J.K. Simmons In Talks To Return As Commissioner Gordon In Batgirl Movie
Fans recently learned that Leslie Grace would be portraying the beloved DC icon Batgirl in the [...]
Fans recently learned that Leslie Grace would be portraying the beloved DC icon Batgirl in the upcoming HBO Max movie, and while we're still waiting on more details about her take on Barbara Gordon, a new report by THR says that J.K. Simmons could be making his DC movie universe return in the project. He is evidently in talks to reprise the role of Barbara's father Commissioner Gordon in the film, a role he last played in Zack Snyder's Justice League. The landscape has changed quite a bit since he initially signed on for DC's expanding movie universe, so it's nice to have him back in the fold.
Simmons was cast in Snyder's Justice League and had signed on for three movies, which at the time include the Justice League sequel. That obviously didn't play out as anyone expected, and it would be a while before people saw Snyder's full cut of the film in the four-hour Zack Snyder's Justice League cut that hit HBO Max.
Simmons previously told ComicBook.com "Listen, I'm willing to look at anything in the future. I'm just glad that Zack finally was able to have his vision realized, and that it's out there and people can see the movie that he had hoped to make originally."
While Simmons isn't featured much in the movie, fans enjoyed his take on the character for as brief as it is, and now he'll get to interact with his daughter and secret superhero Barbara. In the comics, Jim and Barbara are quite close, even though Jim doesn't know she's Batgirl for a while. He does eventually let her in on the fact that he is aware of her secret identity, but it remains to be seen how the film will approach it.
Batgirl will be an HBO Max exclusive movie and will be directed by Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The project is being written by Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), who also wrote Bumblebee for Paramount.
Barbara Gordon will also appear in this year's Titans season 3 and will be played by Savannah Welch. In that version, the character is actually Commissioner, following in her dad's footsteps, and will reunite with Dick Grayson after he returns to Gotham.
Titans Season 3 hits later this year, while Batgirl is expected to hit in 2022.
What do you want to see from DC's Batgirl movie? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things Batgirl and DC with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!