Joss Whedon in talks to direct Batgirl film

VARIETY is reporting that Joss Whedon is nearing a deal to be the writer, director and producer of a solo Batgirl movie for Warner Bros and DC Entertainment.

Whedon is no stranger to big-time superhero movie-making, having written and directed the first two Avengers movies for Marvel Studios. Those films proved that connected superhero movie universes could work, and now Whedon joins WB/ DC in their attempts to duplicate the success of Marvel Studios.

With Gal Gadot set to star in Wonder Woman, arriving in theatres in June, and David Ayer developing Gotham City Sirens, which will star Margot Robbie in a repeat performance as Harley Quinn teaming up with an as-yet-not-cast Catwoman and Poison Ivy, a Batgirl movie would represent WB/DC’s third film to feature a female lead, giving DC Entertainment at least one thing at which it has beaten Marvel Studios.

Marvel Studios’ first movie with a female lead arrives on March 8, 2019, when Academy Award winner Brie Larson stars as Captain Marvel.

Batgirl/Barbara Gordon (daughter of mainstay Batman character and Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon) has gone through a reinvention in the pages of her comic books, with DC Comics’ latest two companywide reboots, The New 52 and Rebirth, debuting a much younger, hipster-styled Batgirl with a less bat-in-the-dark and more brightand-in-your-face costume that was met with high fan approval.

Whedon will have that current Batgirl redesign as well as the recent writing run of fan-favourite comic book industry writer Gail Simone from which to draw.

He is no stranger to writing comic books or movies based on comics, and could come up with a new take on the character himself. He’ll have DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns, another former DC Comics writer, to lean on.

Jared Leto’s Joker also could theoretically be in play, as the classic Batman villain and Batgirl share a dark comic book history. The Joker paralysed Barbara Gordon in the classic Alan Moore and Brian Bolland graphic novel The Killing Joke.

Batgirl would join Nightwing (the first Robin the Boy Wonder) as another bat character being groomed for the big screen. It looks as if WB/ DC has realised it can expand its movie slate without leaving Gotham City.