Catwoman is reportedly not in the plans for Warner Bros.' Birds of Prey. After Margot Robbie stole the show in Suicide Squad, WB heavily invested in the future of Harley Quinn. They developed a number of possible projects for her, but the one Robbie was most interested in was Birds of Prey. Christina Hodson wrote the script and it was so impressive it landed her on Batgirl too. This was a result of Barbara Gordon having a major role in Birds of Prey along with Harley Quinn.
Other than Harley and Barbara, the rest of the ensemble for Birds of Prey has yet to be made clear. That will start to change as the project keeps moving forward under director Cathy Yan. If the movie is going to film near the end of 2018 or early 2019, then it won't be that much longer before casting begins. However, it appears fans shouldn't expect for someone to take the role of Catwoman.
Related: Birds of Prey May Start Filming in Early 2019
The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez took to Twitter to shoot down some reported casting for Birds of Prey and in doing so knocked Catwoman out of the possible equation. According to his sources, no one is testing for the role of Catwoman because she is not part of the movie. If true, this eliminates the possibility of Catwoman meeting some of DC's other heroines here and could signal that she isn't going to make it to the big screen for at least a few more years.
Catwoman has already been given a few chances on the big screen, so that could be why she isn't involved in this R-rated girl gang film. Michelle Pfeiffer made a memorable turn as Selina Kyle in Batman Returns. Halle Berry took a swing (and miss) with a solo film, but then Anne Hathaway gave a much better portrayal in The Dark Knight Rises. Hathaway's take is still just six years old, so WB may be looking to give the character a break before bringing her back. That is, unless there's already plans for her in Batgirl, The Batman, or maybe even Suicide Squad 2.
Even though Catwoman doesn't appear to be in the plans for Birds of Prey, Gonzalez didn't rule out Black Canary. She's a long-standing member of the all-female team in the comics, so many expected she would be involved. Considering this report only takes Catwoman out and not both roles, we could be looking at the third member of the movie's team. However, since no one has gone as far as to say that she is confirmed for the film, its too early to know with any certainty that she will - even if it appears certain Catwoman will not.
MORE: Morena Baccarin Wants to Play Catwoman or Poison Ivy in DCEU
Birds of Prey is currently in development but does not have a release date.
Source: Umberto Gonzalez
