Grace says that Barbara Gordon’s journey will be one where she proves her capabilities
In July, Warner Bros. announced that singer/songwriter and actress Leslie Grace will portray Barbara Gordon in the upcoming Batgirl movie.
Batgirl debuted in 1961, and Betty Kane originally donned the mask and Cape for the Batman sidekick. But the most notable incarnation of the character was by Barbara Gordon, Commissioner James Gordon’s daughter. Barbara had appeared on movies and shows, such as Adam West’s Batman tv show and Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin. But yet, the character was never fully under the spotlight. Warner Bros. and DC Films has changed this with her live-action movie, and it is currently developing for HBO Max.
The Production Team
The movie sat on the drawing table for a few years, but couldn’t finalise on a writer or director. After a lot of changes and exits, Birds of Prey and The Flash writer Christina Hodson will pen the screenplay, and Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah, the director duo of Bad Boys for Life are the directors. Grace got casted following these decisions.
Grace’s take on the character
Grace explained that Barbara is someone who is underestimated even by her own father. Being the youngest kid, she never got to experience the harsh sides of life and due to her father’s overprotectiveness. Now, she is eager to prove herself. Barbara is someone who has tremendous drive and can be stubborn like her father, so she’s more than ready to face whatever obstacles she finds.
Grace was excited from the start to play the character, and also got plenty of encouragement from fellow DCEU actresses Margot Robbie and Jurnee Smollett. This will be the second DCEU movie to feature a female superhero lead after the Wonder Woman franchise.