Catwoman

You can’t CATch her.

RELEASED 22 Jul 20041h 44m★ 4.6 TMDB

Liquidated after discovering a corporate conspiracy, mild-mannered graphic artist Patience Phillips washes up on an island, where she's resurrected and endowed with the prowess of a cat — and she's eager to use her new skills... as a vigilante. Before you can say "cat and mouse", handsome gumshoe Tom Lone is on her tail, fascinated by both of her personas.

Why it matters in DC

Patience Phillips provides a distinct Catwoman identity, with her transformation tied to a corporate conspiracy. The film should therefore be approached as its own interpretation rather than as background for Selina Kyle's relationships with Batman in other adaptations.

Watch these first

2 titles to watch before Catwoman — 3h 51m in total.

BatmanOptional background1h 45m★ 6.4
Batman ReturnsOptional background2h 6m★ 6.9+1 before this

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How these titles are selected

Story prerequisites are curated. Likely prerequisites are inferred from sequel numbering or explicit synopsis references. Recommendations are earlier stories in the same continuity; background picks are separate adaptations. Series lists cover whole shows, not an episode-by-episode watch order.

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Where it fits in the DC universe

Catwoman is title 6 of 24 in our Live-action Elseworlds viewing sequence. Catwoman follows Patience Phillips, making it a separate interpretation from the Selina Kyle stories in other Batman adaptations. Neither Batman Returns nor the animated Catwoman features provides this protagonist's past. Its place among standalone films keeps that distinction clear instead of presenting every Catwoman appearance as one character biography.

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