mauled by critics and failed to make a scratch at the box office: the 2004 tale of artist Patience Philips (Berry) turned scantily-clad, tight leather-wearing rooftop prowler brought in just $82 million worldwide on a reported $100 million dollar budget.
Widely considered one of the worst comic book movies ever made, Catwoman uttered a weak meow compared to Black Panther’s tremendous roar: the groundbreaking Marvel Studios blockbuster has raked in over $1.3 billion worldwide since its mid-February release.
Berry, who had another superhero hit franchise on her hands in Fox’s X-Men series where she played weather-altering mutant Storm, has always taken Catwoman’s sinking in stride: she happily accepted a “Worst Actress” Razzie in 2005 for her work in the film.
“First of all I want to thank Warner Bros,” Berry said at the 2005 ceremony. “Thank you for putting me in a piece of s—t, god-awful movie!”
“I never in my life thought I would be up here winning a Razzie,” Berry told the audience with faux excitement.
“I mean, it’s not like I ever aspired to be here. But thank you!”
Berry, who brought her Academy Award along, then said: “No, I don’t have to give this back — it’s got my name on it!”
Black Panther recently crossed the $1.3 billion mark worldwide, entering the top ten highest grossing films of all time.
Stars Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke and Letitia Wright return in Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters April 27.
