It’s been almost four months since Leslie Grace was announced to be headlining HBO Max’s Batgirl, so it’s no surprise to discover that the actress has been putting in the work, both inside and outside of the gym.
Bad Boys for Life directors Billall Fallah and Adil El Arbi are helming the streaming exclusive with a script from Birds of Prey and The Flash scribe Christina Hodson, but that’s about all we know for sure. J.K. Simmons was reported to be in talks to return as Commissioner Gordon a while back, something Grace would love to see happen, but the Academy Award winner hasn’t been confirmed for the ensemble as of yet.
Luckily, the second annual DC FanDome event takes place this weekend, so we can expect to get plenty of new information surrounding Batgirl, which could potentially even extend to plot and casting details. In a new interview with Billboard, Grace teased how intensely she’s been preparing for the role.
“Lots and lots of training! I’m currently fight-training every day with my amazing ‘martial arts mom’, Ming Qiu, who cracks the whip! I’ve never fought in my life, so we are working really hard every day to get my body used to all the motions! I’m also reading a ton of comics and, believe it or not, keeping my eye out for tweets from our beloved DC comic fans to see what they are excited to see in my iteration of Babs! Research is everything. I’m so excited to honor this iconic character whose legacy spans over 50 years. It’s a huge responsibility but also an honor, and I want to do my very best to make sure she gets the best of all I have to give!”
Batgirl is still expected to start shooting before the end of the year with an eye to landing on HBO Max in either late 2022 or early 2023, and a release date may also be confirmed at FanDome. The project spent years stuck in development hell before being dusted off and launched back into active development, and there’s plenty of reasons to get hyped over Barbara Gordon’s live-action solo debut.
