Jurnee Smollett shares her excitement about getting to play Black Canary again in the spinoff of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
In an interview with Comic Book, Smollett opened up about getting the chance to delve deeper into the badass known as Dinah Lance.
“I’m just so incredibly excited about a number of things that I can’t talk about. I mean, I’m excited, that’s what I can say. I’m excited about getting to explore a lot… I feel like we’ve only touched the surface with Black Canary. And she’s one of the dopest martial artists in the DC Universe. That is something that is a real challenge in my head that I’m just excited at the possibility of being able to explore deeper and further and wider and greater.”
In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is on the run from the criminal underworld who are eager to take her down now that she’s broken up with the Joker and no longer has his protection. To stay alive and stop the main antagonist Black Mask (Ewan McGregor), she allies herself with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Black Canary, a burlesque lounge singer who’s employed and controlled by Black Mask.
Smollett became an instant fan favorite among audiences and there were calls for the actress to reprise the role. Then in Aug. 2021, their prayers were answered when it was announced that Lovecraft Country creator Misha Green would be writing the Black Canary movie. Smollett has thanked the fans for their determination in making this happen and promised to do the crimefighter justice.
Black Canary is known as one of the best martial artists in all of DC Comics. In the comics, she’s in a relationship with Green Arrow/Oliver Queen, and her powerful sonic attack called the canary cry gives her even more of an advantage in combat. She’s one of DC’s most popular superheroines and there were high expectations for Smollett to step into the role. Based on her reception she’s lived up to them.
There hasn’t been much in the way of updates for the movie, but Green did post an image on her Instagram of herself relaxing by a pool with a binder that had a fanmade image of the Black Canary logo. She said that she chose it because it reminded her of the vibe she’s aiming for and called the poster “fire.” It’s also been teased that the character will have a comics-accurate suit when she returns.
The Black Canary movie has a tentative release date of 2023.
