Leslie Grace, the actress who plays Batgirl, has revealed another character for the upcoming DC Extended Universe film, and it isn’t Dick Grayson’s Robin or Nightwing. Batgirl, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) and written by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey), will premiere on HBO Max later this year. Grace (In the Heights) will make her DCEU debut as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, battling Brendan Fraser’s Firefly, a serial arsonist who will most likely serve as the film’s main antagonist. J.K. Simmons plays GCPD Commissioner Jim Gordon in Batgirl, and Michael Keaton reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from Tim Burton’s previous films.
During the filming of Batgirl, many interesting details emerged, including the fact that Keaton’s Caped Crusader had a Robin at one point. This has sparked speculation about whether or not Batgirl will include Robin or Nightwing. While the latter character appeared prominently in HBO’s Titans, Bruce Wayne’s former protégé has yet to appear in the DCEU. When it was announced that Jacob Scipio, star of Bad Boys for Life, had been cast in Batgirl, many assumed he would play Dick Grayson. Grace has now disproved that theory and revealed who he is playing.
Grace recently spoke with E! News about her upcoming role as the lead in Batgirl. She spills some details about the supporting cast in addition to some details about her version of Barbara. Scipio will play mob boss Anthony Bressi, according to Grace, and will presumably join Fraser’s Firefly as a secondary antagonist.
Bressi is a recurring crime boss in the comics, last appearing in Batgirl Year One #7 in 2003. However, Grace’s alleged debunking doesn’t rule out Nightwing’s appearance in Batgirl, or even the possibility of Scipio playing him. When Barry Keoghan joined The Batman in 2020, Warner Bros. “confirmed” his character as GCPD officer Stanley Merkel, but this turned out to be a misdirection because he was actually playing the Joker. This isn’t to say Grace is employing a similar strategy, but there is precedent in Batgirl for at least a Nightwing Easter egg.
In both the comics and Titans, Barbara and Dick have a pivotal relationship, and it would be a shame not to include that dynamic in the DCEU. Furthermore, rumours of a Nightwing film in the works continue to circulate.
Batgirl’s titular character may become the DCEU’s go-to Bat-hero, with Ben Affleck potentially hanging up his cape and Keaton reintroduced in The Flash. Furthermore, Batgirl is the first live-action film to feature Barbara Gordon. As a result, there’s understandable pressure to do justice to the character, her rogues’ gallery, and supporting characters. The film Batgirl is set to premiere on HBO Max later this year.
However, because The Flash’s release date has been pushed back to 2023, the film and its numerous revelations may be delayed.