Zoë Kravitz Responds to Dark Knight Rises Casting Story Controversy

The Batman star Zoë Kravitz has responded to the public discussion surrounding a story she recently shared about her audition for Christopher Nolan’s 2012 The Dark Knight Rises. Kravitz stars as Selina Kyle, otherwise known as Catwoman, in Matt Reeves’ take on the DC Comics hero, this time played by Robert Pattinson. Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises also saw a previous appearance of Catwoman in a live-action film, portrayed by Anne Hathaway opposite Christian Bale’s Batman.

One of the most iconic characters in Batman’s rogues gallery, Catwoman started as the hero’s foe, being a master cat burglar. Over time, Selina and Bruce Wayne’s lives became more involved, with the pair sharing a romantic bond that has stood the test of time and editorial decisions on the comic book pages. As such, the character has made many appearances in adaptations of the DC Comics stories, with Catwoman having been portrayed on the big screen by four actresses: Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Hathaway, and most recently Kravitz in The Batman. However, Kravitz revealed she also auditioned for another Batman film, having been rejected from an audition for The Dark Knight Rises. The actor said she was told by someone associated with the film (though Kravitz specified it was not Nolan himself) that she was too “urban” to be cast. Kravitz later said that hearing this and “being a woman of color” was “really hard.” Now, following much discussion surrounding these comments, Kravitz has issued a statement clarifying the details of her experience.

As reported by IndieWire, Kravitz took to Instagram to issue her own response via the Stories feature. The actor addressed what she felt to be a misconception surrounding her comments, emphasising that she did not audition to play Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, as had been assumed by many. Instead, Kravitz said she had planned to audition for a smaller role. Kravitz also affirmed she hadn’t intended “to point any fingers or make anyone seem racist,” but was instead simply providing insight into the entertainment industry at the time, and her experience of it as a woman of color. The actor ended her comments by asking for “calm.” Read Kravitz’s full statement below.

“I was NOT told I was too urban to play Catwoman in the ‘Dark Knight [Rises]’. It would have made NO sense for me to even be considered for that role at that time. I wanted to AUDITION for a small part in the film and was told (I do not know who said this but this was how it was worded to me) that they were not going ‘urban’ on the part. This is something I heard a lot 10 years ago — it was a very different time.

I did not mention this to point any fingers or make anyone seem racist, namely Chris Nolan, the film’s producers or anyone on the casting team, because I truly do not believe anyone meant any harm. I was simply giving an example of what it was like to be a woman of color in this industry at that time. Again, this was many years ago when words like that were thrown around very casually and although I’m very glad that we are attempting to evolve — let’s all calm down — as well as fact check before we write things that are untrue.”

While it is now clear that Kravitz had never previously intended to audition for Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, her eventual casting in The Batman has since been praised by her fellow previous Catwoman actors. Hathaway called Kravitz a “perfect choice” for the role early on during the film’s production, while Berry said she thought Kravitz would be “wonderful.” Just days after The Batman‘s release, Pfeiffer and Berry also took to Instagram to praise the latest Catwoman’s take.

Whether or not Kravitz initially intended to try for the part of Catwoman, the actor’s experience during her initialThe Dark Knight Rises audition is not a unique one in the film industry. While Kravitz underlined that this occurred during “a very different time,” the issue of racism and the white-washing of film casts is an ongoing conversation, and requires both public attention and hard work in order to move forward and create a more diverse entertainment landscape. However, it is important that these issues are approached with care, in order to be respectful to stars like Kravitz who come forward to share their experiences, without misrepresenting or misunderstanding them.

Source: IndieWire

About The Author