Birds of Prey Fans Are Mixed on Ewan McGregor's Black Mask

DC may end 2019 with a big win for its Joker movie, but the studio is really gearing up for a big [...]

By Kofi Outlaw

DC may end 2019 with a big win for its Joker movie, but the studio is really gearing up for a big run in 2020. DC's 2020 slate will be all about the ladies, with the much-hyped summer sequel Wonder Woman 1984, and the highly-anticipated debut of DC's Birds of Prey. We've now gotten the first official teaser footage for Birds of Prey, plus an official poster. That's not much, but it's certainly been enough for DC fans and trolls alike to form some immediate (snap?) judgements about the film. One of the earliest targets of fan rancor? Ewan McGregor's take on the character of Roman Sionis, aka Black Mask!

Scroll below for a sampling of what DC fans are saying about McGregor's version of Black Mask in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)!

No Mask, No Love

The fact that Birds of Prey has debuted imagery of Black Mask - without actually featuring the signature black mask - immediately got a certain sector of DC fans riled up.

prevnext

#NotMyBlackMask

Ewan McGregor's Black Mask performance may have had slightly concerned, based on the Birds of Prey trailer, but the poster image has sealed the "controversy" for some. For others, the poster is simply teasing a version of Roman Sionis that hasn't yet gone full Black Mask.

prevnext

This is Black Mask

Other DC fans are bringing out the receipts to prove that whatever is going on with McGregor in these Birds of Prey promo materials, it is still not a proper fit for who and what Black Mask is.

prevnext

Rumor Troubles

One things that seems to clearly be influencing the discussion about Ewan McGregor's Black Mask performance in Birds of Prey are those rumored script leaks about the film. As you can see above, those leaks paint a very... different kind of picture for who Black Mask is, and it is not anything that fans would expect.

prevnext

The Next DCEU Victim

The DC movie franchise hasn't had a very beloved or celebrated track record when it comes to adapting characters for the movie screen - certainly not in the case of villains. Lex Luthor and Joker were two very big misses for the franchise, and some fans are beginning to feel that Black Mask is going to be the next big miss.

prevnext

Miami Vice

The biggest problem for some DC fans isn't that Black Mask is appearing here without his mask - it's that Roman looks like the same attempt at creating a "modern gangster" archetype that resulted in Jared Leto's much

prevnext

Worse Than Suicide Squad

Whether justified or not, Birds of Prey causing fans to doubt that it could be better than Suicide Squad is a horrible Public Relations shadow that the film now has to escape from under.

prevnext

The Right Black Mask

This fan isn't just complaining about what she doesn't like - she (and a lot of other fans) have a clear indication of the version of Black Mask they wanted to see onscreen.

prevnext

It's Harley's Fault

Some fans are already beginning to turn on Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn for this and many other problems with Birds of Prey. As they see it, Harley isn't a true piece of the Birds of Prey brand (in the comics its a team of Gotham City Heroines only...), and therefore spinning this film in her direction is bending if not breaking DC Comics continuity.

prevnext

Going to Be Lit

Some DC fans never let their hopes get dragged down, and this fan is keeping that spark alive with some level-headed prediction that Birds of Prey *will* give us the Black Mask we want and deserve, once the full film is out for fans to see.

Upcoming DC movies include Joker on October 4th, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2on December 16, 2022.

prev
14comments
Comments ( 14 )

of