Though 2022’s The Batman has a full roster of major DC characters, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, played by Zoë Kravitz, is a standout character. Her arc leads her to avenge her mother’s murder by none other than her own father, Carmine Falcone, after she discovers his culpability. The latter is the top crime boss in Gotham City, a role that requires ruthlessness to keep. Kravitz is joined in the cast by John Turturro as Falcone, Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb/the Penguin, Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/the Riddler, and Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Introduced as a waitress at the Iceberg Lounge, Selina acts as a cat burglar and drug dealer, using her job to take advantage of Falcone and his underling, the Penguin. She resents her father for letting her go into foster care despite knowing she was his daughter out of wedlock. Because of this, Selina becomes friends with Annika, who gets wrapped up in a conspiracy that leads to her murder. After Selina discovers Falcone is responsible for her friend’s death, she confronts him.

Carmine Falcone’s Attack On Catwoman Is Far More Sinister After The Penguin

In response to Selina’s attack, Falcone tries to strangle her upon gaining the upper hand. As he attempts to take Selina’s life, her father states: “you made me do this, just like your mother.” Batman intervenes before Falcone could hurt Selina any further, and he discourages Selina from taking revenge. When she exclaims that “he has to pay,” Batman replies: “You don’t have to pay with him. You paid enough.”

It’s an emotionally effective scene that furthers Selina’s arc by showing the morally grey character making the right choice. Falcone dies anyway, but not by Selina’s hand. Falcone’s death leads directly into the events of The Penguin, which follows the title character’s grab for power in the vacuum left by his boss. His primary opposition is Selina’s half-sister, Sofia Falcone.

This shocking reveal adds new context to Falcone’s attack on Selina, as she would be joining a long line of victims including both her mother and Sofia’s.

Like Selina, Sofia was wronged by their father. However, what happened to her was far more sinister. After she discovered Falcone was a serial killer called the Hangman who strangled women, he framed her for his crimes and had her sent to Arkham Asylum. This shocking reveal adds new context to Falcone’s attack on Selina, as she would be joining a long line of victims including both her mother and Sofia’s.

The Batman’s Carmine Falcone Reveal Was The Perfect Way To Tease The Universe’s Twist

While it’s not certain that the Hangman reveal was planned two years before The Penguin, the twist was perfectly foreshadowed by The Batman. Selina’s fight with Falcone was a tense scene with a substantial narrative payoff, but that setup has aged extremely well as it primed audiences for the shocker that Falcone was—in addition to a mob boss—a notorious serial killer. As a result, rewatching The Batman is much more interesting after the release of The Penguin.