Rumor: Batgirl may not be in 'Birds of Prey'

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July 8, 2018

Margot Robbie revealed a lot of new info this weekend about her Harley Quinn "girl gang" movie which she even referred to as "Birds of Prey". We had heard that there were multiple Birds of Prey scripts, each with different characters, but that the only constant between them were Harley Quinn and Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl). According to a new rumor, Batgirl will not be appearing in the movie.

Last night I tweeted that I thought introducing Batgirl in a R-rated Birds of Prey movie was an interesting choice, given the fact that her solo movie will likely be PG-13 and she has the potentially to be a hero for young girls just like Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was. That's when The Wrap reporter Umberto Gonzalez tweeted at me that Batgirl is NOT in Birds of Prey.

Well, that is quite easy to answer because BATGIRL is NOT in #BIRDSOFPREY
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) July 8, 2018

He then seemed to imply that Barbara Gordon could still be in the movie, but not as Batgirl.

They didn't say that on the record, rather Justin tweeted. Profound difference. Was decided recently no Batgirl. Attention to detail, I didn't say Barbara Gordon, I said Batgirl. ðŸ˜‰
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) July 8, 2018

With Margot Robbie saying she hopes Birds of Prey starts shooting in January, we should be getting casting news soon. That should put a lot of these rumors to rest and give fans answers as to who exactly will be teaming up with Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey.

What do you make of the news that Batgirl may not be in the movie? Let me know in the comments below.

