The DC movie universe is headed in a different direction than anyone assumed to start, but Warner Bros. made sure that when it came to casting, they swung for the fences. And not just for the heroes, either. The upcoming Birds of Prey has followed suit, recruiting Ewan McGregor for the movie's villain Black Mask. And according to the filmmakers, the world famous actor is going to surprise his fans and general audiences when the finished film arrives.
While Birds of Prey was still in production, Screen Rant and other outlets got the chance to visit the film's set. The details surrounding Ewan McGregor's role as Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask were under lock and key, but the producers did open up about what audiences can look forward to. In terms of plot, it sounds like both Dinah Lance a.k.a. Black Canary and Harley Quinn will find themselves surviving in Roman's underground nightclub backdrop. But when the young Cass enters the picture, the titular Birds of Prey unite opposite Roman and his deadly, knife-loving attack dog, Zsasz (Chris Messina). And the filmmakers have high hopes for both villains, and the actors cast to bring them to life.
Initially, fans of Batman's most notorious villains were disappointed to see Black Mask... without his mask, favoring the edgy aesthetic one would expect from a club owner in Gotham's underworld. They were also surprised to see an actor of McGregor's caliber and reputation take a 'comic book' role that might see him contained behind a supervillainy mask. Or taking on Harley's girl gang, as opposed to Batman himself.
However much of that mask audiences will end up seeing, producers Sue Kroll and Bryan Unkeless spoke at length about how impressive the villains of Birds of Prey were shaping up to be. And considering Kroll's proud affection for a good, hateful villain, fans will be pleased to hear Roman and Zsasz aren't being softened for their movie appearance.
What is it that you love about these villains, and what makes them feel different from other ones we've seen?
Bryan Unkeless: First of all, it starts with them being incredibly well-drawn characters from Christina [Hodson]. She really pushed to make them singular. It’s so easy to fall into the familiar villainous tropes, and she just refused over and over and over again to settle for that, which you have to respect a lot. We certainly aspired to make them distinct. Then you bring in the actors that we brought to them. It was important to us that they were unexpected in their villainous behavior. Part of them is really charming and likable, right? We didn't go for the traditional ‘heavy.’ You look at Ewan’s career in particular, and the variety of performances he's given, how much depth he has. And he brings that humanity to your villain. Which is pretty great. Plus he’s created a really distinct character that’s at times larger than life. But again, relatable.
Sue Kroll: Ewan McGregor, with his portfolio and incredible acclaim, having him as our main bad guy allows for the nuance we've been talking about, and the dimension. He's certainly a very unexpected casting... The character of Roman is so complicated, it's not black and white, and that makes it very enjoyable. Because even though we know the script and what's going to happen, to be watching him perform, he does so many surprising things. He’s very well-drawn... and unfamiliar. He’s certainly unfamiliar to me, right? He's not a villain that's like one of the top five villains of DC that people know about. So what motivates him, his backstory, how he deals with situations, it's always unexpected and surprising. You find yourself liking him and hating him at the same time, which I think is very unique.
Every good villain needs a good henchman for audiences to love, and it seems that Victor Zsasz will be dialing up the horror factor even more. Messina is no newcomer, either, having appeared in The Newsroom, The Mindy Project, Live By Night, and more. But even if audiences know Messina's talents, Kroll warns that they haven't seen him play a monster like Zsasz:
Sue Kroll: I'm someone who always loves the villains, that's just my personal thing. That's why I appreciate it so much. And Zsasz--the other thing about villains that I like is I want to hate somebody. I want to hate the bad guy. He does some loathsome things, but in the most interesting way. They’re really iconic, and memorable, and interesting… and they have great chemistry together. You know, that thing that happens, and you never know if it's going to happen, so watching the two of them together is so much fun. It’s really cool.
And Chris Messina, I think for everybody, is going to be a wonderful discovery. He’s a wonderful actor, but nobody's ever seen him like this. He brought A+ game to it, he got so into it. He’s amazing. We're really proud of the cast, and I think it says a lot about the movie that we’re putting together.
Stay tuned to Screen Rant for more interviews and details from our Birds of Prey set visit!