Rosie Perez was less than impressed with the ageist jokes found in her DC movie Birds of Prey. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Birds of Prey managed to be one of the few major studio films to debut in theaters earlier this year. It rolled out in early February, and though it stumbled considerably at the box office, Birds of Prey was generally well-received by fans and critics alike. Directed by Cathy Yan, the latest DCEU installment (and the first R-rated one) picked up with fan favorite character Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) after her breakup with the Joker (Jared Leto) as she reclaims her independence.
This empowering arc led Harley to the titular Birds of Prey, who, at the start of the film, had yet to be formed. Ultimately, much of Birds of Prey centered on Harley as opposed to the team, but fans still responded warmly to the newest DCEU characters. Birds of Prey featured Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett), and Renee Montoya (Perez). Montoya is a detective at the Gotham City Police Department who is constantly overlooked by her male co-workers, leading to a freeing breakthrough when she teams up with the Birds of Prey.
Perez recently spoke about Birds of Prey in a new interview with UPROXX. The actress was first asked if she would be interested in returning for a Birds of Prey 2 (she would), but she then went further and shared her biggest gripe with the first film: The ageist jokes made at her expense. Perez's full answer is s follows:
I mean, if it happens, sure. When you said that, the first thing that came to my mind was, “Oh my God, I have to lose weight and get in shape again.” Hopefully, there won’t be any ageist type of jokes in it as well. Having me called “grandma.” That was the only thing, I was like, “Really guys? Really?” I was like, “Would you have the nerve to say that to Helen Mirren, in her 50 million action movies?”
It's not surprising Perez would take issue with those kinds of jokes. Birds of Prey was lauded for its representation of women, LGBTQ characters, and characters of color. Renee offered her own brand of representation, since she was the oldest member of the group. However, by making cheap jokes about her age, Birds of Prey didn't give Renee the same positive depiction that the other characters received. Granted, a few jokes don't translate to a completely botched portrayal, but it clearly stung Perez.
Should Birds of Prey 2 ever get made, hopefully it will do away with any demeaning jokes about its main characters. Right now, though, the Birds' DCEU future remains a question mark. Many, including the stars themselves, would be eager to see the characters return in some form, but Birds of Prey's iffy box office numbers have cast doubt on a sequel. That doesn't mean it won't ever happen, but as nothing has been announced just yet, fans will have to be careful about getting their hopes up. Only time will tell if Birds of Prey will get a follow-up.
Source: UPROXX
