Superhero costumes don’t always translate well from the pages of comic books to the big screen, as they often are meant to be more fashionable than they are functional, but in the case of Zoe Kravitz‘s Catwoman costume in the upcoming The Batman, she recently expressed how happy she was with the ensemble. Throughout the history of Batman films especially, the outfits worn by characters have gone through a number of evolutions, with the Schumacher-era Batman Forever and Batman and Robin being rather rigid and garish, while Christopher Nolan’s films offered the character much more functionality than its predecessors, which appears to be a trend embraced by the new The Batman.
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“I think if this hadn’t happened it would have probably come out by now,” Kravitz shared with the Happy Sad Confused podcast of her costume. “I love it….Yes, the tone of this film very much feels like its own thing. It’s funny, I didn’t really think about how difficult it is to make something as simple as a catsuit original. It’s like, how do you invent the jean jacket? It’s jean, it’s a jacket. What do you do? But Jacqueline Durran, who’s our amazing costume designer, is just a genius.”
Catwoman had previously been seen in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, as played by Michelle Pfeiffer, with her outfit being tight, black vinyl that appeared stitched together. When Halle Berry took on the role for the solo 2004 film, her ensemble consisted of a leather bra, pants, gloves, and a mask, making for a laughably absurd outfit. Anne Hathaway gave audiences her take on the character for 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, which saw a leather bodysuit similar to what audiences saw in Batman Returns, though it felt like it was grounded in that film’s real-world aesthetic.
“It was cool to be a part of the process because sometimes with films this big, it can be very much, ‘Put this on, stand over there, say this,’ and [director] Matt [Reeves] is very much about process,” the actress detailed. “The whole thing began with conversations between me and Matt and Jacqueline, and so we kind of birthed this thing together. There’s references to the year of the comic that we’re dealing with. It’s cool.”
Batman has been brought to life for the big screen a number of times, while The Batman is meant to take place a few years into Bruce Wayne’s crimefighting career. As seen in camera tests, the Caped Crusader himself’s outfit is still relatively rudimentary, but as he’s a few years into his vigilantism, it’s more advanced than his first attempts at a disguise.
The Batman is slated to hit theaters on October 1, 2021.
Are you looking forward to seeing Kravitz as Catwoman? Let us know in the comments below!
