10 Movie Re-Castings That Ruined Iconic Characters

6. Catwoman - Catwoman

The Matrix Agent Smiths
Warner Bros.

Original - Michelle Pfeiffer

Recast - Halle Berry

Batman's rival and occasional lover, Catwoman, has become such a popular character in comics, she has been adapted into live-action more than almost any DC character. Over the years, we have seen Julie Newmar, Lee Merriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer bring Selina Kyle to life in tv series and films.

Because the plundering cat burglar's popularity has only grown in time, no one was surprised when she got her own solo movie, with Halle Berry playing Catwoman. Unfortunately, everyone was surprised by how abominable the film turned out. The editing is laughable, the CGI looks unfinished, the dialogue is insulting, and the plot is non-sensical (in a nutshell, Catwoman must stop a woman from selling killer make-up.)

As appalling as this all is, you'd expect the lead star would be the film's saving grace. (She did just win an Oscar for Best Actress, after all.) But not even Berry could save this dumpster fire. Instead of playing Catwoman as a complex criminal seeking redemption, Berry spouts feline-themed puns, uses her powers to play basketball, and fights over catnip. The only way Catwoman could've been depicted worse is if we saw her use a litter box.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows