With HBO Max developing solo films for Batgirl and Black Canary, the way has been opened for a Birds of Prey sequel that is truer to the source material. While few fans of the original comics outright hated Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), it could not be denied that the film was more focused on Harley Quinn than the titular vigilantes with whom she teamed. Despite this, what little the fans saw of Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary left them wanting more.
The DCEU version of Black Canary inspired an active fan movement, who hoped that Warner Bros. might be persuaded to develop an HBO Max Black Canary solo show. These fans went on to make the #BlackCanaryHBOSeries trend briefly on Twitter in April 2021. Their pleas were apparently heard and followed upon, as HBO Max recently announced that a Black Canary solo movie starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell was in the early stages of development. The film has also been announced as being written by Lovecraft Country creator Misha Green.
The Black Canary movie is the latest of several small-scale superhero movies that Warner Bros. has announced as HBO Max exclusives that will not receive theatrical releases, as part of their efforts to push the streaming platform. Another of these movies is Batgirl, which will star Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon and may have J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon. The possibility of this connection to the DCEU coupled with the announcement of a Black Canary movie has many speculating that a more comics-accurate Birds of Prey sequel could be on the cards.
The Original Birds of Prey Explained
Birds of Prey was the brainchild of Batman editor Jordan B. Gorfinkel, who felt that both Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon deserved a place in the spotlight after being largely ignored except as supporting players during the Dark Age of Comics. A series of one-shots published from 1996 to 1999 established the dynamic between the two heroines, with Barbara Gordon's Oracle acting as the brains behind the scenes and Black Canary being her boots on the ground, tackling covert cases that typical superheroes wouldn't touch. The specials paved the way for a monthly comic in 1999 and inspired a short-lived Birds of Prey TV series in 2002 that had little to do with the comics beyond featuring Oracle as a character, being focused on an alternate universe version of Batman and Catwoman's daughter, Helena Kyle.
The Birds of Prey comics found new life following the television show's cancellation, thanks to a new direction forged by fan-favorite writer Gail Simone. It was Simone who conceived the idea of expanding the Birds of Prey's ranks, introducing the Huntress, Helena Bertinelli, into the series as a foil and then a friend to both Black Canary and Oracle. Over the course of Simone's run, other long-neglected superheroines, such as Vixen and Lady Blackhawk, were given a chance to shine alongside new characters like Misfit and Black Alice. While many creators have worked on Birds of Prey over the years, Simone's run is still widely regarded as the best.
The Birds of Prey, with its cast of characters, had its origins changed significantly in 2011 as part of the New 52 reboot, with Dinah Lance now a former secret agent leading a new Birds of Prey team without Oracle or Huntress. This incarnation of Birds of Prey, which was made entirely of anti-heroes like Poison Ivy and Katana, proved less popular than the original. The series was revamped once again as part of DC Comics' 2016 DC Rebirth initiative, with the status quo largely restored as Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress reunited in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. While the new series by Julie and Shawna Benson featured Barbara Gordon as Batgirl rather than Oracle, most fans of the Simone run felt it was true to the spirit of what came before and an excellent follow-up to Simone's 2011 run on Batgirl.
Why Comic Fans Disliked The Birds Of Prey Movie
While the Birds of Prey movie is generally appreciated on its own merits, fans of the original comics were somewhat dissatisfied with it as an adaptation of the source material. The chief complaint was that the movie didn't have Barbara Gordon in it as either Batgirl or Oracle. (This was due to the rights for the character being set aside for Joss Whedon's proposed Batgirl movie.) This was an unforgivable absence to many Birds of Prey fans, who saw the partnership between Barbara and Dinah as the emotional core of the series. This was the same reason why the 2011 Birds of Prey comic book series was largely rejected by the fans and probably a large part of why the 2016 Batgirl and the Birds of Prey series featured her name in the title. Another problem was that, despite the movie's title, Birds of Prey was more focused on Harley Quinn's emancipation from Joker than the Birds of Prey.
Despite this, there were elements of Birds of Prey that did satisfy the comic book readers. The backstory for the DCEU version of Black Canary was agreed to be a high-point, combining the modern-era idea of Dinah Lance being an orphan who grew up on the mean streets of Gotham City, and the classic Black Canary origins, which made Dinah's mother into a superhero as well. This continued one of the few mother-daughter legacies in DC Comics history while updating the concept for the DCEU. Comic fans also approved of the DCEU version of Huntress and the performances of both Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress.
Batgirl and Black Canary Could Lead To A Better Birds Of Prey Movie
Little has been revealed about the Batgirl and Black Canary films beyond which actors are in the title roles and there's nothing to indicate the new Batgirl movie will be set in the DCEU apart from an announcement that J.K. Simmons (who played Commissioner Gordon in Justice League) was in talks to reprise the role in Batgirl. It is also unknown just when the Black Canary movie will be set, although it seems unlikely it would take place before the events of the Birds of Prey movie. However, once it is established, that both movies are in the same setting, there would be little to stop the two heroines from teaming up in a follow-up film or perhaps a Birds of Prey spinoff on HBO Max. While it will be some time before such a project could come to light, given the busy schedules of all the creators involved, the possibility is sure to keep many Birds of Prey fans hoping and wishing for a more comics-accurate adaptation in the future; one with Black Canary and Batgirl front and center.
