“Birds of Prey” Cast Revealed

A cast list is being reported for the upcoming DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey, which includes an interesting blend of expected and surprising characters.

Based on the comic book of the same name, Birds of Prey focuses on a team usually consisting only of female superheroes. It is loosely tied to the Batman mythos and similarly tends to focus on street-level crime.

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The film has been getting some buzz lately, with Cathy Yan hired to direct it, with the script written by Christina Hodson. Some rumors say that it will be the first movie released after Wonder Woman 1984, which would give it a release date in early 2020.

It has already been widely reported that Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, will be a main character. This is an odd choice, given that she is not really associated with the comic book team and, well, is kind of a villain. That said, Robbie’s take on the character became quite popular after Suicide Squad, and Harley is increasingly becoming known as an anti-hero who helps fight off worse criminals, so an alliance with the good guys is not out of the question.

Comic readers will not be surprised to hear that Huntress and Black Canary will be on the team, seeing as they are mainstays of the group. Huntress is the daughter of murdered mobsters and is the most violent of the team; Black Canary is a long-established heroine who is an expert martial artist, and also has a sonic scream which she calls her “Canary Cry.”

Renee Montoya is another surprise, though. A Gotham cop, in the comics she eventually became the superhero detective Question, a title she may use here. She did work with the team for a time, but declined membership.

Most surprising is Cassandra Cain, who became the second Batgirl after Barbara Gordon. It’s Barbara who traditionally leads the team, and if she’s still supposed to be Batgirl in the DCEU (as most believe), then it’s odd that Cassie is even a superhero yet. Given her pivotal role, it will be odd to make a Birds of Prey film without Barbara; then again, Cassie is rarely used in adaptations, so it could certainly be interesting to finally see her on the big screen.