‘Baby Driver’ Star Eiza Gonzalez Admits ‘Heartbreaking’ Loss of Catwoman Role
She is Catwoman. Hear her roar.
In Hollywood these days, franchise filmmaking reigns supreme. In particular, comic book movies are shaping much of the mainstream, big-budget fare. At times, it feels like an inevitability that just about every star in the industry will have played a hero or villain for Marvel and/or DC at some point or another.
So we can imagine how thrilled Eiza González was when she discovered she was up for the role of Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The actress — known for films like Baby Driver and Hobbs & Shaw — ultimately lost the role to Zoë Kravitz. Now González is opening up about the disappointment she felt when she learned she didn’t land the part.
‘The Batman’ is midway through production
Following Ben Affleck’s exit from the DC Extended Universe, The Batman was retooled as a fresh start. Robert Pattinson will don the iconic cowl as the Dark Knight. And the film — written and directed by Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) will reportedly explore Bruce Wayne’s early years as the Caped Crusader.
Thus far, fans have only heard pieces of what they can expect when The Batman lands in June 2021. In addition to Kravitz, stars like Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis joined the cast. Reeves has also released peeks at Pattinson’s cowl from the film as well as the new Batmobile.
But as much as we enjoy looking forward to what the film will become, we can’t help but wonder about what might have been. In the case of Catwoman, Kravitz reportedly beat out several actresses, including Zazie Beetz (Joker), Ana de Armas (Knives Out), Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels), and González.
Eiza González almost got to play Catwoman
Playing Catwoman would be a huge opportunity for any actress. After all, the iconic anti-hero/super-villain has been played by the likes of Anne Hathaway, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eartha Kitt, and Julie Newmar. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, González admitted how hard it was for her to get so close to winning such a role, only to lose it.
It is heartbreaking; it is always hard. You have to envision yourself in the role in order to see the role. You can’t have one foot in and one foot out. When I started my career, I was more like that, and I wouldn’t get that far. In a sense, it didn’t hurt as much, but I didn’t give it the best version of what I thought I could do. So now I do, and I just go through the heartbreak afterwards.
The actress confessed to going all-in on auditions, especially when she’s “at the camera test stage or really deep into it.” Without any sense of closure, moving on can be tough, González concedes. But she at least has built that relationship. Who knows where the near-miss of The Batman might take her going forward?
She’s currently starring in ‘Bloodshot’
Perhaps Reeves or the producers of The Batman will keep González in mind for another role. This film is intended to kick off a franchise, of course. So maybe González could even get a second chance to pop up in Gotham City someday. Despite missing out on Catwoman, she’s optimistic about the future.
The beauty of our industry is it’s never-ending; it’s always evolving and transforming. I’m just lucky and grateful that I’ve had the chance to meet incredible directors and be part of incredible projects. Growing up in Mexico, I never would’ve thought I’d be doing these types of projects.
In fact, the actress has already appeared in a pair of comic book films. In 2019, she played Nyssiana in cult hit Alita: Battle Angel. And in 2020, she stars opposite Vin Diesel in Valiant Comics adaptation Bloodshot. Then later in 2020, she’ll appear in Godzilla vs. Kong. So González fans have plenty to look forward to, even without Catwoman.
