Alrighty then. Let’s try this again! Round two of Catwoman fancasting!
Why round two you ask?
There have recently been reports that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros are looking to cast an actress of color for the role. My previous fancast (amazing if I do say so myself) won’t work if this is truly the case.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some possible actresses of color that would be absolutely “purr-fect” as Selina Kyle.
Paula Patton
Once upon a time, Paula Patton was in extremely high demand. At the time, she and her hubby Robin Thicke were the definition of a power couple. Then Patton and Thicke divorced and she began to gradually fade from the spotlight. Between the years of 2005-2016, Patton was in numerous popular and high-profile films, but between 2017 and now? Just one film.
I think it’s time to bring Ms. Patton out her self-imposed exile and back into the spotlight. What better way to do that than to cast her as one of the most famous femme fatales of all time?
While she may be rusty and lacks film credits, the one thing Patton doesn’t lack is experience in being a badass. Starting in films like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Warcraft and 2 Guns, Patton has more than enough experience in that department. She’s also a talented actress able to pull off the seductive and deadly Kyle.
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz is a name gaining a lot of awareness and respect in not only the acting community, but with audiences as well. When Kravitz broke onto the scene in 2011 with her role in the prequel, X-Men: First Class, I’m sure a lot of people assumed she got her chance due to her last name (her father is Lenny Kravitz). But, let me tell you: this woman is talented!
Her role in First Class gives Kravitz an edge as she already has experience in starring in comic book adaptations. Since her role in that film, Kravitz has starred in films like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2, the Divergent series, Mad Max: Fury Road, and even lent her voice as Mary Jane in Into the Spiderverse.
It’s safe to say experience won’t be an issue. Neither will talent or ability. She also carries a commanding presence on screen, which is crucial when portraying a character with such a big personality like Kyle.
Rosario Dawson
Kind of a curveball since most think she’s a lock for the MCU (cough – She Hulk – cough). She has already portrayed Marvel character Claire Temple in their (unjustifiably) cancelled Daredevil series on Netflix, so she very well could be headed into the MCU in another role, but if not, Rosario Dawson would make a kick-ass Selina Kyle hands down.
Defending or convincing anyone of Dawson’s casting really shouldn’t be necessary. She’s as talented and experienced as they come, which has been on display throughout her career in films like Sin City, Percy Jackson, and Seven Pounds.
Playing the seductive and lethal Selina Kyle seems like a role that Dawson could really have some fun portraying. While she has experience in action films like The Rundown and Eagle Eye, those roles weren’t anything like this. She showed us a little glimpse of how badass she could be in the Marvel Netflix shows, something that could easily translate to a feature film.
Naomi Harris
Naomi Harris popped up in 2006’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and the rest was history. Her role as Tia Dalma/Calypso in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films garnered her a lot of recognition and attention. She turned that more roles putting together a nice resume since her debut.
Harris has starred in films like Ninja Assassin, Skyfall, Spectre, and Rampage (opposite Dwayne Johnson), and is set to star in the final Daniel Craig-led James Bond film, No Time to Die. She clearly has experience in big-budget, high-profile franchise films. I mean, she has a recurring role in the James Bond films for crying out loud.
What she’s lacking is a starring role. While she wouldn’t technically be starring in The Batman, there’s always the possibility of a Catwoman spin-off! This is a role Harris could really sink her teeth into (cat pun?) and give the audience a memorable Catwoman.
Ruth Negga
To be honest, Ruth Negga might have the most “Catwomanish” personality and vibe out of all these candidates. She’s confident, seductive, and a little intimidating. It’s incredibly easy to imagine Negga suiting up as the infamous cat burglar, kicking some ass, and flirting with Pattinson’s Batman to distract him while she escapes.
At the top of the list have to be her roles as Raina in ABC’s long-running show Agents of Shield, and as Tulip O’Hare in AMC’s graphic novel adaptation of Preacher. Both of those roles serve as brilliant showcases of Negga’s overall talent and versatility.
They show how incredibly fantastic she is in action sequences and her ability to play the role of deceiver as her character flip-flopped back in forth between good and bad (hmm sound familiar?). Preacher once again serves to further prove her status as a legit badass.
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