Batgirl: Brendan Fraser to Play Villain in DC's HBO Max Movie
10/25/2021 03:40 pm EDT
Batgirl has officially found its latest cast member. On Monday, it was announced that actor Brendan Fraser has been cast in the upcoming film, which will make its debut on the HBO Max streaming service. Reports are indicating that Fraser is portraying DC villain Firefly, who had been rumored to be appearing in the movie in some capacity. Fraser will join Leslie Grace (In the Heights) as Barbara Gordon / Batgirl, with J.K. Simmons expected to return as Commissioner James Gordon, and Jacob Scipio (Bad Boys For Life) cast in a currently-unknown role.
Fraser is no stranger to the DC universe, currently providing the voice of Robotman for HBO Max's Doom Patrol TV show. His filmography also includes The Mummy, George of the Jungle, and Monkeybone.
Initially created by Frances Herron and Dick Sprang in 1952's Detective Comics #184, Firefly is also known as Garfield Lynns, and is a pyromaniac supervillain and a recurring villain of the Bat family. Both Firefly and Killer Moth play major roles in the Batgirl: Year One comic miniseries, which redefined Barbara Gordon's origin in the early 2000s. Firefly previously appeared in live-action on the first season of Arrow, where he was portrayed by Andrew Dunbar. A female incarnation of the character, Bridgit Pike, also appeared on Fox's Gotham.
The Batgirl film has been in the works in some capacity since 2017, and has ramped up development in recent months, enlisting Ms. Marvel and Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to helm the upcoming project. The Batgirl script is written by Christina Hodson, whose work includes Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and the upcoming The Flash movie.
"I've never fought in my life, so we are working really hard every day to get my body used to all the motions!" Grace said in a recent interview with Billboard of her preparation for the film. "I'm also reading a ton of comics and, believe it or not, keeping my eye out for tweets from our beloved DC comic fans to see what they are excited to see in my iteration of Babs! Research is everything."
"I'm so excited to honor this iconic character whose legacy spans over 50 years," Grace continued. "It's a huge responsibility but also an honor -- and I want to do my very best to make sure she gets the best of all I have to give!"
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