As Empire Magazine prepares to unveil their world-exclusive The Batman issue for December, an exclusive image of Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman has been released as a sneak preview. In the image, Kravtiz’ Catwoman can be seen in full burglar attire doing what she does best: stealing.
For many long-time followers of DC Comics, the extensive history of Selina Kyle is common knowledge; she’s the on-again, off-again love interest of Batman, a member of his rogue’s gallery, and a renowned burglar, trickster and martial artist. When Zoë Kravtiz joined the ensemble cast behind Matt Reeves’ The Batman, she must have known that rigorous training and studying would lie ahead.
Kravitz told Empire Magazine that in order to truly embody the feline-esque antihero, she perused hours of nature documentary footage to capture the essence and seamless hunter capabilities of ruthless predators like lions and tigers. She watched the big cats fight to gain an understanding of distinctive movements, strategies, and overall demeanor to adapt her fighting stunts accordingly.
An exclusive Empire Magazine interview — available in The Batman issue — details the conversation in full. Kravitz says, “We watched cats and lions and how they fight, and talked about what is actually possible when you’re my size, and Batman’s so much stronger than me. What is my skill? It’s being fast and tricky. So we did some really interesting floor work that incorporated different kinds of martial arts and capoeira and a kind of feline, dance-like movement.”
It remains to be seen if all that hard work paid off for Kravitz, who toiled away the hours perfecting her moves with her stunt coordinator, Rob Alonzo. However, given the promising prospect of a dedicated actress, Batman enthusiasts can hope for a polished, precise portrayal of Batman’s enemy-turned-lover.
“[Rob]’s not just trying to do a bunch of impressive backflips that wouldn’t be possible for that person to do, and he takes into account where we are in the story and where the characters are emotionally,” explains Kravitz. “So it was really fun to work from that place.”
Furthermore, Kravitz commented on Reeves’ approach to the superhero noir genre, including the dark themes therein and how an entirely different aspect of Selina Kyle’s personality shines through. “This is an origin story for Selina,” she says. “So, it’s the beginning of her figuring out who she is, beyond just someone trying to survive. I think there’s a lot of space to grow, and I think we are watching her become what I’m sure will be the femme fatale.”
The Batman opens in theaters next year, March 4th.