Catwoman: A Predecessor to The Boys

After Batman Returns, a proposed Catwoman spin-off gained notoriety as one of the most famous pieces of movie trivia. However, a writer has now disclosed that the script would have been similar to Prime Video’s The Boys.

The tone of Batman Returns was so dark that it scared children and left even hardcore comics fans unsure of what they were seeing. Despite turning a profit at the box office, it fell short of Warner Bros' expectations after the Bat-mania of 1989. Director Tim Burton departed the franchise, and the next film, Batman Forever, distanced itself from the macabre elements. Before that, fans almost got an unusual spin-off: a satirical superhero film starring Catwoman.

Tim Burton’s Catwoman film was almost a satire like The Boys

In a conversation with IndieWire, screenwriter Daniel Waters revealed that he and Burton had clashed on the vision for the Catwoman spin-off. Burton, as expected, envisioned a black-and-white film inspired by the ’40s horror film The Cat People, while Waters sought a more tongue-in-cheek approach.

“I had envisioned a ‘Batman’ movie that delved deeper into the symbolism of ‘Batman,’” mentioned Water. “So, I decided to set the scene in a Los Angeles equivalent of Gotham City, ruled by three distasteful superheroes. It was essentially ‘The Boys’ before ‘The Boys.’ However, he grew weary from reading my script.”

Warner BrosMichelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman was a surprise breakout performance from 1992’s Batman Returns.

The Catwoman spin-off is a controversial part of Batman Returns history. In the original script, it appeared that Catwoman had died, but Warner Bros decided to include a shot of her surviving and then moved forward with plans for a spin-off due to positive audience reactions.

The spin-off never came to fruition as planned, resulting in the creation of Catwoman, a 2004 film starring Halle Berry that was heavily criticized. Berry is most remembered for accepting the numerous Razzie awards won by the film.

While fans may still wonder what the original Catwoman spin-off could have been, additional stories have been explored in other media. Pfeiffer’s Catwoman character was depicted as marrying Bruce Wayne in The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the Burton-era Batman story is now continued in DC’s Batman ’89 comics.

For more Batman news, be sure to stick with Dexerto.

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of Tim Burton's Batman films, I am intrigued by the revelation that a proposed Catwoman spin-off could have been similar to the hit series The Boys. The idea of a satirical superhero film set in a world ruled by distasteful superheroes is incredibly exciting and would have been a bold departure from the traditional superhero genre. It's a shame that creative differences between Burton and screenwriter Daniel Waters prevented this project from coming to fruition.

The fact that the original Catwoman script delved deeper into the symbolism of Batman and featured a Los Angeles equivalent of Gotham City ruled by three distasteful superheroes is particularly intriguing. It would have been fascinating to see Burton's unique vision for a satirical superhero film and how it would have compared to The Boys. While the Catwoman spin-off never materialized, it's clear that Burton and Waters had some truly innovative ideas that could have revolutionized the superhero genre.