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73 comments

ZaQueerdo
July 8, 2018
Wow. So he's hinting at Oracle? That'd be pretty dope if they had the balls to go through with it.
It would then beg the obvious question: if true, does this mean the Batgirl movie is gonna be a prequel, or that it's gonna involve another Batgirl like Cassandra Cain or Stephanie Brown?
1. TheMacJew
  July 8, 2018
  A sequel, perhaps, if they go the New 52 route, allowing a surgery to fix the problem. But I think if they introduce Babs as Oracle, then they'll go with either Cain or Brown.
2. Shadowknight1
  July 8, 2018
  Or Harley's gang being no-gooders influences Barbara into becoming Batgirl when her movie rolls around?
3. Hunter Zolomon
  July 8, 2018
  I would kill for Cass to be Batgirl in the films, she's fucking awesome and way more badass then Babs.
Jim Shields
July 8, 2018
Robbie just called it a "girl gang" movie. It might not be the "Birds of Prey" as we know them. Maybe it's Harley,Ivy,and Selena?
1. BatmanNewsChris
  July 8, 2018
  She called it "Birds of Prey" in an interview this weekend. But you're right, it doesn't mean we're getting an exact copy of what it's like in the comics. https://batman-news.com/201...
2. ZaQueerdo
  July 8, 2018
  She referred to it as Birds of Prey during an interview with Flickering Myth. About 24 seconds in.
  https://www.youtube.com/wat...
3. ItzSilentStorm
  July 8, 2018
  But then why woul she cal it birds of prey and not Gotham city sirens?
  1. Abbey Bominable
    July 9, 2018
    Maybe they are using a fake title for now? And then surprise us with the real title later on?
Mike
July 8, 2018
Can you use Batman-News.com twitter to ask why Warner Bros seems to not know anything about the DC properties they own? There's a reason Marvel movies are good and successful, and it's not just taking their time to hash out a story. They also KNOW and CARE about their characters coming to life on big screen almost as if they jump off the pages. WB and DC just seem to try for cash grabs. Sorry but a Birds of Prey movie with no Batgirl and with Harley(which from the press and everything seems to be the face of the movie) as the star seems a bit dumb and unfaithful to source. Read a comic WB. PLEASE!
1. ZaQueerdo
  July 8, 2018
  Batgirl actually WASN'T a member of the Birds of Prey for the vast majority of the team's existence. Her being part of the team is a very recent addition that only happened with the New 52. Prior to that, Barbara Gordon was the leader of the team as Oracle for most of the books.
2. SJ1986
  July 8, 2018
  It hasn't even been announced officially. There's no cast info, only rumours. You've imagined a situation and got annoyed about it!
  1. Cobi Wegner
    July 9, 2018
    But it has a director
3. Nahuel Benvenuto
  July 8, 2018
  You havent watched a Marvel (disney) movie at all, havent you?
  1. Hunter Zolomon
    July 8, 2018
    Neither have you.
  2. Mike
    July 9, 2018
    I have seen them all. And they are almost all good popcorn flicks, as superhero movies should be. They don't need to be somehow both overthought and have no direction(which is a feat in itself to be that terrible.) Maybe it's Snyder's fault for starting the DCEU off in the gutter. Or maybe it's WBs for allowing it. Whatever it is, it doesn't change the fact that they are undoubtedly worse than anything ive seen in the MCU.
Sassybat
July 8, 2018
I wish they would just commit to Gotham city sirens. But I do wonder if the hold up in any official announcement is because Matt reeves’ Batman and how all the batman related characters are suppose to interacte with Batman
CitiZeN_KaNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 8, 2018
Give me some Shazam/aquaman news
1. BatmanNewsChris
  July 8, 2018
  You're less than two weeks away! You'll be getting a lot of that at San Diego Comic-Con, including some trailers!
  1. BatmanNewsChris
    July 8, 2018
    Well if you mean real news and not just a trailer... it was 2013 when they announced BvS. They announced Flashpoint last year and that'll probably never happen now!
    1. Hunter Zolomon
      July 8, 2018
      What's "REAL" news? Announcements and trailers is pretty all your going to get as always, the last two SDCC were pretty generous with trailers from WB so i expect the same this year.
El Murcielago
July 8, 2018
Why call it birds of prey then?
1. Flower & Monster & Golden Calf
  July 8, 2018
  They're not calling it Birds of Prey. The media is.
  1. ItzSilentStorm
    July 8, 2018
    well tbf Margot seemed to confirm thats what it would be called when the interviewer asked if it was Brids of Prey.
Kouglof
July 8, 2018
I've seen Umberto, I've stopped reading the article, this blogger is not a reliable source lol.
NinjaGamer13
July 8, 2018
Oracle for the win!
Flower & Monster & Golden Calf
July 8, 2018
How many times has Umberto guy been right though. Just rumors. Who knows.
Nahuel Benvenuto
July 8, 2018
Random movie casting ideas hollywood should do:
Karen Gillian as Batgirl
Jake Gyllenhaal as the Joker
Stephen Lang as Cable
1. Christian Cerna
  July 9, 2018
  JG would be a better Riddler. Or even Nightwing
BornAgainPCGamer
July 8, 2018
Ok if she is Oracle, this makes more sense, since we have a Batman that has been operating for 20years. However it begs the question, what the hell was she doing since MoS? Bruce hasn't contacted her or mentioned her once. I hope they have a good reason for this. Even if its just a couple of lines of dialogue to explain it and then on with the movie. As long as its somewhat plausible, I'm good.
Without Batgirl though they really should just call this film Gotham City Sirens.
1. OptimistPrime99
  July 8, 2018
  As for the lack of Batfamily references so far in the DCEU? The only explanation would be that Bruce was estranged from all of them. Similar to what he became in the Batman Beyond future.
  1. BornAgainPCGamer
    July 9, 2018
    Yeah i could see this happening, especially since how this Bruce has been portrayed so far.
2. Hunter Zolomon
  July 8, 2018
  I think its pretty clear since the death of Jason that Bruce shut himself off from everyone what become even worse since the events of MoS. Nightwing is no doubt in Bludhaven and Babs if she has had a career as Batgirl is most likely doing her own thing.
