Joss Whedon talks about why Batgirl intrigues him

Now that Joss Whedon has moved from Marvel to DC to work on Batgirl, he’s talking about what drew him to such an intriguing character.

Joss Whedon is no stranger to strong women. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Marvel’s Black Widow, Whedon has demonstrated an ability to connect with powerful women and convey that power on television and the big screen.

Now that the Avengers director has jumped over to DC for Warner Bros’ upcoming Batgirl film, Whedon is talking about what it is about Batgirl that drew him to the project.

In an interview with Heat Vision, Whedon talked about how this character became something of an obsession for him:

"She came up, and I started getting obsessed with how a young woman could get hardcore enough to need to put on the cowl. Like, what’s her damage? She didn’t have her parents killed in an alley. Who is this person, who decides – rather than being forced to by their childhood trauma – decides to pick up this life? How intense and driven that person is … I just couldn’t stop thinking about it."

One of the most compelling things about the character is that Batgirl has chosen this life of fighting crime as a vigilante in Gotham City despite coming from a stable home environment. We all know why Bruce Wayne became Batman, and how later on a tragedy would put Dick Grayson on the same path. But what was the trigger for Batgirl?

Whedon also talked about the kind of actress he sees playing Batgirl during the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy  Vol. 2. At this point it’s too early to throw out names and he doesn’t have anyone in mind, but he’s leaning toward a newcomer over a widely known actress.

It’s something that seems to be working with Gal Gadot and Wonder Woman, and the choice of Brie Larson as the face of Captain Marvel was well received over at Marvel.

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With a Batgirl film several years away, fans can rest assured that this film is in the best hands available. Whedon is already obsessed with his lead character, and that’s a very good thing.