DC's live-action universe has had an interesting path to theaters, full of peaks and valleys. Tons of movie, casting, and director announcements have been made, although its never clear exactly how concrete the studio's plans are. One upcoming blockbuster that is really shaping up is the Birds of Prey movie, which will bring Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn back onto the silver screen alongside a team of female heroes and law enforcement officers. The first new casting announcements have been made, with 10 Cloverfield Lane actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead playing Helena Bertinelli/ Huntress. Winstead recently broke her silence on this news, and what she looks forward to exploring about the character, saying:
I can't say that I was a huge comic book reader. But when I met with Cathy Yan, who's directing the film, and learned kind of the back story of the character, I was really interested. It's a really strong, kind of emotional place to start from for a superhero character. I won't go into too much detail now, but I think it's interesting and an opportunity to do something cool with this kind of character.
Is anyone else getting super hyped up? Huntress is one of the darkest members of DC's Bat-family, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is gong to have a dark and sordid backstory to work through during Birds of Prey. And with a strong emotional core to play off, it'll also affect the way action is handled.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead's comments make a great deal of sense, for those who are already familiar with Huntress in the DC comics. Helena Bertinelli was born into a powerful Gotham mob family. How this plays out changes based on the comic book story, but she typically ends up victimized at a young age, due to her powerful father's influence and rivals. As such, she's much more violent and extreme that Batman, Robin and the rest. That often puts her at odds with the Dark Knight.
It should be interesting to see where director Cathy Yan decides to take Huntress, when the character makes its silver screen debut in 2020. There's plenty of dark material to mine from, as well as references to Batman and the greater DCEU. Considering she'll be working with both villains and heroes in Birds of Prey, perhaps Huntress ends up walking the middle ground, struggling to find her place in the crime fighting world.
Birds of Prey should include plenty of action, Mary Elizabeth Winstead's comments to The Wrap tease the training she's starting, saying:
I'm going to start training, and I'll be learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, too --- which is new for me.
Huntress is a character of many weapons, although her most iconic are her signature crossbows. And yes, they shoot real arrows. She's a hardcore figure in DC comics, and it should be fascinating to see the vigilante finally make her way onto the silver screen.
Birds of Prey is currently set to arrive on February 7, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