  Its easy to buy as both Batman Beyond and The Dark Knight Returns has a Bruce whose shut himself off from everyone (barring Alfred and Gordon in TDKR).
  1. BornAgainPCGamer
    July 9, 2018
    Ok i can go along with this. It wouldn't take much, just a few lines of dialogue about how her and Batmans other sidekicks had to walk away after the death of Robin. Might lesson them as characters though, to have walked away from Bruce when he clearly needed help. Still it sems to be easiest way to explain their absence.
3. ZaQueerdo
  July 8, 2018
  The realistic answer here is that I doubt the franchise is gonna be overly concerned with honoring what happened in Batman v. Superman going forward.
  1. BornAgainPCGamer
    July 9, 2018
    They may well go that direction but for me that doesnt do the characters justice. You cant try and build a movie universe and just ask to people to ignore the films that set up said universe. Either hit the reset button with Barry and his time travelling or give us a fairly plausible reason for the absence of certain characters so far. Don't just ask us to ignore some movies in the franchise cause they didnt do well as expected.
4. NinjaGamer13
  July 8, 2018
  What would she possibly have contributed? There’s no reason for her to have a presence in MoS
  1. BornAgainPCGamer
    July 9, 2018
    Im talking about the DCEU as a whole since MoS. I ment where has she been since Superman arrived and everything thats happened since. There was multiple times it would have been helpful for Bruce to have been in contact with Oracle.
OptimistPrime99
July 8, 2018
https://uploads.disquscdn.c... https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
Bruce Wayne
July 8, 2018
Is this movie still going into production? Did WB/DC say that further DCEU movies will be contingent upon the success of Aquaman, WW, and Shazaam?
1. Cobi Wegner
  July 9, 2018
  No one said that
Ksigri
July 8, 2018
So they are only introducing the character of Barbara Gordon without her being Batgirl? I guess they leave that for her movie. It could work as an R-rated film even though I would much rather see a Gotham City Sirens team up!!! Also, there was a rumour a few months back (I don't remember from where) that the GCS movie was contractually linked with David Ayer and since they didn't want him anymore they would keep the GCS trio but they would change the name of the movie to circumvent him. Is any of that possibly true?
1. Abbey Bominable
  July 9, 2018
  I hope not. I hope they are just telling us a fake title to surprise us with a real title later on...
The Gaming Maniac
July 8, 2018
geez whats the point of making it birds of prey then? just call it Sirens
1. dr. quinzel
  July 8, 2018
  1. The legal reason: David Ayer was developing Gotham City Sirens and if you call it that you’re way too likely to get sued by David Ayer or have David Ayer decide he has creative control over the project when you want David Ayer to be happily making Bright 2.
  2. The creative reason: as soon as you call them Gotham City Sirens you’re defining them by the fact that men find them attractive. Birds of Prey announces a girl gang movie, which is what the woman producing the film correctly wants.
  David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens is a bunch of psycho bitches in torn clothing firing automatic weapons. Margot Robbie’s Birds of Prey is a crazy girl power movie with fun women in awesome outfits. You want it explicit that Margot Robbie is the ultimate creative power reporting directly to DC.
  1. ItzSilentStorm
    July 8, 2018
    are you a feminist?
    1. Hunter Zolomon
      July 8, 2018
      He/she's right though about what Ayer would do, his film would be a male gaze film designed for primary for a young male audience.
      1. ItzSilentStorm
        July 8, 2018
        maybe. Ayer is just into a certain culture and tone. I dont have a problem with some sexualization if the tone calls for it(like a strip club scene in Gotham or something). Personally, I never saw anything that I would necessarily deem super inappropriate or demeaning in Suicide Squad. Yes there were a few booty shots but the only one to me that felt maybe a bit unnecessary was from one of the extended cut scenes where the camera slowly pans up Harley's legs.
      2. Hunter Zolomon
        July 8, 2018
        I don't think SS was demeaning to women but i do think it verged on it and his depiction of Harley was terrible despite Robbie's fantastic performance. Give him a all female cast where all 3 leads are sexual characters and hot and its pretty clear on how Ayer would treat it. I can imagine Robbie would want stay true to the characters but not just treat them as characters what teenage boys can just lust over and fantasize about.
      3. dr. quinzel
        July 8, 2018
        And stipulated, I’m picking on David Ayer, who had six weeks to write Suicide Squad. The more general statement is, there’s a type of guy who really really wants to write this type of movie and you really really don’t want him anywhere near it. Give Joss Whedon a three-week rewrite on Birds of Prey and it will suddenly be all about about Harley Quinn and Barbara Gordon being psycho-sexually abused by the Joker. Margot Robbie had the girl-power gang movie vision that got this movie greenlit, let her and the people she picks guide this movie.
      4. ItzSilentStorm
        July 8, 2018
        i can see that but at the same time i also dont think Robbie is afraid to go an edgier route at times. I mean shes the one who got this movie to be R rated. Now what exactly that R rating will entail though,...who can say atm
    2. dr. quinzel
      July 8, 2018
      If you want the massive goodwill effect that powered Wonder Woman and Black Panther to such heights, you need a movie your audience recognizes as a movie made by and for them. Everyone else is welcome too, but you MUST make your target audience feel that you understand and appreciate them.
dr. quinzel
July 8, 2018
It could also be she’s just Barbara Gordon in Birds of Prey, then she becomes Batgirl in Batgirl. Like the way Marvel established Evangeline Lilly in Ant Man before she officially became The Wasp.
It does seem to be accepted fact that Christina Hodson moved on to Batgirl after getting Birds of Prey greenlit. To me that implies that DC wants continuity and the person who becomes Batgirl appears in Birds of Prey.
