The Cat (The Dark Knight Rises)

"I take what I need from those who have more than enough. I don't stand on the shoulders of those with less."

―Selina Kyle^[src]

Selina Kyle, also known as The Cat, is a world-class cat burglar and mistress of disguise. Cunning, devious, and cynical, she targeted Gotham's wealthiest in her schemes. However, Selina was secretly in search of a fresh start in life. She was portrayed by Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises.

Biography

Early life

Selina Kyle was born on September 21, 1985. She broke out of a women's correctional facility for the first time when she was sixteen years old. Over the years, she developed a long record of criminality.

The Dark Knight Rises

Thief in the Night

"There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us."

―Selina Kyle^[src]

Masquerading as a maid service employee, Selina Kyle infiltrates Wayne Manor during a special function hosted by the Wayne Foundation dedicated to Harvey Dent. Selina is tasked by Alfred to bring a tray of food up to the east room of the manor. While there, Selina explores one of the rooms that contains a safe where she dusts off a set of fingerprints belonging to Bruce Wayne and copied them down onto a printer toner. In addition, she cracks open the safe and finds a fabulous white pearl necklace which she takes and wears around her neck. Selina is confronted by the withered-down appearance of Bruce Wayne who informs her that the pearls belonged to his mother and that she can't have them. She stops pretending to be a simple maid and then she kicks away his cane and then climbs onto a window ledge and performs a backflip, landing safely on the ground below outside the manor. She then discards her maid outfit and grabs a ride with a Congressman who then disappears and galvanizes the GCPD into finding him.

The next night, Selina goes to a bar where she brings the Congressman and places him there as her insurance while she meets with Phillip Stryver, a hitman of John Daggett who hired Selina for the job. In return, Selina would received a USB "clean slate" device that would erase her existence from every database in the world. Selina hands him a set of Wayne's fingerprints but Stryver plans to double-cross Selina. Anticipating this, Selina set into motion a trap by luring the police force to their location by having Stryver use the Congressman's cell phone to summon her friend Jen to deliver the thumb print. Selina manages to take down a few of Stryver's men just as the police arrive and she pretends to be a civilian as she escapes into the night.

A night later, Selina attends a charity gala hosted by Miranda Tate where she attempts to steal from another wealthy socialite during a ballroom dance but is interrupted by Bruce Wayne. During the dance, Selina warns Bruce of "a storm coming". Bruce manages to retrieve his mother's necklace but not before Selina steals his valet parking ticket by distracting him with a kiss before she parts ways from him. She claims to the valet that she was Bruce Wayne's wife before she steals his Lamborghini.

The Bat and The Cat

Batman: “No guns. No killing”

The Cat: “Where's the fun in that?!”

―Batman and Selina Kyle^[src]

Selina, now disguised in a form-fitting cat burglar outfit, goes to Daggett's penthouse and cracks his safe, hoping to retrieve her prize. She is momentarily distracted by a live TV report titled "Return Of The Batman?," which seems to delight her. Upon resuming her task, she opens the safe, only to discover it is empty. Selina angrily awaits for Daggett to enter the room where she then grabs him and pins him up against a wall where she interrogates him about the whereabouts of the device. Stryver pulls up behind her with a gun pointed to her head, followed by a group of bodyguards. Selina kicks Stryver in the knee with the steel heel of her stiletto boot and pushes Daggett out the window onto a scaffold that leads down to a sub-roof where she continues to interrogate Daggett, only to learn the device doesn't exist.

At that moment, Selina is surrounded by a group of trained mercenaries. Batman appears on the scene and saves her life; together, they fight the group. Selina draws a gun on one of them but Batman disarms her and tells her, "No guns, no killing." More mercenaries now equipped with ammunition appear, followed by Bane. Batman grabs Selina and together they escape in The Bat. Batman takes Selina to an abandoned rooftop where he asks her to reveal what she had done with Bruce Wayne's fingerprints. Selina tells him that she sold them to Daggett unaware of what he was planning to do with them but she believes there is a link between them and the stock exchange robbery. Selina then disappears before Batman realizes it.

