3 No. / The Canary sings again!
Five things we want to see in the just-announced Black Canary spin-off movie
1. AN ORIGIN STORY
Birds Of Prey hinted at a backstory for Dinah — the nightclub singer, played by Jurnee Smollett, with a superhuman ‘canary cry’ that can shatter glass — as a troubled kid who grew up on the streets of Gotham. A Black Canary solo film could fill in Dinah’s past, particularly her relationship with her mum, the metahuman hero whose own sonic-scream abilities seemed to earn her an untimely death. In a cinematic universe short on mother/ daughter stories, this would be a great place to centre one.
2. A UNIQUE TONE
One of the best things about the recent DCEU films is the way they’ve been allowed to embrace their own tones — from the gonzo fun of Aquaman to the giddy heart of Shazam! to the anarchic comedy of
Birds Of Prey. With Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green hired to write the script for the Black Canary solo film, this bodes well for another distinctive mood and specific genre from a singular talent.
3. A MUSICAL NUMBER
The glimpse of Dinah performing ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ was a highlight of Birds Of Prey. Now a solo flick can take things a step further by giving her a full-on musical number. The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’? Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’? Nelly Furtado’s ‘I’m Like A Bird’? The possibilities are endless.
4. A BIRDS OF PREY REUNION
Last time we saw Black Canary, she was fighting crime alongside her new teammates Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). So it seems only right that Dinah’s new besties would back her up in her solo film too, whether by helping her crack a case or just venting over morning margaritas.
5. KILLER FIGHTS
Famed for her ability to kick high in the comics, Black Canary has fearsome martial-arts training to match her powerful voice. While DCEU films have tended to lean more fantastical, a Black Canary movie could build on Birds Of Prey and deliver a streetlevel adventure with a real focus on bone-crunching action. Just don’t forget the hair ties.