The Batman: Zoe Kravitz Recalls Her Catwoman Audition

With DC FanDome just a matter of weeks away, the next look at The Batman is fast approaching, with a new trailer confirmed to be premiering at the virtual event. Fans are eager to see how this trailer will give new looks at the film’s star-studded cast, including Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle / Catwoman. In a recent interview with AnotherMag, Kravitz recounted the experience that led to her getting the part, as well as her approach to the beloved character.

“My agent called me and was like, ‘They’re making a Batman movie and there’s a Catwoman role. You’re on the list of actors they are looking at,’” Kravitz explained. “I think the first thing that happened was I went to LA and met with Matt Reeves, the director, who also wrote the script, and just talked to him. I read the script. Then he talked with me again to hear my thoughts, to see if we were on the same page. I didn’t know him well and it was a bit of a process. When these big opportunities come up, these big roles, and you really want them, it’s heartbreaking when you don’t get them. You put a lot of energy into it.”

“The thing that I tried to keep in check throughout, though, was just wanting to be agreeable and likeable to get the role,” Kravitz continued. “To read the script and say, ‘I love it. I love everything about it.’ Then I go to the audition and I have this puppy dog energy. It was important to give him an idea of what it’s really like to work with me. To say what I really think and, if we’re on set together, to ask the questions I want to ask. I tried to come at it from the angle where I am showing him what I see and feel about this character. I believe that’s why it happened and I got the role. Matt’s a fantastic director, and he’s really into talking about the character. We had some really good conversations. I had some thoughts about the character once I’d read the script too and they were welcomed.”

Kravitz has spoken in the past about her relationship with some of the previous actresses who played Catwoman, and as she said elsewhere in the interview, she had seen all of those existing movies — but didn’t let that solely influence her character.

“I’ve seen all the movies, yeah,” Kravitz continued. “I’ve read some of the comics now, but I wasn’t a comic head or anything. I also tried to think about it not as Catwoman, but as a woman, how does this make me feel? How are we approaching this and how are we making sure we’re not fetishising or creating a stereotype? I knew it needed to be a real person.”

The Batman will see Robert Pattinson bringing about an entirely new take on the character, with a cast that also includes Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Real, Barry Keoghan as Officer Stanley Merkel, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth.

The Batman is currently set to be released on March 4, 2022.