Taking Batman to Bane

Bruce later visits Selina at her apartment after he is declared bankrupt when Daggett uses his stolen fingerprints to commit economic forgery in an attempt to buy Wayne Enterprises. Bruce asks for Selina's help in finding Bane, while also not revealing his secret. He offers the device that will give her a clean slate, though she is doubtful. Eventually Selina accepts. Selina then meets up with Batman in the subway tunnels and leads him to Bane by taking down Bane's underground patrol unit first. However, Selina betrays Batman by locking him within the sewer system drainage area with Bane.

Selina witnesses Bane brutally beating Batman's body physically and mentally, before breaking his back while also discovering that Batman is in fact Wayne, all the while shedding a tear, implying that she is sorry for her decision to betray Batman. Selina attempted to escape Gotham via airport, but she was intercepted by John Blake, who cuffed and interrogated her on Bane and Batman's fate. She merely replies that he should be as afraid of Bane as she is and that she is not sure if they have killed Bruce.

The Storm

Selina Kyle: “Come with me. Save yourself. You don't owe these people anymore. You've given them everything.”

Batman: “Not everything. Not yet.”

―The Cat and Batman^[src]

Selina is sent to Blackgate Prison until she is freed with all the other prisoners by Bane during his siege upon Gotham. During the following months, Selina begins to have misgivings concerning her beliefs now that the "storm" had arrived.

After Selina saves a kid from some thugs, she is confronted by a returned Bruce Wayne, who once again asks for her help to save the city, and tells her that the nuclear bomb is going to go off the next day. He hands her the clean slate device she had wanted, giving her motivation for aiding him. Selina helps Bruce rescue Lucius Fox, and Lucius told Bruce that he liked Selina as Bruce's girlfriend, to which Selina retorted, "He should be so lucky." To assist her, Batman gives her the Batpod, though Selina begs him to escape with her, as he no longer owes the people now that he's given them everything, but he refuses.

Selina uses the Batpod to destroy the rubble blocking a tunnel out of Gotham and goes back to help in the climactic final battle. She arrives just in time to kill Bane using the Batpod's cannon fire, and she and Batman chase after Talia in the bomb truck, a woman she had only known as Miranda Tate, Bruce's "stuck-up girlfriend." Selina and Batman pursue Talia's convoy of Tumblers and take them out one by one until the bomb truck itself is finally stopped in a crash landing. Seeing no choice, Batman concludes that he must use The Bat to carry Talia's nuclear bomb over the bay. He tells Selina there is no autopilot. Knowing that Batman will not survive the ordeal, Selina says to him, "I guess we're both suckers," and then kisses him goodbye before he flies off. The bomb explodes out over the bay and both Batman and Bruce Wayne are thought to be dead.

However, it turns out that Selina and Bruce are living together in Italy, where Alfred sees them together at a table at a cafe in Florence.

Abilities

Selina Kyle is a master thief and a mistress of disguise. She can crack safes thought to have been uncrackable, and uses tools such as high-tech goggles. As a grifter, she uses her sex appeal to con wealthy men. Her agility and flexibility are assets in her fights, in which she can hold her own while aided by her bladed high-heel boots. She can learn new skills quickly to adapt to her environment.

Equipment

Goggles
Lockpicks
Bladed Heels
Pistols
Batpod

Behind the Scenes

Director/Writer Christopher Nolan was prodded by his brother Jonathan to include an interpretation of Catwoman in the story of The Dark Knight Rises, as his brother considers her as an essential part of the Batman mythology.
Actresses Gemma Arterton, Jessica Biel, Keira Knightley, Blake Lively, Kate Mara, Natalie Portman, and Charlotte Riley were reported to have been sought for the role that ultimately went to Anne Hathaway. Hathaway said to Entertainment Weekly that she believed she was auditioning for the role of Harley Quinn at the time.

