Consider this: What DC should do with the Batgirl film

Consider this is a column that dives into hypothetical scenarios in film and television. Some will be realistic, while others might be more of a stretch. Today’s topic is all about what DC should do with their Batgirl film.

News broke recently that Joss Whedon would no longer be working on Batgirl. Upon his departure, numerous women popped up in the conversation of who should take over. Roxane Gay volunteered to write the script and Gail Simone posted that she has the perfect story.

With these two women interested in the movie, there’s some hope for it even if it’s on the back burner for now. If DC knows what’s good for them, they’ll hire the right women for this job. However, I have a few ideas on what they should and shouldn’t try to do with this film.

What they shouldn’t do

Let’s start with what DC shouldn’t do, because it’s fairly easy. They should avoid pretty much everything they did with Batgirl in The Killing Joke animated film. Fans were not thrilled with the liberties they took with Batgirl, which didn’t coincide with the comic at all.

The second thing they shouldn’t do is make Batgirl act like she initially did in her early appearances. In Detective Comics #371 from 1967, Batgirl gets distracted by having mud thrown on her. She’s more worried about her appearance than fighting crime and the bad guys make a run for it in the meantime. While it is part of the character’s comic book history, it’s unnecessary for any movie being made in the present day.

What they should consider

Gail Simone already has experience with writing Batgirl. She took over when the New 52 started and brought Barbara Gordon back without totally altering the characters history. In The Killing Joke, the Joker shoots Barbara, leaving her immobilized from the waist down. With Simone’s story, Babs learns to walk again and returns to her mantle as Batgirl. This is a compelling storyline to follow and it still allows you to switch Batgirl down the line.

Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown have also taken the Batgirl name in the comics. Both do so when Babs is known as Oracle. For those stories, Babs never learns to walk again. Both of these characters have the abilities to be Batgirl, but neither ever felt quite as good as the original. The current Batgirl series for Rebirth has Babs in the suit still, too.

Babs and Dick Grayson have quite the history together, which we see the beginning of in Batgirl/Robin: Year One. The two work well together, and with a Nightwing movie in the works, they could easily introduce the fact that the two know each other. Dick doesn’t need to be present the whole movie, but if they have the two team up briefly, it would be a nice nod to the history of both characters.

Regardless of who the villain ends up being, Babs should be the one to wear the Batgirl suit. It gives DC more options in the future as they can always have her become Oracle and it won’t matter whether or not she can walk.

Next: Jessica Jones releases season two behind the scenes featurette

However, if they want to go with a villain who doesn’t directly pull from Batman’s stories, they can use Ethan Cobblepot, the son of Penguin. He appears in the recent comics and is a good match for Babs since he’s mysterious and there’s always the stigma of him being Penguin’s son. A lot of Hope Larson’s run has bits and pieces that could make for a good film. Maybe they could even do a mash-up between her issues and Gail Simone’s.

Even if Batgirl doesn’t have as long of a history as Batman, she has enough for DC to hire people who can put together a great story. The material is all there, they just need to use it right. Hopefully they don’t keep this film on the back burner for too long.

Home/DC Movies