1. Hunter Zolomon
  July 8, 2018
  So they want to do a Birds film without its leader and main core character? It would make way more sense to do Batgirl first if they want to do her origin first.
  1. dr. quinzel
    July 8, 2018
    Well, my guess is it is her origin. You use Harley and the others so that the origin of Batgirl doesn’t have to carry the movie, it’s more of a B story. You then can watch your Barbara Gordon actress and the reaction to her before you commit money to a solo Batgirl movie.
    As others have guessed, it feels like Umberto Gonzalez is playing Riddler, making a big deal of slight distinctions to stir the pot and get attention.
    1. Hunter Zolomon
      July 8, 2018
      My main problem is the Birds are her team, she's the one character you think off with the BoP. Imagine if JL last year had a team that didn't have the Trinity and The Flash, it just wouldn't make sense and be a disservice the team and characters. Frankly i don't even think Batgirl needs a origin film, its not an exciting origin and it will just slow the film down for an hour before the film actually gives us the reason we have came to watch, if they really must have an origin just do a Deadpool and show the key moments in Flashbacks (DP would have sucked if his origin wasn't done that way).
      1. dr. quinzel
        July 8, 2018
        But you have to remember it’s a business and DC is getting back on its feet. If you do a solo Batgirl movie with an unknown actress and it tanks that’s a setback you can’t afford. Harley is hugely popular and everyone agrees that Margot Robbie as Harley works, so you let her carry the first movie. And then if all goes well you come out of Birds of Prey with a Barbara Gordon that the world likes, and you’re in a much stronger position to make Batgirl.
      2. Hunter Zolomon
        July 8, 2018
        I agree but that doesn't mean BoP shouldn't have Batgirl, a solo Batgirl film could be done WW style and set before BoP what then tells her origin.
Dave
July 8, 2018
I really hope it's not true and that's Batgirl is in this movie.
Barbara Gordon as Batgirl has never been in a live action movie. It's about time she is, starting with this movie and than her own movie and hopefully Batfamily movies.
Id rather not have Oracle but if we do i wouldnt mind a glimpse of her and than Barbara has the operation to fix her spine.
Batgirl deserves some movie time and she has never had it. Also you can't include Batman and Robins Batgirl cause that was NOT Barbara Gordon, that was some rip off called Barbara Wilson who didn't even wear a cowl which I hated.
Hunter Zolomon
July 8, 2018
So Oracle then? and does that mean Babs won't be the Batgirl of the DCEU but maybe and i hope that Cass is? Really though Babs better be in it because its her team whether she's Oracle or Batgirl, it would be like leaving out the Trinity in a Justice League film.
Orlando Furioso
July 8, 2018
Put in Huntress then
john
July 8, 2018
I think the filmakers are creating a different Birds of Prey than what has been depicted in the comics. The BoP within the comics had the Batgirl but maybe they are recreating it for the movie.
ItzSilentStorm
July 8, 2018
Batgirl in an R rated movie just seems questionable. Oracle with possible references to TKJ makes a bit more sense
Mark
July 8, 2018
First, given the source it needs to be said:
Maybe.
Second, downvote.
The Doctor
July 8, 2018
You know....I try very hard to be supportive of DC films, but sometimes they make it extremely difficult. Thank god for alcohol, makes the pain go away.
StarTheory
July 8, 2018
If we go based on previous dumbass decisions made so far in this universe, Harley is probably going to take her spot.
Police Android #23
July 8, 2018
“Fans fell in love with Harley in a PG-13 movie, some will be left out now”
I think the idea of R-rated movies losing a lot of the audience is rubbish. Kids will see an R-rated Birds of Prey or Batgirl or whatever if they really want to. Predator? I saw that shit in the theatre and loved every second of it. Kids will always try and find a way to get something they’re told is taboo or “not good for kids,” no matter what it is.
There may not be BILLION$ in the R-rated industry, but the movie studios are still raking in an insane amount of money - enough, in my opinion, to take some risks here and there with original and more-mature ideas (*cough*Snyder*cough*). Too bad they’re not willing to take very many risks anymore. Thanks, Greed, Nostalgia, Fan Entitlement, and Parenting Paranoia!
1. Flower & Monster & Golden Calf
  July 8, 2018
  Yeah, the kids that saw SS years ago are now adults that can watch 'R' rated movies. This argument is as silly can be.
Godspeed
July 8, 2018
Why is Harley even in Birds of Prey ? She is not a member of that team, she is a member of the Gotham Sirens.
Or lets rather ask why do they even call this Birds of Prey to begin with ? Most likely Huntress and Canary won't even be in it, so what is the point ? Now it seems no Batgirl either.
Of course it could be that Joker already crippled Barbara and she will be Oracle instead like in the original BoP comics. That WOULD be awesome. But only with Dinah and Helena at her side as the BoP not Harley.
Let Harley and Joker be the villains and let Harley even betray Joker and side with the BoP but don't make her an actual member just because of popularity.
On another note, R-rated is awesome and fitting for the brutal world that is Gotham. For once they put creative reasons over commercial ones. You should not question that Chris, you should PRAISE it. Suicide Squad should have already been R-rated.
1. Kerk Lastnameless
  July 8, 2018
  It would be awesome for you as a fan in the know. But for the general audience it will be as confusing as other DC movies. There is no Oracle without Batgirl first.
andrew
July 8, 2018
I think everyone assumes just because Margot looks like Harley, her vision for these movies is what we want. She could be way off, trying something unlike the comics at all.
Bruce
July 8, 2018
I bet we find out when we go see the movie!
Lee Sharp
July 9, 2018
Oracle should be in the movie not Batgirl, as should Canary and Huntress, they are the core of Birds of Prey, they do anything else and we could have a heap of sh1T like BVS was, a complete twisted mess.

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