Trivia

Selina Kyle is never referred to as Catwoman, instead being referred to only by her name, although she is referred to as "The Cat" in a newspaper, which is what the character was originally called before the name Catwoman was given to her. Bruce Wayne calls her a cat burglar, and Selina asks Daggett if a cat has his tongue as she pins him against a wall. Catwoman is only used in the film's novelization and merchandise.
The Cat was the name used by Catwoman in her first comic book appearance.
In the comics, Selina is strongly hinted to be the illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone. This was not explored in the films until Zoë Kravitz's take on the character in the 2022 reboot.
She is one of the few villains who experiences a change of heart. During the first act, she is an antagonist until Bane defeats Batman in the sewers. In the second act, which lasts from Bane imprisoning Bruce Wayne to Wayne's return to Gotham, she is neutral and indecisive. Finally, in the last act, the revolution, she becomes a protagonist.
This version of Catwoman has brown hair and brown eyes (similar to Julie Newmar's version of Catwoman from the 1960s Live-Action TV series) while her mainstream counterpart has black hair and green eyes.

Quotes

Selina Kyle : There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us. Bruce Wayne : You sound like you're looking forward to it. Selina Kyle : I'm adaptable.
Catwoman : My mother warned me about getting into cars with strange men. Batman : This isn't a car.
Catwoman : I blow that tunnel open, I'm gone. Batman : There's more to you than that. Catwoman : Sorry I keep letting you down. [pause] Catwoman : Come with me. Save yourself. You don't owe these people any more. You've given them everything. Batman : Not everything. Not yet.
John Blake : Bane? What do you know about him? Selina Kyle : That you should be as afraid of him as I am.
Catwoman : I had no choice. I needed a way to keep them from killing me. Batman : You just made a serious mistake. Bane : Not as serious as yours, I fear... Batman : Bane Bane : Let us not stand on ceremony, Mr. Wayne. [Catwoman appears shocked]
John Blake : You made some mistakes, Miss Kyle. Selina Kyle : A girl's gotta eat. John Blake : Well, you got quite an appetite.
[a couple thugs go to attack Lucius while he's handcuffed. Catwoman intervenes and beats them down] Lucius Fox : [to Batman] I like your new girlfriend! Catwoman : [she undoes his cuffs] He should be so lucky.
[Batman and Selina have just escaped from Bane and his mercenaries in the Bat. Batman lands it on top of a skyscraper and Selina immediately hops out] Catwoman : See you around. Batman : You're welcome. Catwoman : I had it under control. Batman : Those weren't street thugs, they were trained killers. I saved your life. In return I need to know what you did with Bruce Wayne's fingerprints. Catwoman : Wayne wasn't kidding about a "powerful friend". [beat] Catwoman : I sold his prints to Daggett. For something that doesn't even exist. Batman : I doubt many people get the better of you. Catwoman : Hey, when a girl's desperate. Batman : What's he gonna to do with them? Catwoman : I don't know. But Daggett seemed pretty interested in that mess at the stock market. [Batman is distracted by the spotlight of a police chopper doing the rounds. He looks up at it, then turns back to Selina] Batman : Miss Kyle? [Catwoman has vanished] Batman : So that's what that feels like...
Catwoman : You could have gone anywhere, but you came back. Batman : So did you. Catwoman : Well then I guess we're both suckers. [she kisses him]
Gangbanger : [Two street thugs catch a little boy that has stolen an apple from them] You steal from us, you little bastard? [Selina appears and twists his arm from behind] Selina Kyle : You boys know you can't come into my neighborhood without asking politely. [She cracks his arm, knocking the apple into her hand. The boy watches as she knocks both thugs out] Selina Kyle : Never steal anything from someone you can't outrun, kid. [takes a bite out of the apple, and tosses it to the kid, who takes it and runs off] Bruce Wayne : Pretty generous, for a thief. [Selina turns to see Bruce approaching] Selina Kyle : I thought they killed you. Bruce Wayne : Not yet. Selina Kyle : If you're expecting an apology... Bruce Wayne : It wouldn't suit you.
