Batgirl or Supergirl? Which super heroine do you think is more worthy of getting their own movie? I’m just curious because apparently Warner Bros. is struggling with the same question. I remember back in 2017 when Joss Whedon was set to write and direct a solo movie for Batgirl. As for Supergirl, it’s just like several other planned DCEU movie projects: in development. Yeah, these two supposedly planned movies are on a lengthy list that Warner Bros. has in mind for the DCEU, but then again, these announcements were made back when they had trouble getting the DCEU on its feet. I hope I’m not alone when I say I actually want at least one of these movies to happen.
I’ve argued before that a Supergirl movie really isn’t necessary and how we should be getting a Man of Steel sequel. I mean, for real, who would seriously disagree with that? However, I do think included Supergirl in the DCEU is important. No, I honestly don’t think she’s important enough to be getting her own movie. She can be a vital supporting character in a Man of Steel sequel or even a Justice League sequel. If you’ve played Injustice 2, you’ll have an idea on how she can be utilized in the DCEU. She’s the seemingly younger, but actually older cousin of Superman and is his only living relative. Having her debut in the DCEU can lead to many interesting storylines, but all of them only work if Superman is involved.
Take the CW Supergirl show for example. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t stick with it, but I listen to people who have. When Superman did come around, he was basically a jobber to make Supergirl look more awesome. If you’ve never watched professional wrestling, you won’t know what a jobber is, but it’s basically a guy who comes in and deliberately loses to make the other guy look like a badass. Perhaps that’s why the show is ending soon, but in my opinion, it’s rather insulting to portray Superman that way. At least he’s getting his own show to make up for it, but I think DC has bigger fish to fry. That fish wears the same symbol, but doesn’t act as a jobber for his cousin. Henry Cavill, please come back.
I’ve made my case for no Supergirl movie, but Batgirl on the other hand is a different story. I can see some eyebrows being raised for this contradiction, but hear me out. What makes Batgirl more qualified to get her own solo movie? Sure, she can’t do nearly half the things Supergirl can do, but that actually makes her more intriguing. I’m also more a Batman fan than a Superman one, but here’s the thing, a Batgirl solo movie doesn’t need Batman. Yes, that’s possible and I’ll explain why.
Let’s go back to the beginning of Batgirl. Unlike all the Robins, she has a very personal connection to Batman through her father, police Commissioner James Gordon. For one, James Gordon is Batman’s most valuable ally, stemming all the way from the beginning of his crimefighting career. In the DCEU, James Gordon has made his brief debut in Justice League. Granted, it was a rather underwhelming appearance, but we can say he’s officially established in the DCEU. Oh, and he’s portrayed by J.K. Simmons. If that doesn’t make you want to see more of this Gordon, then I don’t know what will.
And guess what? He doesn’t even have to be in a Batman movie with Batfleck. His next DCEU appearance can be with his daughter, acting as a caring, but detached father. When he’s not around, she’ll be doing her thing, including reading books, being on computers, and her night job. That night job includes beating up criminals without the aid of Batman or the Robins. The question is, at what stage is she in for the Batgirl role? If you’re a comic fan, you’ll know that her history includes a lot of adventure, but also immense tragedy.
I wonder what kind of Batgirl Warner Bros. had in mind when they first thought about the idea of giving her a solo movie. On one hand, they can go the origins story route and show us how Barbara Gordon, the quiet bookworm, decided to dress up as a bat and fight criminals. This is challenging, because she owes the Batgirl mantle to Batman. In the DCEU, we know that Bruce Wayne has been Batman for twenty years and he did suffer the lose of one Robin. If he’s been Batman for that long, I reckon he’s had to have interacted with Barbara Gordon at least once. Barbara was a young teenager when she first heard of Batman and unlike many other Gotham citizens, she saw him as a symbol of inspiration. She took it upon herself to maker her own costume and fight crime, hoping to attract Batman’s attention.
This would be a great origin story to explore, not to mention a bold one. A movie about Batman’s sidekicks, but without Batman sounds like a dull idea on the surface. However, what separates Barbara Gordon from his other sidekicks, and Supergirl for that matter, is her ability to carry a solo act. Before she became Batgirl, Barbara Gordon was a star student. She’s got a Ph.D., a computer whiz, and found a job as the head of Gotham Library. Sounds like the kind of person that doesn’t need Batman in her life, but with no mother and her father working for the immensely corrupt GCPD, her life can be rather lonely.
This is the kind of thing that can be worked into her movie. She can have a strained relationship with her dad, because she’s fully aware of the corrupt nature of the Gotham Police. She knows that he’s not corrupt, but he won’t do much to change it. In her eyes, he’s just a part of the broken system and she feels like she can do some right to make up for that. They can even argue about Batman and she’ll continue to convince him that he’s actually good for Gotham. That creates a personal element for the Batgirl movie that a Supergirl movie just won’t have. Supergirl has all the powers Superman has, but Batgirl is ultimately just a regular person. She wants to make a difference, but realizes that she’ll have to get her hands dirty.
This is a good chance for DC to show a strong female character, because Barbara Gordon may be young and naive, but she’s a fighter and she does learn. She can hit rock bottom, but that won’t stop her from doing what’s right. Just look at her history as Oracle and you’ll see the paraplegic Barbara Gordon working behind a computer and in a wheelchair to support Batman as the information broker, the hacker, and just the most useful tech support ever. It’s unlikely that DC we’ll show us Oracle right away, but a Batgirl movie can lead to that. We can see her in her prime and in the end, we’ll see where Barbara currently resides in the DCEU. Think about how the Wonder Woman movie showed her origins, but then ended with her in the present.
It would be a good way to set up Oracle, but if we see her in that state, she’ll probably be used best in the Birds of Prey sequel. That’s fine, because Oracle emphasizes more on her intelligence, but we want to see her kick butt as Batgirl. Who can she fight? The comic Batgirl’s first villain was Killer Moth. He’s no A-lister, but he can be used to test the rookie Batgirl. When he’s done, she’ll move on to a more competent villain. She can fight Penguin, Riddler, or even corrupt Gotham police officers.
Now who should play her? My vote goes to Daisy Ridley. Let’s face it, the Star Wars franchise didn’t work for her, but she should get another shot. I can just see her as a young and fearless girl standing up to crime and corruption and using her wits to defeat the worst of Gotham’s criminals. Yeah, that’s kind of what Rey was supposed to be, but she never reached her full potential. Batgirl would be her chance to portray an compelling and relatable character that needs to work and push herself in order to be worthy of a protector of Gotham City.
What are you’re thoughts DC fans? Are you pro-Batgirl or pro-Supergirl? Batgirl is just so much more relatable than Supergirl and we can connect to her on a more human level. She’s a character built by tragedy and hope, but at her core, she’s a true hero. I hope the DCEU introduces this character soon.
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