Birds of Preyis one DC supergroup that’s too often left in the shadows. A TV series was lackluster, the movie (even starringMargot Robbie) was a box office bomb, and their future in the DCU is up in the air. However, none of that means thatthe newly formed DC Studios led byJames GunnandPeter Safranshould abandon these characters entirely. Even if the Birds of Prey are brought back without the cast of the 2020 film, characters such as Huntress, Black Canary, Oracle/Batgirl, and other female superheroes have great cinematic potential if put in the right creative hands. A Birds of Prey movie in this new era of DC Studios would provide Gunn and Safran an opportunity to explore lesser-known characters that have yet to gain popularity with general audiences. There’s no better time to reinvent the female-led superhero team, especially after numerous live-action attempts that have led to abrupt endings to the Birds of Prey.
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Birds of Prey TV Shows Were Short-Lived
For instance, in 2002, theBirds of Preytelevision series first brought the team together in live-action. The show came out in the early 2000s, in between DC’s hiatus from live-action theatrical releases (Joel Schumacher’s infamousBatman & Robinwas released in the same year asSteelstarringShaquille O’Nealin 1997, whileCatwomanstarringHalle Berrywas released in 2004). Marvel filled the power vacuum left behind by DC with superhero franchises such asX-Men,Spider-Man,Daredevil, andHulk, DC was in a bit of a transitional phase. The last prominent DC property,Batman & Robin, was known for its campy take on the caped crusader —a clear homage to the Silver Age. It would be years until Christopher Nolan would bring the Dark Knight back to his “dark and gritty” origins inBatman Begins(2005).
to sidestep any association with the Schumacher films,the trailers forBirds of Preyexplicitly tied the show toTim Burton’s more successful and popular take on Batman and Gotham City. Using footage fromBatman Returns, the promos explicitly teased how Helena Kyle aka Huntress (Ashley Scott) was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, portrayed byMichael KeatonandMichellePfeifferin Tim Burton’s films, respectively. However, capitalizing on the Burton films didn’t bring in enough of an audience. Before its thirteen-episode season finished, The WB canceledBirds of Preydue to a lack of viewership. It would be a while before Huntress, Batgirl/Oracle (Dina Meyer), Dinah Lance/Black Canary (Rachel Skarsten), and Harley Quinn (Mia Sara) would be adapted into live-action again. Meanwhile, The WB’s Superman showSmallvillecontinued for 10 seasons with popular success.
The next attempt at a live-action Birds of Prey was also on television. After UPN and The WB channels merged officially into The CW, and after the conclusion ofSmallville,Greg Berlantiand other writer-producers who were also fans of DC created the “Arrowverse,” which began with 2012’sArrowstarringStephen Amellas Oliver Queen. Although a range of DC superhero shows would spin off fromArrow—The Flash,Legends of Tomorrow,Supergirl, andBatwoman— it was primarily throughArrowthat the closest to a live-action Birds of Prey team would take shape. More accurately adapted from the comics (instead of forcing a loose connection to Tim Burton’s Batman films), Helena Bertinelli (Jessica De Gouw) appeared in the first season ofArrowas the daughter of a crime boss in Starling City, as one of Oliver Queen’s love interests, and more importantly, as the vigilante known as Huntress. Throughout the series, Huntress would face Green Arrow and two different versions of Black Canary, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Sara Lance (Caity Lotz). The last time we see Huntress, she is left in prison, leaving us without a proper team-up of the Birds of Prey.
Still, the Arrowverse did pay homage to the superhero team in one way or another. In late 2019 and early 2020,the epic crossover eventCrisis On Infinite Earthsbrought back Ashley Scott’s version of Huntress from the 2002 seriesBirds of Prey. On Earth-203, Huntress calls over to an off-screen Oracle as she tries to escape the destruction of her universe, which she ultimately doesn’t escape. It was a great cameo from Ashley Scott and a fitting conclusion to the little-known show from the early 2000s. Furthermore,the final season ofArrowalso seemed to tease a version of the Birds of Prey in a spin-offthat focused on a female-led team of the Green Arrow’s daughter Mia Queen (Katherine McNamara) along with two Canaries, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy). However, the spin-off,Green Arrow & The Canaries, would ultimately not make it to full series order at The CW. So ends the Birds of Prey in live-action, at least on television.
