Batgirl Writer Teases Big Movie Plans Coming Soon

The first trailer for Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) debuted last week, providing fans with the first full look at the DC Extended Universe’s next entry. The ensemble film will follow a team-up between some of DC’s most beloved female characters, such as Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). Leading up to and following the trailer’s release, fans have wondered why Barbara Gordon isn’t part of the film’s ensemble — but it sounds like it’s for a good reason. Gail Simone, who had an iconic run on both Batgirl and Birds of Prey, recently took to Twitter to voice her excitement for the upcoming movie. When a fan mentioned their disappointment that Barbara isn’t featured in Birds of Prey, Simone reassured fans that “a lot of love” for Barbara will soon be coming in the movies.

Barbara’s presence in the DCEU has been something fans have been hoping for, ever since a Batgirl solo film was initially put into development years ago. While Barbara Gordon has yet to be officially cast, the film is being written by Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson. A report from August indicated that the film currently searching of a director.

“I can say so little about this one, but I can tell you I’m having so much fun writing her.” Hodson told ComicBook.com late last year. “She is such a great character and so different than [Birds of Prey‘s] Harley [Quinn]. Yeah, I’m having a blast, and I can’t tell you any of the things that I’m doing! I’m just excited for her to be holding her own against all the other superheroes.”

“I’m in the middle of falling in love with her,” Hodson said in a subsequent interview. “I always feel differently at the beginning, middle, and end. Charlie feels like an old friend now, because that was a while ago and because she is so personally inspired. Harley just feels like my crazy alter ego. When I’m feeling nuts, that’s what Harley is. And Batgirl… honestly, it’s funny, there’s a little piece of me in every character I write. They start with me, and then they take on a life of their own.”

“She’s been through so many iterations,” Hodson said. “There’s certain characteristics of hers that are always there that I’m excited to develop further. Whenever I’m writing a character who’s based on someone who’s existed in a previous form, whether it’s comics or a movie or anything, I always hope to bring something new to them and bring them to life in their own way, even if they fairly iconic like Harley Quinn or Batgirl. I think fans want the original, to be honest, but they also want to see something they haven’t seen before.”

Upcoming DC movies include 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 2 on December 16, 2022.