With the massive success of Aquaman, the time has come for DC fans to look to the future. There are a handful of exciting projects coming down the pipeline for DC, including Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The upcoming female-led projects will unite a handful of DC femme fatales, while also serving as a spinoff of sorts for Suicide Squad favorite Harley (Margot Robbie).
Fans have been wondering how the possibly R-rated project would unite its group of characters, and now the first glimpse of the ensemble of actors in costume has arrived. And it didn't disappoint.
Does anyone else have chills? Birds of Prey has been a mysterious presence in the DC Universe for quite some time, so it's exciting to finally get a glimpse of the characters that will ultimately be populating Cathy Yan's upcoming movie. And that first look was epic.
As this brief teaser opens, it focuses on the girl everyone's been waiting to see: Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn. We see her hammer, which was one of the weapons that appeared during her appearance in Suicide Squad. From there, a plethora of supporting characters briefly pop up on the screen, some so quickly you could blink and miss it. But if you slow it all down, you can get a glimpse of the characters who will make up Birds of Prey.
Next up is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who is making her DC debut as hardcore Gotham vigilante Huntress. While Harley uses blunt force weapons in combat, Huntress uses violent methods of her own. She's shown with her signature crossbow, a weapon that sometimes put her at odds with Batman in the comics. She's also shown chugging a bottle of liquor, so the character's dark past will no doubt be a major plot line.
From there, the shots quickly scroll through Birds of Prey's starring cast, and tease what type of costume and characterization they'll be using in the DC blockbuster. The other member of the titular team of heroes were surely present, especially Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Black Canary, Rosie Perez' Renee Montoya, and newcomer Ella Jay Basco's Cassandra Cain. And it seems Cathy Yan is putting her own spin on these characters.
For instance, Black Canary is shown at a microphone, and is some sort of professional singer-- aside from her life as a vigilante. That's a stark juxtaposition from typical comic book characterization, showing that Yan isn't afraid to make changes to the beloved DC characters. Renee Montoya doesn't look like an average beat cop, wearing civilian clothes and rocking a weapon of her own. Cassandra Cain will be a young girl in the movie, with her pink cast taking special spotlight in the teaser.
Every story needs their villains, and Birds of Prey will use male actors as the antagonists. In the above video, Ewan McGregor makes his long awaited debut as Batman villain Black Mask, although the mask in question is noticeably absent. Joining him is Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz, who is missing the self-induced scars the character is known for. That is, until the story of Birds of Prey plays out.
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will arrive in theaters on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
