In case you haven’t been paying attention to the box office lately or just all around living under a rock, Diana, Princess of Themyscira, Daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, has been kicking ass across the battlefield and silver screen. With an all-star, lady lead team of director Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot as the Amazonian princess, Wonder Woman is not only the possible redeemer of the DCEU, but is practically the first major female superhero movie to be a success, even before the lauded Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Box office numbers haven’t been the only thing Wonder Woman has been bringing to the table either. As expected, the first major superheroine film stirred up global controversy and conversation. Someone even placed Diana’s iconic tiara on the already controversial “Fearless Girl” statue before the Wall Street Bull. But the cultural back-and-forth doesn’t seem to be halting DC/Warner Bros’ plans for more female lead films, a Batgirl solo movie was rumored just recently and with the adored Joss Whedon to write and direct.
Here at The Pop Break, we’re riding the Wonder Woman hype wave and we don’t want it to stop. We brainstormed a potential list of ladies from the DCU we’d love to see enter the DCEU with their own films along with potential directors and cast. So here is our list for the ladies by the ladies. –Alisha Weinberger
Supergirl and Livewire (Sheena Fisher)
Alright, I know Supergirl had a movie in 1989 and she also has a TV series. But, I think Kara needs to be on the big screen again. The 1989 movie was a step in the right direction, but it wasn’t perfect. Let’s talk about how good Melissa Benoist is at portraying Kara Zor-El. I personally think DCEU should let actors cross over from TV series to movie screen. As for Livewire I believe Leslie Willis portrays her well in the show as well, and could do well on the big screen
Imagine a film where Supergirl is at her peak power. She’s confident, but never cocky. In my movie plot idea Livewire is trying to take down Central City by using her powers to hack DEO computers to let loose a mysterious alien comrade. While all of this is happening we flash back to scenes of Kara first discovering her powers while she is still with the Danvers family. Of course the film will touch on how and why she’s here on earth. But, the focal point of the movie building up from her knowing nothing of her powers, and from there growing into the confident hero we see in the opening sequence. I believe if a film showed her failing sometimes, learning from it, and then flourishing that would help inspire many people. Kara always felt like an outsider because she truthfully is. She’s a literal illegal alien. But, she does belong on earth and she does have family that loves her. Not only does she belong, but she ends up being a major protector of the planet.
All while we learn about Kara’s past we work our way to the present where we discover that Livewire is trying to jail-break Brainiac. He has been captured by the DEO and has promised Livewire the world if she will assist in letting him out. Unfortunately for him as we all know Livewire is far more intelligent than she lets on. So, she also has a plan up her sleeves to double-cross him and leave him in that cage as soon as she gets what she wants. Turns out Livewire actually wants personal information to recruit other metahumans to take down superheroes on a global level.
The DEO is in shambles, it looks like Brainiac may kill both girls, but Livewire and Supergirl work together to keep Brainiac at bay. They are successful in locking him back up. Supergirl makes a deal with Livewire since she helped secure Brainiac. Livewire escapes, but she doesn’t get the information she originally sought after. Not only would we learn about Kara in this film, but we would learn about Livewire too. And they’re both smart and strong women so I think that could be interesting. Plus who doesn’t like a story where Brainiac is out-smarted?
Vixen (Alisha Weinberger)
Director: Tarsem Singh
Cast:
Lupita Nyong’o (Vixen)
Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman…duh)
Eva Green (Cheetah)
David Thewlis (Ares)
Why: Vixen already has a small screen adaption with her own animated miniseries that crosses into the Arrow/The Flash TV-verse, but because DC’s small and big screen universes don’t mix, she would have to be completely rewritten to accommodate the DCEU. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing, as Vixen is a character that only has come into the limelight very recently with her own CW cartoon and DC Rebirth series. She is just obscure enough to allow some creative leeway and retcon, but not too obscure that she wouldn’t have a following.
Vixen, also known as Mari Jiwe McCabe, grew up in the fictional African nation of Zambesi as an orphan after her mother was killed by poachers, not before inheriting the mystical Tantu totem that allows Mari to not only connect her lifeforce with all manner of fauna, but draw upon the powers of animals. If she channels a bird she can fly or can assume the density and strength of an elephant, to put it simply, she is more of a magic-based Beastboy, akin to Animal Man. In more recent comic book iterations, Mari McCabe is not only an animal-based superhero, but a self-made tycoon of the fashion industry, a conservationist and animal rights activist, and celebrity philanthropist.
