Michelle Pfeiffer, who played cinema’s most iconic version of Catwoman in ’90s movie Batman Returns, has explained how she managed to complete a famous stunt with such precision.
Pfeiffer’s Catwoman made Batman Returns one of the most memorable Batman movies of all time. Subsequently, she reignited mainstream interest in the character who has since become one of the most recognisable characters in all superhero movie history.
Now, a clip of Pfeiffer as Catwoman performing in the action movie is being discussed online once again, and you’ll want to see it for yourself.
The clip resurfaced a few years ago, and is now doing the rounds on social media. In it, Pfeiffer wields her Catwoman whip to take the heads off of three mannequins, before cracking it through the air and using it as a skipping rope. It’s a staggeringly impressive, precise stunt, explaining why it has garnered so much attention. You can check it out for yourself, below:
Michelle Pfeiffer whipped the heads off the mannequins for real, and in one take, in BATMAN RETURNS. pic.twitter.com/Nh0bWeUDzD
— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) September 11, 2022
The fact that the crew filming Pfeiffer break out into applause is no surprise, because it really is unbelievably skillful. The actor spoke specifically about the stunt to IndieWire, saying “I was very pleased with myself, because it was something that my stuntwoman actually couldn’t do that I could do. I worked really hard on it, but it was a lot of rehearsal and getting the timing right, and all of that. I especially liked the jump roping at the end. I had forgotten about that!”
Since Pfeiffer’s time in the role, there have been many other women to don the latex catsuit, with varying degrees of success. Namely, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, and Zoe Kravitz have all taken on the role. While Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is one of the highlights of The Batman, Pfeiffer’s iteration of the character still reigns supreme. The actor manages to get to the heart of the character, portraying her with elegance and exuberant fun combined.
With the current fascination with bringing back actors to previous superhero roles, the DCEU could do a lot worse than asking Pfeiffer to return as Selina Kyle once more. Especially if she’s still comfortable with the whip.
If you prefer Black Widow to Catwoman, then check out our guide to the best MCU characters.