Superhero movies aren’t exactly famous for female representation. Generally, that representation comes in the form of leather swimsuit-esque costumes and little else. In 1985, Alison Bechdel wrote a comic strip called The Rule, which appeared in Dykes to Watch Out For. The Rule became the basis for what we know of now as the Bechdel Test: simply, it’s a test for gauging female representation in a film. There are three rules. First, there must be at least two named women in it. Second, those women have to talk to each other. And third, their conversation has to be about something besides a man. So, of course, we decided to create our own DC movies Bechdel Test rankings. The results may actually surprise you.
Batman Returns (1992)
If you were hoping Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle would be enough of a badass female character to carry Batman Returns into a higher position on this list, we’re sorry to disappoint you. Not only are there zero woman to woman conversations to try and break down by topic, but there isn’t even a second named female character. Zero out of three — “Ice Princess” and “Poodle Lady” are not names, dammit.