How Catwoman’s Flop Haunted Female Superhero Films for Years

It’s easy to assume the superhero craze is a recent phenomenon, but the appetite for caped crusaders had been simmering long before the genre’s current saturation. Audiences had been quietly craving more of these stories, yet the real explosion only came when studios clocked the sheer scale of the potential profits—global reach, endless sequels, and the promise of sprawling franchises.

Yet, for all the talk of innovation, the formula rarely strayed far from the tried and tested. The focus remained on male protagonists, with women often relegated to supporting roles or, at best, the occasional subplot. When a female character did get her own film, it was usually after a lengthy back-and-forth behind closed doors, as executives debated whether it could possibly work.

Reluctance in the Boardroom

Studio bosses have never been shy about their doubts. It’s not just a question of whether these films would draw crowds; there’s also the memory of previous attempts that failed to set the box office alight. The likes of Catwoman and Elektra, both released in the mid-2000s, are often cited as cautionary tales—projects that suffered from poor timing, lacklustre execution, and a distinct absence of marketing muscle.

Patty Jenkins, who would later steer Wonder Woman to blockbuster status, was all too familiar with these hurdles. She’d seen first-hand how hard it was to persuade decision-makers to back a vision that hadn’t yet proved itself. In a conversation with Glamour, Jenkins recalled the atmosphere of uncertainty that surrounded her project.

“They were all freaked out by all the female superhero films that had failed, the smaller ones that had failed,”

she explained.

“Also, Christopher Nolan was making the Dark Knight thing, so I think they were just trying to figure out what they were doing with DC at that time.”

The Shadow of Catwoman and Elektra

With the memory of Halle Berry’s Catwoman and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra still fresh, Jenkins faced an uphill struggle. The studios, wary after these high-profile missteps, were hesitant to commit. Jenkins described the process as a tug-of-war, with her vision for Wonder Woman being pulled in several directions by executives who, as she put it, were gripped by “mistrust” and a desire to experiment with “a different way of doing things”.

She recounted,

“Even when I first joined Wonder Woman, it was like, ‘Uhh, yeah, OK, but let’s do it this other way,’”

adding,

“But I was like, ‘Women don’t want to see that. Her being harsh and tough and cutting people’s heads off…. I’m a Wonder Woman fan, that’s not what we’re looking for.’ Still, I could feel that shaky nervousness [on their part] from my point of view.”

Breaking Through the Doubt

Jenkins’ journey was anything but straightforward. The project had already faltered under a previous director, and the sense of uncertainty lingered. Eventually, the studio relented, allowing Jenkins to pursue her own approach. She took the gamble, sticking to her guns and delivering a film that finally gave the character her due—and, in the process, proved that audiences were more than ready for a new kind of hero.