Who Is Huntress? Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Birds of Prey Character Explained

In Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the Huntress, a classic character from DC Comics and a crossbow-carrying vigilante. The Huntress name goes back several decades in the comics, but this particular incarnation of the Huntress has only been around since 1989.

Huntress joins three other DC Comics heroines for Birds of Prey, a film which puts Suicide Squad's breakout star, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), in the lead role. The all-female team-up movie brings together Harley Quinn, Huntress, Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to protect a young girl named Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). Their adventure, which takes place in Gotham City, pits them against Ewan McGregor's Black Mask, an evil crime lord who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey marks the first film set in the DCEU to feature an R-rating. Though Birds of Prey is indeed a team-up movie, it should be noted that it's also a story about Harley Quinn following her breakup with the Joker. Regardless, Huntress, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain get their fair share of screen time. Here's what you need to know about Birds of Prey member and Gotham City vigilante, Huntress.

Huntress' Origin In DC Comics

Huntress Helena Bertinelli Batgirl and the Birds of Prey DC Rebirth

The Huntress is generally recognized as a costumed vigilante dressed in purple. Typically equipped with a crossbow, Huntress fights crime in Gotham City. Originally, the Huntress was Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. After Helena Wayne was tragically killed off and the DC Universe was rebooted with Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics received an all-new version of the Huntress in the form of a woman named Helena Bertinelli. Though Bertinelli retained Wayne's costume, fighting style, and first name, she drastically changed the way readers (and the characters in the DC Universe) viewed the Huntress.

Helena Bertinelli was the daughter of a Gotham City crime boss. At an early age, she watched her family die at the hands of a rival gang. This was a transformative moment in her life that filled her with hate and a desire for revenge. After being trained by her bodyguard, Bertinelli took up a crossbow and decided to clean up the streets of Gotham. As someone with a much darker and tragic past than her predecessor, Bertinelli's issues caused her to develop a reputation as an angry, violent, and unpredictable character. This led to clashes with Batman, who highly disapproved of her methods.

Over time, Huntress learned how to get along with other heroes and even became a valued member of the Justice League who aided the team on numerous missions. Later, Huntress joined the Birds of Prey team, which started out as just a duo of Black Canary and Barbara Gordon. Huntress' ties to the Birds of Prey grew to the point where she was eventually appointed as the team's leader. Even now, Huntress's association with the Birds of Prey still runs strong.

Huntress' Powers & Weapons In DC Comics

Huntress points her crossbow in DC Comics.

Huntress has no superpowers in DC Comics. Similar to heroes like Green Arrow, Batman, and Nightwing, Helena Bertinelli relies on her own skills to solve her problems. Huntress has multiple ways of dealing with her enemies, but her most frequently used weapon is, of course, her small trademark crossbow, which is as integral to her arsenal as Green Arrow's bow. That being said, Huntress isn't opposed to using firearms. She has been known to carry handguns and assault rifles as well. Huntress is also impressively accurate with any ranged weapon, but is not necessarily on the same level as the Emerald Archer. She also lacks his flair for trick arrows, but does employ explosive bolts when needed.

Archery isn't Bertinelli's only tool. She learned Dragon Style Kung Fu from Richard Dragon, who is arguably DC's best martial artist. As a result of her years of training, Huntress is proficient in several other forms of martial arts, including Muay Thai, Karate, American boxing, and stick fighting. Huntress is skilled enough in close combat to put up a fight against Lady Shiva, defeat Barbara Gordon, and take on large groups of trained fighters at once. Her skills in martial arts as well as with her crossbow make her one of Birds of Prey's most deadliest members - at any range.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Plays Huntress in DC's Birds of Prey

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Huntress in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). This makes the 35-year-old actress the first to play Bertinelli on the big screen and the second person to play the character in live-action. The first was Jessica De Gouw in seasons 1 and 2 of The CW's Arrow. Apparently, Winstead beat out actresses Margaret Qualley and Cristin Milioti for the role. Winstead has starred in a wide range of well-known films, including Live Free or Die Hard, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and the quite recent Will Smith action vehicle, Gemini Man. But Birds of Prey marks her first time starring in either a DC or Marvel film.

Huntress' Role In Birds of Prey

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress in Birds of Prey

Winstead's character is one of the main protagonists and a member of Harley's team. Huntress fights alongside Harley Quinn, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya against Black Mask and his men. As one of the Birds of Prey, Huntress sports her comic book counterpart's crossbow and traditional purple color scheme. Not much is known about the DCEU heroine's backstory, but the latest Birds of Prey trailer indicates that the movie will keep at least parts of her comic book origin. In the trailer, Harley says regarding Huntress, "you killed his BFF" and makes a remark about her need for vengeance. Also, her behavior hints at a reluctance to work with Harley and the others. The trailers suggest that Huntress' motivations will be revenge, and that like the comic book character, Huntress will be an overly-aggressive vigilante who prefers to work alone. It will be interesting to see how the Huntress contributes to the team's dynamic.

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