Well, that certainly didn’t take long. Following two-day-old reports of a “Batgirl” shortlist with a list of potential contenders, Warner Bros. and DC Films have already landed on their Barbara Gordon: “In The Heights” actress Leslie Grace. Earlier this week, the trades reported that actresses like Isabela Merced, Zoey Deutch, Haley Lu Richardson, and more were in the running for the coveted role of Batgirl, the daughter of Gotham Commissioner Gordon, Barbara Gordon. But in the end, Grace won out.
Grace is primarily an American singer and songwriter and has received three Latin Grammy Award nominations. Obviously, though, landing such a high-profile role, a more prominent switch to acting could be in the cards. “In The Heights” was her first major feature-film role, and clearly, Warner Bros. liked what they saw from her potential. Born to Dominican parents, the casting of Grace also clearly shows DC Films’ move towards more Latinx and multicultural casting, following an upcoming Latinx “Blue Beetle” film and the inclusion of actresses like Rachel Zegler in “Shazam 2: Fury Of The Gods.”
“Batgirl” is being touted as more of a small-screen, smaller-sized adventure. Last year, DC and WB brass teased DC Films movies made specifically for HBO Max and smaller in scale than large big-screen blockbusters. “Batgirl” could be the first of this kind and will debut on Max whenever it’s finally ready. “Blue Beetle” and possibly “Zatanna” are also mid-sized DC Films that may premiere on HBO Max first. “Batgirl” is set to be made by directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Marvel‘s “Ms. Marvel” series) and writer Christina Hodson, known for “Birds Of Prey” and “The Flash.” Hodson has become one of DC Films’ go-to writers.
READ MORE: ‘Blue Beetle’ Joins ‘Batgirl’ As Mid-Budget HBO Max Superhero Features
Plot details are under wraps, but as mentioned in the comics, Barbara Gordon is the daughter of Commissioner Gordon and will be the character used in this version. J.K. Simmons previously played Gordon in Zack Snyder’s “Justice League.” Still, it’s been strongly speculated that the character will be recast in the future as an upcoming “Flash” film will use the multiverse conceit to reboot much of the universe as is. [Deadline]
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