The DC live-action universe has found its stride recently, with Warner Bros. putting out a slew of hit movies. Aquaman and Shazam! proved what the shared universe was capable of, while Joker was set outside the DCEU, breaking records and receiving a whopping 11 Oscar nominations. The next movie set in-universe is Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which pairs Margot Robbie's title character with a squad of badass Gotham women. This includes Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya, and the actress recently spoke to how relieved she was with the movie's costumes.
Costuming comic book movies is a tricky thing, as fans expect a certain level of comic book accuracy. There's also been a habit of putting female characters into skin tight suits, or not enough clothes at all. Just look at Harley's costume in Suicide Squad, which featured hot pants, heels, and not much else. Rosie Perez recently spoke to Birds of Prey's costumes, and her relief about Renee Montoya's sensible trousers and shirts. As she put it,
I didn't feel objectified. I'm the oldest one here, and I was dreading the wardrobe. When I saw it, I went, ‘Oh!’ Then, when I saw the other girls, I was like, ‘You look hot! You look hot! You look hot! Yay!’ I was happy. You could be sexy, but you didn't have to put on the sexiness. It's not like, ‘Let's just put her in that because her ass is great,’ which I know we've all experienced.
The costumes of Birds of Prey were methodically crafted, first debuting in the test footage that was released during the movie's filming. They're each meant to highlight who each character is, while also being functional for the blockbuster's action sequences. So don't expect the titular group of women to be running and kicking in heels much.
Overall, it looks like Birds of Prey is going to address a variety of issues affecting women today. That includes being under the male gaze, and being over-sexualized. Harley will be emancipated throughout the highly anticipated blockbuster, and that's also related to her appearance. The movie's trailer show her cutting off her signature pigtails, and blowing up Ace Chemicals, where she was transformed into Harley by Joker.
Related: Birds Of Prey’s Margot Robbie Explains Why She Loves Playing Harley Quinn So Much
Rosie Perez's comments to Glamour are specifically related to what Renee Montoya will be wearing in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). In the movie's trailers, the GCPD officer is shown wearing a much more subtle costume than the rest of the Birds of Prey. She looks like a real police officer, wearing street clothes. She's also shown to be rocking a pistol and pair of brass knuckles as her primary weapons.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will arrive in theaters on February 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
