It’s been a wild couple of years for superhero fans as Warner Bros. constantly changed its approach to movie adaptations of DC characters. There have been dozens of projects announced, canceled, and put back into the production line, to the point that following the behind-the-scenes drama became the most entertaining aspect of the DCU. Some talented people are backing up DC movies in front and behind the cameras. But no creative mind can deliver a satisfying adaptation when the high-ups constantly change the goals of the DC cinematic universe. It’s no wonder it feels somewhat refreshing to know DC co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran will reboot the timeline and build a cohesive storyline moving forward, reusing some of the characters and storylines of previous DC adaptations. But what about the Black Canary movie, a spinoff of Birds of Prey centered on star Jurnee Smollett-Bell? In the whirlwind of change, this highly-anticipated project remains uncancelled. Nevertheless, it’s been months since we heard anything official about it. So, will Black Canary make the cut and become part of the new DCU?
What Is 'Black Canary,' the 'Birds of Prey' Spinoff?
In the past few decades, Black Canary stopped being solely a fan-favorite comic book character. Thanks to animated series such as Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice, and The CW’s Arrow, the martial artist with a super voice became a highly recognizable pop culture icon. So, it was just a matter of time before Black Canary crossed the ultimate threshold and sang her way into theaters. That happened in 2020’s Birds of Prey, a semi-sequel of 2016’s maligned Suicide Squad. Starring Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey follows Harley Quinn on a journey of self-discovery after being dumped by the Joker. Along the way, she meets other powerful women she enlists to fight the nefarious – and misogynist – Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). One of these women was Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary, who worked as a burlesque singer at Black Mask’s club.
Birds of Prey's critical success led Warner Bros. to discuss multiple projects involving the cast. Among these projects was a solo movie centered on Black Canary, which was announced in August 2021. The movie would be developed for HBO Max, helping the company to expand the DC extended universe towards their streaming service, similar to what the MCU did with Disney+. At the time, Black Canary was one of three DC movies in development for HBO Max, together with Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace's titular role, and Blue Beetle, featuring Xolo Maridueña as Latinx hero Jaime Reyes. However, in December 2021, Blue Beetle was moved from HBO Max to a theatrical release. And in August 2022, Batgirl was shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery as part of the company’s DC restructuring.
The last optimistic news from the Black Canary solo project came in May 2022, when writer Misha Green confirmed she was working on the script. Besides that, after Batgirl’s cancelation, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Pictures also claimed the movie was still a go. This latest report should be taken with a grain of salt since it preceded Gunn and Safran’s taking over DC Studios and being tasked with creating a unified storyline across theaters, TV, and even video games. Still, since the movie was never officially canceled, we can still hope it will become part of the new DCU. And fortunately, the project would fit like a glove in Gunn and Safran’s vision for the future.
Can 'Black Canary' Still Exist in the New DCU?
While Gunn and Safran are mostly concerned about telling a brand-new story spread across dozens of movies and TV shows, the co-heads of DC Studios have already explained how they will incorporate elements from the current DCU. For starters, Gunn and Safran are using the Elseworlds strategy to ensure non-canon stories can still be told by talented filmmakers. That’s the case of Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe, which is about to get The Penguin spinoff series. The same reasoning ensures Todd Phillips will move forward with Joker: Folie à Deux. So, with the Elseworlds approach, any kind of project could be welcomed into the new DCU. Regardless, it is unlikely this is the case with Black Canary.
Gunn and Safran know they must fight for attention while launching the new DCU. So, approving Elseworld projects should only happen when they feel confident the non-canon storylines will make enough money and keep fans happy and shareholders pleased. That’s why the only two Elseworld projects approved so far are for sequels of 2022’s The Batman and 2019’s Joker, both huge box office monsters. As much as we might love Birds of Prey, the movie struggled in theaters, gathering a disappointing $205 million. So, while Birds of Prey’s low budget prevented it from being a flop, it’s hard to argue in favor of turning a Black Canary solo movie into a big Elseworlds event. That isn’t necessary, though, as Black Canary could easily fit into Gunn and Safran's new DCU timeline.
Gunn and Safran already revealed some of the previous DC projects would remain canon in the new DCU. For instance, Gunn-directed The Suicide Squad and its spinoff series, Peacemaker. These two productions are so important for the new DCU that Gunn is already working on a spinoff focused on Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller. Furthermore, the Creature Commandos animated series will bring back Steve Agee as Agent Economos, one of Waller’s most-trusted people in Peacemaker. So, it’s fair to assume other characters from these projects can make their cinematic or television return anytime. That includes Robbie’s Harley Quinn, who was also part of The Suicide Squad. And if Robbie’s Harley remains canon, Gunn and Safran don’t even need to make an effort to add Birds of Prey, and Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary, to the new DCU official timeline.
By making Birds of Prey officially part of the new DCU, the Black Canary solo movie could be reworked into the new DCU. Gunn and Safran’s “Gods and Monsters” slate balances big heroes and unknown characters, but the new DCU plan is still lacking some street-level representation Black Canary could help supply. In addition, nothing is preventing Gunn from reworking the Black Canary movie into a miniseries, which could lower production costs while still keeping the project alive. That would be the perfect opportunity to continue to explore the Birds of Prey corner of the universe while giving Smollett-Bell’s heroine more time in the spotlight. Without an official announcement, this possibility remains wishful thinking. However, since the project has not been officially canceled, we may hope to see Smollett-Bell shine as Black Canary again.
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