Batgirl: It’s Happening, And It’s About Time!

It’s official. There’s going to be a Batgirl movie, probably released in 2019. The legendary Joss Whedon is to direct it… aaaand that’s about all we know about it, for now. Joss Whedon, of course, has more than earned his stripes over the years, and so he’ll be a perfect fit. Moving from Marvel to DC for Warner Bros, the project will see him writing, directing and producing the movie, and it looks bound to be received with much acclaim.

Why Now?

Well, it’s 2017, and quite simply, Batgirl deserves this. She’s been around since the 60’s, suffered her fair share of controversy, and was finally revived in 2011 – so they’ve been building up to put her front and center for a while. Arguably, she’s deserving of attention, and it’s no secret that Warner have dreamed of adapting her story for her own epic for a long time now.

There’s also the very fact that Batman is hugely popular in our culture, and so it just makes total sense. From boxer shorts in the drawers of every young man, through to Sun Bingo including Batman and Batgirl in their slot games, the franchise is something which is familiar to a large majority of people growing up in America, and indeed, the Western World. The aforementioned slots are officially licensed, as well as lots of merchandise, but the bat symbol keeps popping up in the most interesting places: you can even get Batman coffee!

Ever since the original Batman of Adam West on the television show, Batman movies have seen some impressive all-star casts across their many incarnations, so hopefully, the Batgirl movie can pull in the same level of names, and create the kind of hype that will make it all the more relevant for our time. 

We’re no longer stuck in the past – women are credible as strong characters and it’s not seen as a risk anymore to give them their own movies. It may have taken a while to get there, but thankfully, we’ve reached that point. 

Who will Star?

This information hasn’t been released as yet, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from talking, not at all. 

While Joss Whedon sure knows his stuff (credentials ranging from Buffy The Vampire Slayer to Avengers, to name just a few), it will certainly be interesting to see how he incorporates diversity in the cast and even the plot, as a man writing about a strong female lead. It’s great to see so much excitement for a female superhero, but how about a woman of color to play her? They are certainly underrepresented in the industry, and this is something which concerns Mark Hughes, who writes for Forbes.

Hughes has offered a diverse list of picks for actresses to star in the movie, ranging from Emma Watson (the beloved Hermione Granger, of course), to Zoe Kravitz (who you’ll know from the likes of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and Mad Max). However, the favorite actress tipped for this top role is Jane Levy, which it seems a majority of fans would agree with!

Perhaps with the release of the Batgirl movie, though, the decision could be made to showcase the talents of a woman who might not traditionally have felt she had a space in the superhero world, which in turn would make more young girls interested in superheroes. After all, Hollywood influences us, whether we like it or not. Therefore, it’s not just fussing to make an effort to include women, or women from a range of backgrounds. Casting directors, take note.

A New Era for Female Superheroes?

Hopefully, the decision of casting Batgirl isn’t going to be the only opportunity for talented young actresses across the board. We can’t just release Batgirl, and then pat ourselves on the back for a job well done in releasing films with female heroes. We’re fairly confident that Whedon will step up to the mark – after all, Buffy is his brainchild, and she was an independent woman and arguably a hero for many young women growing up in the past few decades. 

Thankfully, Batgirl isn’t the only female superhero movie in the works. We’ve got Wonder Woman coming out in June, as well. Hopefully, this is just the start of people realising that female superheroes can be every bit as amazing and inspiring as their male counterparts.