The Dark Knight Rises: Anne Hathaway's 'slinky' Catwoman suit

(Image credit: Facebook/The Dark Knight Rises)

last updated 8 January 2015

The image: "Hello, kitty." Sneak peeks of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, the director's follow-up to the 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight, have been slowly leaking from the film's closely shrouded set. Following an ambiguous teaser poster and underwhelming trailer earlier this summer, the first photo of Anne Hathaway in action as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, has been released. (See below.) While the picture is frustratingly dominated by what appears to be Batman's motorbike, it's possible to glimpse a portion of her "slinky" leather bodysuit, accessorized with a pair of high-tech goggles. Click here for a fuller look at the costume, as modeled by a stunt double.

The reaction: Hathaway looks "awfully purr-ty," says Marcus Errico at E! Online. While her catsuit-clad predecessors (Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry) donned more "dominatrix," "skimpy getups," Hathaway's leather outfit is refreshingly "action-oriented." I'm intrigued, says Jeff Jensen at Entertainment Weekly, "by the high-tech implication of the glasses — Bluetooth enabled? A.I. enhanced? — and I’m curious why this conception of the comic book cat burglar doesn’t feel the need for a more concealing disguise than just eyewear and lipstick." That said, this may not be the official Catwoman suit at all. The photo is labeled as "Selina Kyle" on the movie's website, hinting that this may be Hathaway's character "before she's gone full criminal, costumed feline." Doubtful, says Angela Watercutter at Wired. Insiders leaked that Hathaway's catsuit would be "more utilitarian" and less "S&M" — this is likely the real deal. Judge for yourself: