10 Superhero Movie Performances That Were Totally Oscar-Worthy
3. Michelle Pfieffer - Batman Returns
Though we all love the MCU and desperately hope the DCEU can get its act together, there’s something special about stand alone movies. Both Captain Marvel and Shazam! were relatively free of tie in pressure, and they felt all the fresher because of it.
Tim Burton’s Batman Returns is a shining example of that. As the title suggests, it’s a sequel which follows on with the criminally underrated Michael Keaton in the lead, but it doesn’t need to worry itself with slotting in with Wonder Woman, Superman or Flash movies alongside it.
Because of this, the narrative arc is much tighter and more contained, focussing on the character connections more than Danny DeVito’s big bad of the Penguin. This is where Michelle Pfieffer really stands out, flawless inhabiting Selina’s more reserved nature and Catwoman’s sex kitten poise.
Tim Burton’s movies tend to prioritise visuals over all else, and Batman Returns is no different. While that lets the rest of the cast run wild with their over the top caricatures, Pfieffer instead quietly rebels against this, at least as Selina, for a much smaller, more intricate performance.
As a result, while some get lost in the shuffle, her performance is the stand out.