Margot Robbie’s ‘Birds of Prey’ Was a Box Office Bomb
If the Birds of Prey had no luck on television after two attempts, then perhaps they might have found an audience in theaters. That was the hope with the 2020 filmBirds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),or as it’s more commonly called,Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. Directed byCathy Yanwith a script written byBumblebeewriterChristina Hodson, the theatricalBirds of Preyseemed primed for success. Although it was a direct spin-off of the critically slammedSuicide Squad(2016), the film took the best part of that movie, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and paired her with a cast of dynamic and charismatic characters.Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress brought a tongue-in-cheek levity to the concept of superhero nicknames.Jurnee Smollettgave a layered and empathetic portrayal of Black Canary trapped inRoman Sionis aka Black Mask’s (Ewan McGregor)criminal organization. AndRosie Perez’s Renee Montoya added a mature gravitas to an overall stellar cast who seemed to have as much fun on-screen as behind the scenes.Birds of Preyeven included a much younger Batgirl in Cassandra Cain, played byElla Jay Basco. Finally, DC brought to life a definitive live-action portrayal of the Birds of Prey.
However, a range of circumstances led tothe film’s upsetting box-office performance. The R-rating meant that families couldn’t take their children to screenings, unlike the more successful Marvel movies. Though, movies likeDeadpoolandLoganproved R-rated superhero films could still be successful. Yet,Birds of Preyalso had a lot of baggage attached to it, whether it was the poor reception ofDavid Ayer’sSuicide Squador even its loose association withZack Snyder’s universe. Most significantly, however,Birds of Preycame out in February 2020, just a few weeks before the world would go into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, which made it impossible for the film to make money at the box office during the rest of its theatrical run. It’s a shame thatBirds of Preydidn’t find a substantial audience, especially since it is one of the former DCEU’s better-reviewed films.
It seems that every live-action attempt at the Birds of Prey shares a common problem: a lack of audience and viewership. This was the case with the 2002 series as well as the failed back-door pilot toGreen Arrow & The Canaries. The first attempt tried to sell the show as having loose connections to Tim Burton’s Gotham City, but those connections ultimately had no payoff, and people who did tune in eventually caught on. The second attempt tried to capitalize on the success ofArrowand the rest of its connected universe. However, with The CW ultimately ending the Arrowverse by cancelingLegends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman,and evenThe Flash, another spinoff focused on a pseudo-Birds of Prey wasn’t exactly in the cards. However, the 2020Birds of Preyfilm was under unprecedented circumstances of being released during a pandemic. Its lack of audience at the theaters was certainly underserved. In all these circumstances, the Birds of Prey deserve to have a more proper adaptation, whether as a theatrical film or even a series on streaming.
Will We See the Birds of Prey Again?
With James Gunn at the head of DC Studios, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn might still be safe, considering her inclusion in Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad. And with Harley Quinn, the Birds of Prey portrayed by Winstead, Smollett, and Perez might also have a future in the new DCU.Furthermore, Smollett’s solo movie as Black Canary is still in development at HBO Maxwith a story written byMisha Greenwho also worked with Smollett onLovecraft Country.
But even if these characters return to screens without these actors, the Birds of Prey deserve their time in the spotlight.Gunn has already confirmed a new Superman movie is in development, and it’s easy to assume that the rest of the Justice League is also being set up with new stories and versions. While Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest are already well-known household names, the Birds of Prey are still relatively unfamiliar to mainstream audiences — even after numerous live-action adaptations. Rather than being viewed as a disadvantage, this can actually be a benefit to Gunn and other creators at DC Studios. This means that there is less pressure to live up to the previous iterations. If Gunn and Safran are looking for a blank slate with the DCU, the Birds of Prey is essentially a freebie to put together an all-female cast of superheroes in a team-up movie or show. Furthermore, with the financial backing of DC Studios, this new version of Birds of Prey won’t necessarily have the limitations of the 2002Birds of Preyand Arrowverse in terms of special effects and acquiring the best writers, directors, and actors for the job. Under Gunn and Safran’s leadership, the Birds of Prey might finally find popularity and success among critics, fans, and general audiences alike — if only given the chance.