Bruce Wayne : Mind if I cut in? [the old man who was dancing with Selina leaves, annoyed, as Bruce starts dancing slowly with her] Bruce Wayne : Oh, you don't seem happy to see me. Selina Kyle : You were supposed to be a shut-in. Bruce Wayne : I felt like some fresh air. Selina Kyle : Why didn't you call the police? Bruce Wayne : I have a powerful friend who deals with things like this. [notices the cat ears that are Selina's goggle lenses] Bruce Wayne : That's a brazen costume for a cat burglar. Selina Kyle : Yeah? Who are you pretending to be? Bruce Wayne : Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionaire. Who's your date? [referring the old man she was dancing with and who is now watching them] Selina Kyle : His wife's in Ibiza. She left her diamonds behind, though. Worried they might get stolen. Bruce Wayne : Mm. It's pronounced Ibeetha. You wouldn't want any of these folks realizing you're a crook, not a social climber. Selina Kyle : You think I care what anyone in this room thinks of me? Bruce Wayne : I doubt you care what anyone in any room thinks of you. Selina Kyle : Don't condescend, Mr. Wayne. You don't know a thing about me. Bruce Wayne : Well, Selina Kyle, I know you came here from your walk-up in Old Town, a modest place for a master jewel thief. Which means that either you're saving for retirement, or you're in deep with the wrong people. Selina Kyle : You don't get to judge me just because you were born in the master bedroom of Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne : Actually, I was born in the Regency Room. Selina Kyle : I started out doing what I had to. Once you've done what you had to, they'll never let you do what you want to. Bruce Wayne : Start fresh. Selina Kyle : There's no fresh start in today's world. Any twelve-year-old with a cell phone could find out what you did. Everything we do is collated and quantified. Everything sticks. Bruce Wayne : Is that how you justify stealing? Selina Kyle : I take what I need to from those who have more than enough. I don't stand on the shoulders of people with less. Bruce Wayne : Robin Hood? Selina Kyle : I think I do more to help someone than most of the people in this room. Than you. Bruce Wayne : I think maybe you're assuming a little too much. Selina Kyle : Maybe you're being unrealistic about what's really in your pants other than your wallet. Bruce Wayne : Ouch.
Catwoman : He's behind you. Mercenary : Who? Batman : Me.
Catwoman : About the whole no guns thing... I'm not sure I feel as strongly about it as you do.
[Blake captures Selina at the airport] John Blake : I showed your picture to the Congressman. Guess what? Selina Kyle : Don't tell me, still in love? John Blake : Oh, head over heels. Pressing charges, though.
John Daggett : Can we get some ladies in here? Catwoman : Careful what you wish for. [Catwoman attacks Daggett and pins him up against the wall] Catwoman : What's the matter, Cat got your tongue? John Daggett : You dumb bitch. Catwoman : Nobody ever accused me of being dumb! John Daggett : You're dumb; for coming here. Catwoman : I want what you owe me!
Selina Kyle : [the Congressman has just been shot in the leg] Keep some pressure on that, darling. Congressman : Call me.
Catwoman : [holding a gun to Daggett's head as Bane's henchmen approach her] Stay back! [Bane's men continue to approach] Catwoman : I'm not bluffing! Batman : They know! They just don't care. [Catwoman and Batman promptly attack the henchmen]
Phillip Stryver : Do those heels make it hard to walk? [Catwoman kicks Stryver from behind] Catwoman : I don't know, do they?
John Blake : When I spotted you, I was looking for a friend of mine, Bruce Wayne. Did they kill him? Selina Kyle : I'm not sure.
Catwoman : [Batman kicks a gun out of Catwoman's hand] You've gotta be kidding me! Batman : No guns, no killing. Catwoman : Where's the fun in that?
Selina Kyle : Look, you wouldn't beat up a woman any more than I would beat up a cripple. [she kicks Bruce's cane and he falls] Selina Kyle : Of course, sometimes exceptions have to be made.
Selina Kyle : [She enters the Congressman's car] Can I have a ride? Congressman : You read my mind.
Selina Kyle : I don't know what you're planning to do with Mr. Wayne's prints, but I'm guessing you'll need his thumb. You don't count so good, huh?
Selina Kyle : I'm sorry they took all your money. Bruce Wayne : No you're not.
Selina Kyle : Shrimp balls?

Gallery

The Cat (Nolanverse)/Gallery