At the end of Wonder Woman, it is clear that Diana is living it up in France, even working at the Louvre. So I ask, what better stomping ground would there be for a by-day fashionista, by-night vigilante like Vixen than Paris? Imagine this! Mari McCabe, finally retiring her Totem and alter ego to focus on more down-to-earth endeavors and activism, donates the Tantu Totem to the Louvre where she knows it would be safe. This is where her and Diana would cross paths, of course.
At a fashion exhibition and gala celebrating McCabe’s donation, the hell-bent mad scientist Cheetah, and archnemesis to Wonder Woman (played by none other than femme fatale, Eva Green) gate crashes, trying to steal the Totem. Fueled by the whispers of Ares, Cheetah wants the Totem to unleash total control over all animal life and declare the ultimate war, the war between man and nature. With the help of Wonder Woman, Mari reassumes to role of Vixen to restore harmony between the animal kingdom and mankind.
The stunning Lupita Nyong’o would make a fantastic Vixen with her powerhouse grace and presence. She is also no stranger to the nerd community either, having voiced Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens and Raksha in The Jungle Book. And of course, she will be starring in Marvel’s Black Panther, which may contractually be impossible for her to play Vixen, but hey, one can dream right? Tarsem Singh, who directed the gorgeous, albeit underrated 2011 film Immortals, which starred Superman Henry Cavill, and the cult classic The Fall, is no stranger to fantastical set design.
Singh whose style has come to be associated with dark dreamscapes and abstract costume designs would beautifully compliment the mystical, fashionable background of Vixen, but his aesthetic would also fit nicely with the brooding Snyder-esque atmosphere of the rest of the DCEU. And just for kicks, why not throw in Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood of Fantastic Beasts, because who said Vixen and Wonder Woman can’t kick ass, take names, and look good doing it?
Batgirl (Rachel Freeman)
We know, this movie IS happening. However, we would be remiss in not talking about the upcoming, yet un-cast Batgirl film that Joss Whedon is heading up. Back in March, Rachel Freeman had this to say…
First, let’s talk about story. Barbara Gordon holds a very dear place in my heart. She is my favorite female super hero and although I have respect for the Batgirls that have taken up the mantle, they were no Barbara Gordon. After being shot by the Joker, she was Oracle for a long time (which I also loved) and it wasn’t until DC’s New 52 run that she was given back the use of her legs and returned to us as Batgirl. Written by Gail Simone, one of my favorite Batgirl arcs (really New 52 arcs in general too) was Death of the Family, where Barbara not only faced the Joker again, but her own brother, James Gordon Jr. who happens to be a psychopath.
Honestly, I think a Barbara vs. James Jr. would make for an amazing movie plot. Especially because, although he appears in Batman comics too, he is more her villain than Batman’s. Plus, he is her brother, so we it would be easy to discuss both of their backstories in one movie without it feeling like unnecessary filler. That being said, I also think that at some point in the movie, Batgirl would need to run into and/or team up with Black Canary. This would be easy to do, she could even just pop up at the end or something, but Black Canary NEEDS to make an appearance so they can create a Birds of Prey tie-in. Huntress could appear too, but Black Canary is crucial.
If we are going to go by this amazing movie-plot idea, we would need to cast the following: Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Commissioner James Gordon, James Gordon Jr., and potentially Batman, Nightwing, and Huntress. Whew. What a list!
To read her casting ideas, click here.
Poison Ivy (Laura Dengrove)
With all this hubbub with DC, casting news is coming from anywhere and everywhere. Luckily, the casting news is taking on a decidedly more female twist, as Wonder Woman has truly stole (and saved) the show.
DC Sirens is a sure thing, so when thinking of that casting list who would you think is first and foremost? Yes, you got it…Poison Ivy.
Miss Quinn’s right hand woman, and all around feminist bad ass is truly the talk of the town on who will be playing this eco-loving warrior. SO with this in mind, I will throw my vote in and say hands down Evan Rachel Wood should be playing this character. Not only has Miss Wood proven to be a phenomenal actress, with great depth and precision to her craft, she even looks like a real life version of the lady in green! If you have seen True Blood, you will know just how well she can portray and bring Ivy to life…go on, see a photo or clip of her in the show and prove me wrong.
She is simply perfect, and to cast someone younger or more sex pot then her would be a grave mistake on the part of Warner. People in our modern age don’t want some baby talking tits-MaGoo, they want a strong character like Wonder Woman…or how Ivy is in the Batman Animated Series and comic book! Ivy is an icon and to have someone like Meghan Fox play her would be a waste of money and our time.
In terms of director, we again need a strong female presence behind the lens. This was proven the magic formula with Wonder Woman, so listen up patriarchy of the world. Us women want to be heard and represented in the way we know is truthful, and for that to work a woman must tell our tale…and even our female comic counterparts.
