It's no secret that Ben Affleck's Batman is the cornerstone of the DC Extended Universe. The Dark Knight's appearances in Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad have received avalanches of praise, and Warner Bros. has apparently picked up on that. Several new Bat Family related projects have been announced over the course of the last few months, but the latest one (and the man behind it) is arguably the most intriguing of the bunch. We've just learned that Joss Whedon could soon take on a Batgirl movie for the DCEU, and we officially couldn't be more excited.
A new report indicates that Joss Whedon is currently in talks with Warner Bros. to take the reins on a Batgirl movie. If he signs onto the project, Variety says he will write, produce, and direct the film. This development is the newest reported project added to the DCEU slate, and if it comes together, it will be the first live-action depiction of Barbara Gordon on the silver screen since 1997's Batman & Robin when Alicia Silverstone wore the mask. To call this an exciting development would be a massive understatement. Joss Whedon is one of the quintessential masters of geek culture, and his ability to work in an established fictional world was put on perfect display by Marvel in The Avengers, and even The Avengers: Age of Ultron. He's also really effective at working with strong female protagonists like Barbara Gordon, so it's hard to imagine a better choice to helm this project
Of course, the prospect of a Batgirl movie raises questions about the type of storyline that we will see. Will this be a classic, standalone Batgirl movie? Will it be a love story with Dick Grayson? Will it be a retelling of The Killing Joke that sets up the paraplegic hero, Oracle, for Gotham City Sirens? At this point, it's impossible to tell, but the abundance of possibilities excites us to no end. Personally, I think this movie would be wise to (at the very least) hint at the possibility of Oracle showing up because she's a great version of Barbara Gordon and a phenomenal (albeit unconventional) hero in the DC landscape.
I think it's safe to say that the decision to move forward with a Batgirl movie such as this likely stems from the same mentality as the decision to get a Nightwing movie and a Gotham City Sirens movie off of the ground. The Bat Family casts an enormous audience net that will encompass die hard DC fans and casual audiences alike. Beyond that, the Batman corner of the DC universe is simply a great way to continue fleshing out the DC Extended Universe because The Bat Family is so intricately connected to other superhero (and supervillain) teams. There are bound to be some segments of the DC fanbase who will complain about Bat Family overload, but the fact of the matter is that this team of vigilantes is a great nucleus to branch out from.
CinemaBlend will bring you more information concerning the Batgirl movie (as well as Joss Whedon's potential involvement in the project) as more details become available to us. For now, you can get more information about the rest of this year's most highly anticipated theatrical releases by checking out our comprehensive 2017 movie premiere guide!
