With Birds of Prey gearing up to be the next DC movie to go before the cameras, casting rumors for the all-female team-up film have started to swirl. One of the main heroines set to be involved is, of course, Black Canary, the leather-clad sonic-screaming vigilante known for her comic book romance with Green Arrow and longtime Justice League membership.
So far, actresses like Vanessa Kirby and Blake Lively have been linked to the role. Which makes a lot of sense as both stars closely match the blonde, Caucasian character from the page. However, Heroic Hollywood’s reporting that Warner Bros. is looking to add a bit of diversity to the movie by casting a biracial actress in the part of Dinah Lance.
It’s possible that the studio’s been inspired by Arrow‘s hiring of Juliana Harkavy as its latest Black Canary, who’s of mixed heritage. This wouldn’t be the first time DC’s movies have taken cues from their TV shows, either. The typically Caucasian Iris West is played by the African-American Candice Patton in The Flash and Kiersey Clemons was later snapped up for the part in Justice League (though her scene was ultimately deleted).
What’s more, HH’s sources say that Birds of Prey‘s Black Canary will have a “world-weary” outlook and “the ability to sing.” Because of this, it stands to reason that Ms. Lance is the role that WB sought Lady Gaga for until she passed up on the offer for unknown reasons. This allegedly happened 3 months ago, though, so it seems the character’s been rethought since then.
So far, we know that Margot Robbie will return as Harley Quinn for what she calls her “R-rated girl gang movie,” with other major roles including Huntress and Renee Montoya/The Question. The plot’s expected to revolve around the rescue of Cassandra Cain (Batgirl in regular continuity), with Peyton Elizabeth Lee thought to be in the running for the part.
Beyond that, we don’t know much about what WB has in store for us with Birds of Prey at the moment, but as soon as we hear more, we’ll be sure to let you know.