The first trailer for Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) presents a number of nods to its chief villain, Black Mask. Ewan McGregor is playing the infamous crime-boss and member of Batman's rogues' gallery, who has only been seen unmasked in every bit of footage seen so far. Thankfully, the trailer suggests that the movie is just as much about Roman Sionis becoming Black Mask as it is Harley Quinn trying to build a new life free of The Joker.
First appearing in Batman #386 in August 1985, Roman Sionis was created as a dark mirror of Bruce Wayne. Both men were billionaire playboys who adopted a masked persona and were shaped by the deaths of their parents, though Sionis murdered his parents when they attempted to break-up his engagement to a woman they considered beneath their family. After losing his fortune, his company and his love because of his incompetence as a businessman, Sionis created a wooden mask made from the wood of his father's coffin and Black Mask was born.
The first Birds of Prey trailer doesn't make any reference to Sionis' origin story. In fact, he appears to be a rather ordinary crime-boss, who just happens to masquerade as a club owner. Yet there are flashes of the Black Mask from the comics as the trailer progresses.
Roman Sionis In The Black Mask Suit
For instance, apart from his mask, Roman Sionis is most famous for wearing fancy suits and expensive gloves. We see Sionis wearing a white suit and black leather gloves (similar to Black Mask's outfit in the Batman: Arkham Origins video game) early on in the trailer.
Sionis' Nightclub Has A Black Mask Design
Sionis' nightclub, which we see Black Canary performing at, has a rather notable design to its stage area. Two large eyes stare out at the audience from the back wall. These are held by two large black hands, which are placed around the eyes in such a way as to suggest they are creating a make-shift mask, when viewed from a distance.
The Black Mask In The Painting
At the 0:49 minute mark of the Birds of Prey trailer, Sionis can be seen having some kind of breakdown in front of a piece of artwork. Though only visible for a moment, one figure in the painting can be seen wearing a black mask that conceals their face completely. Strangely enough, their eyes seem to be completely calm, in contrast to the clearly tormented and disturbed Roman Sionis.
Harley Quinn's Dancers Wear Black Masks
Perhaps the most obvious nod comes about halfway through the Birds of Prey trailer at the 1:05 mark. During a sequence in which Harley Quinn is performing in a stage show while dressed as Marilyn Monroe from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, her background dancers are seen to be wearing black masks. These masks appear to be similar to the one in the painting at 0:49.
There's A Gunman With A Black Mask
Later, at 1:27, a figure wearing a full head mask is seen gunning down the back-up dancers. While it is unclear thanks to the back-lighting, this could be our first glimpse of how Black Mask will look at the end of Birds of Prey.
