Batgirl's Leslie Grace Shares Exciting First Look At Her Costume
As the decade of the 2020s continues along, you'd best believe that Warner Bros. is hard at work assembling an exciting DC Comics-based film slate for the coming years. 2022 alone will host "The Batman," "DC League of Super-Pets," "Black Adam," "The Flash," and "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," but that's just the stuff that'll reach the cinema. Fans can look forward to checking out "Batgirl" from the comfort of their own homes, seeing as it's HBO Max's first original direct-to-streaming film set against the backdrop of the DC universe.
A Batgirl solo movie has been in the works for some time, originally with "Avengers" and "Justice League" director Joss Whedon at the helm. However, he left the project before it could get off the ground, so it fell into obscurity until Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah signed on to direct. News that actress Leslie Grace had been cast as Barbara Gordon soon followed, as did confirmation that J.K. Simmons would return as Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon and that Brendan Fraser would portray the villainous Firefly.
Production on "Batgirl" kicked off in late November 2021, and just over a month later, Leslie Grace gave the world its first look at her superhero costume.
Leslie Grace has officially suited up as Batgirl
On January 14, Leslie Grace took to Instagram and shared an exciting first look at her purple and yellow Batgirl costume. "'I use their expectations against them. That will be their weakness. Not mine. Let them all underestimate me ... And when their guard is down, and their pride is rising, let me kick their butts,' – Batgirl, Year One," she wrote underneath the picture, letting everyone know that she more than has what it takes to be the next Batgirl. Words of support and excitement loaded the comments section, and it's easy to see why.
At this point, there have been very few live-action Batgirl interpretations, especially in film. When it comes to cinematic counterparts, Grace is joined solely by Alicia Silverstone's Barbara Wilson from 1997's "Batman & Robin." As far as television versions go, the late Yvonne Craig was the first to play Batgirl via the classic "Batman" TV show, paving the way for Dina Meyer, Jeté Laurence, and Savannah Welch to take on the role for "Birds of Prey," "Gotham," and "Titans," respectively. However, Meyer only suited up as Batgirl for flashback sequences, while Laurence and Welch didn't at all.
Compared to the likes of Batman and Superman, who are constantly rebooted and recast, Batgirl doesn't have an extensive list of actresses from across decades behind her. Nevertheless, for those few that have donned the cowl over the years, Leslie Grace will almost certainly do them proud when "Batgirl" hits HBO Max in 2022.