A popular character is about to join the DC Extended Universe — and a geek icon and former Marvel mainstay is going to direct her standalone film. Joss Whedon is reportedly set to direct a new movie about Batgirl.
Variety reports that Whedon, who directed both the first Avengers movie and the sequel, Age of Ultron, will helm Barbara Gordon’s film debut for DC, Marvel’s eternal rival. The studio Warner Bros. is said to be closing in on a deal. The longtime Batman sidekick, who first appeared in a 1967 comic, will be the star of her own movie, though very few additional details, including a release date or casting information, have been announced yet.
The movie will be Warner Bros.’s second superhero movie centered around a female character following Wonder Woman, which drops on June 2. Warner Bros. is also eyeing a Suicide Squad spin-off called Gotham City Sirens, centered around Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
Whedon, who also created Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, is a pretty great choice to helm a Batgirl movie. His work on Buffy and his ability to create, if you’ll forgive the term, strong female protagonists, have earned him a lot of praise. He left the MCU after saying he’d been “beaten down,” so his return to superhero blockbusters on the other side raises an eyebrow or two.
Joss Whedon arrives at the 'Avengers' premiere.
Batgirl has changed a lot throughout the decades, with various characters adopting the mantle. Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, is by far the most popular, though. She spent several years in the comics in a wheelchair as an internet-based hero following a controversial run-in with the Joker, but in recent years she’s returned to her caped, more youthful roots as the Batgirl of Burnside. It’s unclear if the solo movie will draw from recent comics or some deeper cuts.
