Catwoman has been around almost as long as Batman has, having debuted in Batman #1 in 1940 right along with The Joker. There is no shortage of great comic, game, and film appearances under her belt, making her the rare case of a complicated antihero that has only become increasingly relevant over time. Robin might be half of the dynamic duo and The Joker his greatest foe, but it's hard to imagine Batman without Catwoman as a recurring foil.

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Selina Kyle never stands still for too long, and she has a couple of pending releases ahead. These include The Batman, in which Zoe Kravitz is sure to turn out a Catwoman for the ages, as well as the Catwoman: Hunted animated film, tapping Elizabeth Gillies to voice our beloved cat thief. Ahead of these roles, we're looking to the past to tell us what kind of Catwoman we can expect to see in the future.

Gina Gershon - The Batman (2004)

The Batman just didn't get the credit it was due. Often dismissed as a footnote in Batman animated history, this series ran for no less than five seasons and offered some interesting takes on old concepts. Whether or not you're partial to the wonky redesigns of characters like The Joker and Poison Ivy, this is still a pretty fun show that walked its own path rather than dutifully following in the footsteps of those that came before.

The series also just so happens to feature a truly underrated take on Catwoman. Voiced by Gina Gershon and bringing in the neo-noir influences for which she is known due to starring roles in films like Bound (1996) and Showgirls (1995), this was a Catwoman who often took center stage and made no bones about being able to keep up with the Bat.

Camren Bicondova - Gotham (2014)

Even in the comics, we don't often see a lot about Selina Kyle's early days, and what we do see doesn't paint a pretty picture. Most all of her origin stories involve a tumultuous childhood, and this take was no different. Yet, by fleshing out her past as a preteen street thief that witnessed the murders of the Waynes who, over the course of the series, becomes an internationally famous cat thief occasionally allying with her old flame Bruce, this granted us a surprising (and sorely needed) amount of character development.

Gotham could be a fairly polarizing show for a lot of longtime Batfans, but it's hard to disagree that its take on Catwoman was truly great. Bruce's awkwardness developed over years of isolation is never quite so clear than when he is placed in contrast to the quippy, streetsmart Selina. The chemistry between them is undeniable, making this a Bat/Cat romance that was easy to root for.

Halle Berry - Catwoman (2004)

Hear us out. Though Catwoman (2004) is not a particularly good movie, it did introduce a different take on an old formula, and we admire the gumption. Trying new things doesn't work, and in this case, there were moments where doing so flattened much of the character's complexity, but it's hard to totally dismiss it. With Halle Berry noting she'd direct a Catwoman remake, we may not have seen the last of this character.

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In short, this much-maligned take on Catwoman is not without its flaws, but few of them fall on the head of Halle Berry. Taking us in a new direction with the introduction of Patience Phillips as Catwoman, the intention behind the film was to give the character a springboard to reinvention inspired now by Eqyptian mythology more than anything preexisting in the superhero realm. It didn't work, but Berry still cuts an intimidating figure as Catwoman, and sometimes it makes us wonder about what might have been if it had been a success.

Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Given Anne Hathaway's turn in films like The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, she may have seemed to some to be miscast as the elegant and ruthless Selina. However, if there's one thing that Hathaway has successfully avoided in her career, it's being typecast in a certain role. Though adept at playing awkward, she turned up the aloofness to eleven and gave us a truly great live-action Catwoman.

Though the overall narrative of the film doesn't always work, Catwoman is an undeniable highlight of Rises. Staying several steps ahead of the other characters comes across as second nature, and she portrays Selina's conflicted heroism exceptionally well. Looking back on the film today, it's surprising how much Hathaway's performance holds the whole thing together.

Adrienne Barbeau - Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

Speaking of cool-as-a-cucumber portrayals of Selina, one of the most memorable takes on the character for many children of the 1990s was the TAS take. Appearing in several episodes over the course of the series (which was renamed and redesigned to become The New Batman Adventures), she was a stand-out even on a show that is known for its iconic portrayals of Batman's friends and foes.

