joss whedon, known as the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and for his work on “The Avengers” film franchise, is attached to write and direct a project based around the batgirl character. The project, reflecting Whedon’s background in writing heroines, also appears to reflect an upcoming growing trend of stand-alone films for DC characters.
Very little is known about the project at this point in production
Whedon is set to write, direct, and produce the upcoming film. According to reports, Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich, in addition to Jon Berg and Geoff Johns, will serve as overseers on the project.
No other producers are currently attached to the film. The project would appear to be early in production, reportedly having originated last month. The project does not even have an official title at this point.
We’ve seen Batgirl before, though she’s usually not the main character
An upcoming Batgirl film would be the second stand-alone film to focus on a female heroine, after an upcoming film based around Wonder Woman expected to be released this June. The Batgirl character, who was developed by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, had previously been portrayed live by Yvonne Craig in ABC’s "Batman" television series and Alicia Silverstone in Joel Schumacher‘s "Batman & Robin," in addition to various appearances in animation.
Batgirl was a supporting character in these aforementioned works, and the project is likely the first to portray her as a stand-alone heroine.
Whedon is known for developing strong heroines, particularly in the “Buffy” franchise. That said, his connection to the project has been unusual in one respect, as he had become heavily associated with the Marvel comics franchise in recent years, and this new project concerns a character from the rival DC comics franchise.
Other projects coming from Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe include “Justice League,” “Aquaman,” “The Batman,” “Shazam,” a “Suicide Squad” sequel and a “Gotham City Sirens,” spin-off, in addition to projects based around the characters of Flash and Cyborg.
