Tilda Swinton for Catwoman

The campaign starts here.

It was with mischief in my heart that I responded to DenOfGeek.com’s emailed request for Catwoman casting suggestions should the iconic feline fatale make a return to the big screen as a Batvillain following the massive success of second Christopher Nolan Batman film The Dark Knight. What, I thought, would be a typically Nolan-esque move away from the cliches associated with the role?

Catwoman, as we saw in poor old Halle Berry’s greatest misfire to date, has plenty of potential to be a misguided fancy-dress spectacle attempting to indulge the leather-clad end of one’s fantasy spectrum, rather than grappling with anything so difficult as a plot, and ending up failing on both counts. So, what are the bare bones of Catwoman as a serious character once we eliminate – as surely we must – the cheesecake aspects? Revenge, strength, pitilessness, an equal for Batman. .. Obviously, there’s a feline element, which for some reason makes people picture busty brunettes with dark soulful eyes. Physiologically at least, this makes no sense. Cats, unless they’ve been spoiled by well-meaning owners, are lean creatures, with, more often than not, green or blue eyes.

So I went with Tilda Swinton. Here’s the excerpt from DenOfGeek’s article (in full behind the link):

Tilda Swinton
Catherine Bray has an off-beat suggestion for Batman’s adored malfeasant. Tilda Swinton is no stranger to fantasy film, with The Chronicles Of Narnia and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button under her belt… “Bit left-field this,” says Catherine, “but Tilda Swinton would make a striking choice. Six foot tall, alienesque, radiating cruelty and moving far away from all the clichés. Pfeiffer did the Soho S&M version to perfection; time to take it somewhere stranger. Fanboys looking for a cosily cute Little Miss Whiplash figure to flog themselves silly over would probably bitch and moan, but since when have Nolan’s Batman pics been about pleasing predictable fetishes?”

As I say above, I’m not at all against the BDSM incarnation of Catwoman when done properly; it’s just that it has been done. It’d be like casting a cackling middle-aged rogue in the Joker role. Jack Nicholson’s all over that. So the smart money goes elsewhere. Cast soulful Heath Ledger: it might just work. Hence the crazy – or is it? – Tilda idea, which over on Fark.com has generated predictable “but she looks like a man/doesn’t have tits/scares me” comments, but also a surprising amount of support too. Good to see some people getting beyond the idea that the perfect Catwoman = whoever-I-fancy-in-leather. (Incidentally, scriptwriters trying to write Sexy instead of Believable is why all female superhero movies so far have been complete gash. Sure, cast a good-looking or at least striking actress – this is Hollywood – but write as if you were writing a normal superhero film, people. Maybe Joss Whedon could get onto it if he’s not too scarred from the Wonderwoman experience)

DenOfGeek also emailed Tilda Swinton’s agent about this, who apparently replied that as she was filming in Italy they couldn’t get hold of her for a comment, but said “I am personally delighted by the concept! Thanks for your support. And good taste!”