Voiced by Adrienne Barbeau of Maud fame, this Catwoman's deep, smoky register became so definitive that it has been emulated by several other actors on this list. Likewise, this version of the character was streetsmart but glamorous, tough but emotionally complex, and sexy but solitary. Living alone with her favorite cat, Isis, this Catwoman was an avid animal rights activist who would not hesitate to lie to Batman, but seldom put him in danger that he wouldn't be able to navigate.

Sanaa Lathan - Harley Quinn (2020)

The Harley Quinn TV series has a knack for boiling characters down to their most essential selves. After all, this is the series that gave us one of the most iconic representations of Lois Lane within less than five minutes of screen time as a side character in a single episode. Even among some truly great renditions of beloved characters, its Catwoman stands a head above the rest.

When Poison Ivy reveals that she used to be friends with Catwoman, she does so grudgingly, noting that anytime she's within her orbit she can't help but be sucked under her spell. When Selina casually ignores Ivy, she becomes all the more desperate for attention. Meanwhile, Catwoman couldn't care less and spends most of her time wandering off and doing her own thing. Throwing a bit of narcissism atop Catwoman's endless cool humanizes her a bit, and it works.

Naya Rivera - The Long Halloween (2021)

Adapted from one of the most widely read Batman comics of all time, The Long Halloween Part 1 & 2 showed us an early-career Batman hunting a serial killer whose crimes are based around various holidays. Establishing what Batman's world was like when he was just starting out and introducing us to his central cast makes for a fun film, but it's his burgeoning on-again-off-again relationship with Catwoman that makes lands it on must-watch lists.

This role is undercut with a sense of sadness at Naya Rivera's tragic passing, making it a one-off performance in the worst kind of way. However, Rivera did work here that easily stands neck-and-neck with any of the other performances on this list, and that makes her an undeniably great Catwoman.

Julie Newmar - Batman (1966)

Julie Newmar was the first to take on the role of Catwoman, and in some ways, every appearance since is based on her classic portrayal. This Catwoman was relatively low on depth, but she more than made up for it with her callous criminal exploits and her red hot chemistry with Batman. Fitting in perfectly as a recurring villain, Newmar's fake eyelashes and arched eyebrows were fashion perfection, especially when accompanied by her unflappable smirk.

Focusing on the femme fatale aspects of the character, Newmar's Selina was a remorseless manipulator who delighted in causing chaos. Fans of Anne Hathaway's Catwoman would do well to take a peek into the past to watch some of Julie Newmar's appearances on Batman '66 as there is more than a passing resemblance. The later version fleshed her out a bit and added some moral complexity, but Newmar's take remains untouchable in its greatness.

Eartha Kitt - Batman (1966)

After Newmar departed the TV series and Lee Merriweather's brief stint as Selina in the Batman movie had come and gone, Eartha Kitt became the third Catwoman for the relatively short-lived show. Reestablishing the role as something very much her own, this remains many people's favorite take. The genuine sense of fun between Kitt and Cesar Romero's Joker in the episode where they both appear remains infectious all these decades later.

Kitt amped up the camp level of Catwoman, leaning into cat behaviors like hissing and purring while clearly having a lot of fun in the role. This turn has been homaged by many over the decades, including an incredible send-off on the animated series DC Super Hero Girls in which voice acting superstar Cree Summer does an impression of Eartha that is positively to die for.

Michelle Pfeiffer - Batman Returns (1992)

Naturally, no "Best of Catwoman" list would be complete without a nod to the great Michelle Pfeiffer. There is little to be said about this performance that hasn't already been covered in-depth many times over, but that is only testament to its greatness. Reimagining Selina as a meek office worker who takes a heel turn after she is thrown out of a skyscraper window by her ruthless boss, Batman Returns gave us a definitive take.

Yet, there is no way that this could have worked without Pfeiffer's talent. Turning on-the-surface cheesy lines like "I am Catwoman, hear me roar!" into quotable mission statements and injecting the character with pathos that is expertly undercut by a sense of heartbreaking fragility, this remains not just a great Catwoman, but one of the greatest performances in a superhero film, ever.

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