The DC Extended Universe finally seems to be on track. While it had a rough start and plenty of films that ranged from controversial to critical duds, Aquaman and the upcoming Shazam! seem to be moving the needle in the right direction. That being said, one interesting project they have coming up is Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
It’s interesting in that it’s a spin-off of the critical dud, yet financially-successful Suicide Squad. They are taking one shining aspect of that film (Harley Quinn), and putting her with a group of characters she isn’t always necessarily apart of. I recently had a chance to catch up Shawna and Julie Benson at C2E2, the two writers of the comic series Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, and I had a chance to ask them what they think the film needs to nail in order to get it right.
“It’s just the heart of the characters,” Shawna Benson told LRM Online. “If they can nail who Black Canary is, if they can nail who Huntress is, and the nucleus of what makes those people those characters, everything else is gravy. They already have Harley who’s established, so they can find it the same way Margot Robbie found her character, I think it’s going to be great. And then the dynamic, whether it’s working together or in opposition, and eventually joining forces, it’ll be fun.”
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Shawna certainly has a point there. As Marvel has proven time and again, character is what really matters, and in an ensemble piece, it’s all about making their motivations work independently, and for them to both clash and work together, not unlike what James Gunn did in Guardians of the Galaxy. But what about what little we’ve seen of the characters so far?
“The looks of the characters change all the time in the comics all the time anyway,” Julie Benson added. “So that’s not a consideration, so that’s totally fine to have people who look a little different than what you’ve seen in the comics before, because it really is about getting the right person to play the part. I think they’ve done a great job. I’m really excited.”
The movie itself does seem intriguing. From what we know, Harley Quinn will be joining forces with Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya to protect Cassandra Cain (a future Batgirl), who comes across a diamond belonging to Black Mask. It’s a basic premise that allows a lot of opportunity for cool character interactions, which will be key to making this work.
What do you think of the Bensons’ comments? Sound off down below!