Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, she is initially depicted as the meek assistant and secretary of wealthy industrialist Max Shreck, who pushes her out of a window when she uncovers his corruption.

Selina Kyle is the meek assistant and secretary of wealthy industrialist Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), who attempts to kill her to silence her when she inadvertently uncovers his plot to build a power plant which would covertly siphon and hoard electricity from Gotham City.

As part of her larger plan to destroy Shreck, she allies herself with the Penguin (Danny DeVito), which attracts Batman's (Michael Keaton) attention but she is later betrayed.

In 2004's Catwoman, Kyle's photograph is shown among those of former "Catwomen" viewed by Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) when visiting researcher Ophelia Powers (Frances Conroy).

The newspaper article read by an older Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) shows that Kyle later became publicly engaged to Bruce Wayne after reuniting with him.

In Birds of Prey (2002–2003) television series opening credits and main plot, Helena Kyle / Huntress (Ashley Scott) is shown to be the daughter of Keaton's Batman and Pfeiffer's Catwoman.

"[2] Catwoman killing Schreck with the taser kiss was originally written as her disfiguring Harvey Dent and turning him into Two-Face in early drafts of the script, but he was eventually deleted from the film.

[3] Sean Young, who was originally chosen for Vicki Vale in the previous film, believed the role should have gone to her, and she visited the production offices dressed in a homemade Catwoman costume, demanding to be considered.

[4] Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep, Brooke Shields, Demi Moore, Nicole Kidman (who ended up playing Dr. Chase Meridian in Batman Forever), Jodie Foster, Geena Davis (who worked before with Burton and Keaton in Beetlejuice), Sigourney Weaver, Lena Olin, Julie Newmar (who had previously played Catwoman on the first two seasons of the 1966 Batman television series), singer Madonna, Raquel Welch, Cher, Ellen Barkin, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Lorraine Bracco, Jennifer Beals, and Bridget Fonda also either sought out or were considered for the role.

It was extremely tight and very laborious to put on – Pfeiffer had to be covered in talcum powder to squeeze into the costume, which was in turn brushed with liquid silicone on every take to give it shine.

Audiences at test screenings responded positively to Michelle Pfeiffer's performance, and the studio wanted to make it clear Catwoman survived, so two weeks before release the final shot of her was added to the film.

[15] Janet Maslin described her performance as "captivating... fierce, seductive",[16] while Peter Travers wrote in Rolling Stone "Pfeiffer gives this feminist avenger a tough core of intelligence and wit; she's a classic dazzler".

[17] Premiere retrospectively lauded her performance: "Arguably the outstanding villain of the Tim Burton era, Michelle Pfeiffer's deadly kitten with a whip brought sex to the normally neutered franchise.

The film ended up becoming the critically panned Catwoman (2004), starring Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, with Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle represented with a photograph of her alongside other "Catwomen".