It’s been 25 years since DC fans saw a live-action Batgirl, but that’s all about to change.
After previously being revealed as the woman for the job with the lead role in HBO Max’s upcoming Batgirl film, Leslie Grace has finally give fans a first look at her attire in the flick, as well as what we can be expecting visually from the film—which has been described as showcasing a “different side of Gotham.”
“I use their expectations against them,” Grace wrote on Instagram, quoting a saying from the 2003 Batgirl: Year One comic. “That will be their weakness. Not mine. Let them all underestimate me… And when their guard is down, and their pride is rising, let me kick their butts.”
The behind-the-scenes picture, shared to Grace’s Instagram, shows her in a heroic pose, rocking a blue batsuit and mask, a yellow cape, and plenty of accessories attached to her belt. Surrounding the hero—played by Grace, who made her feature film debut in In The Heights—is a stone building illuminated by the nighttime, apparently in the always-dark Gotham.
“With Batgirl, we hope to take the audience on a fun ride and see a different side of Gotham,” Kristin Burr, the project’s producer, said in 2021. “Christina [Hodson]’s script is crackling with spirit. [Directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi] have an excited and joyous energy which is infectious, making them the perfect filmmakers for this Bat-project. And I’m just psyched I get to be part of the DC universe, which is super cool.”
Batgirl a.k.a. Barbara Gordon—the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon—hasn’t appeared in a live-action DC film since 1997’s Batman & Robin, but fans are looking forward to Grace’s take on the character. The new Batgirl cast will feature JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne once again, and Brendan Fraser as Firefly.
“This is only my second role, but I’m learning from my colleagues and other friends of mine that you put a little bit of yourself into each character,” Grace explained in a September interview with Entertainment Tonight. “And just in the bit of research that I’ve been doing leading into pre-production, I’ve learned a lot of things about Barbara that are very in line with me.”
Batgirl has yet to receive a release date.
