Anne Hathaway has revealed one of Hollywood's best-kept secrets, admitting she walked into her audition for The Dark Knight Rises convinced she was about to play Harley Quinn—only for Christopher Nolan to surprise her by revealing she had actually been cast as Catwoman.
The unexpected twist completely changed the course of her preparation. After spending a week creating what she described as 'demonic Harley Quinn energy', Hathaway had to reinvent herself on the spot when Nolan finally disclosed the role. More than a decade later, the behind-the-scenes story offers fresh insight into the Oscar-winning director's famously secretive casting process and one of the most memorable performances in the Batman franchise.
A Week Preparing for a Different Villain
Speaking on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hathaway recalled meeting Nolan to discuss the lead female role in the final chapter of his acclaimed Batman trilogy.
Before the meeting, she had convinced herself there was only one logical choice.
'I thought that I'd gamed it out because I was just like, 'It can't be Catwoman because Michelle Pfeiffer was so iconic... It's going to be Harley Quinn!' she said.
Pfeiffer's performance in 1992's Batman Returns had become one of the most celebrated portrayals in superhero cinema, leading Hathaway to believe Nolan would introduce a different female villain instead of revisiting Catwoman.
With that assumption firmly in mind, the actress spent days preparing for a completely different character.
The Harley Quinn Look That Never Made It to Screen
Hathaway fully embraced the role she believed she was chasing, even letting her wardrobe reflect Harley Quinn's eccentric personality.
'I spent a week developing demonic Harley Quinn energy,' she recalled.
She arrived wearing unusual jester-inspired flats and a striped top, believing the outfit captured the chaotic spirit of Batman's infamous villain.
Then came the moment she never expected. Nearly two hours into their conversation, Nolan casually revealed the truth.
'Chris is like, 'So, the part's Catwoman,' and I was like, 'Transform!'
The actress instantly abandoned everything she had prepared.
'I just then decided that I was like, 'Well, this top is very sensual.' And I was going to be very... like a psychopath. I changed personalities like a psychopath.'
Christopher Nolan's Famous Batman Secret
The story perfectly illustrates Nolan's reputation for keeping even his biggest stars guessing.
The filmmaker is known for revealing as little as possible during auditions, often withholding key plot details and character information until the right moment. Hathaway's experience was no exception, with the actress spending days preparing for a role that never existed.
At the time, her assumption was understandable.
Following Heath Ledger's unforgettable portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, many fans believed Harley Quinn could eventually appear in Nolan's grounded Gotham universe. Ledger's death in 2008 ultimately changed the direction of the trilogy, with The Dark Knight Rises instead introducing Catwoman alongside Talia al Ghul.
Fashion Helped Shape Two Very Distinct Characters
Although Hathaway's audition outfit was inspired by Harley Quinn, fashion unexpectedly became part of her rapid transformation into Selina Kyle.
The actress has often spoken about using clothing to unlock a character, and her quick shift from playful villain to sophisticated anti-hero demonstrated just how instinctively she works.
That attention to style later became central to her portrayal. Rather than comic book extravagance, Nolan's Catwoman wore sleek black tailoring, leather textures and practical accessories that suited his realistic vision of Gotham.
The streamlined catsuit and signature goggles quickly became one of the defining superhero looks of the 2010s, proving that understated styling could be just as powerful as elaborate costume design.
The Harley Quinn 'What If?' Fans Still Talk About
Hathaway's revelation has reignited one of Batman's biggest casting 'what ifs'.
Years before Margot Robbie made Harley Quinn a global phenomenon in Suicide Squad and Lady Gaga offered her own interpretation in Joker: Folie à Deux, Hathaway had unknowingly spent a week imagining her own version of the character.
Given Nolan's grounded filmmaking style, her Harley Quinn would almost certainly have looked very different—less flamboyant, more psychologically complex and rooted in realism rather than comic book spectacle.
It's a fascinating glimpse into an alternate version of the Batman universe that audiences never got to see.
The Surprise That Changed Everything
Released in 2012, The Dark Knight Rises became a worldwide box office success, with Hathaway's Catwoman widely praised as one of the film's standout performances.
Her portrayal balanced elegance, wit, vulnerability and danger, breathing new life into one of DC Comics' most enduring characters while earning praise from critics and fans alike.
Looking back, the actress's ability to discard an entire week's preparation and completely reinvent her performance in the middle of an audition may have been exactly what convinced Nolan he had found his Selina Kyle.
Ironically, the role Hathaway never expected to play became one of the defining performances of her career, proving that Christopher Nolan's biggest surprise was also one of his smartest casting decisions.
