Birds of Prey: How the DCEU got it all wrong already

We finally got an official reveal of the cast of characters for the DCEU’s Birds of Prey movie and we noticed something a little off about Cathy Yan’s cast. 

Fans have been waiting patiently for the DCEU to announce the lineup for Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey. Early rumors suggested the original trio of DC heroines would feature in the Margot Robbie production. However, it’s been reported that a different set of heroes will call themselves the Birds of Prey. Joining Black Canary and Huntress is Cassandra Cain and Renee Montoya. Although the lineup of heroines isn’t a bad one, the notable absence is Barbara Gordon/Oracle — that’s a problem. 

Why Barbara Gordon is important 

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For starters, Barbara Gordon formed the group after overcoming a tragic event. After retiring from her heroic sixties as Batgirl, Barbara came face-to-face with death. One day a knock at the door changed her life — Joker shot and sexually assaulted the former hero. Barbara did survive but she was an emotional wreck after learning she would never walk again.

The journey back to normal saw her battle addiction and the feeling of hopelessness. Confined to wheelchair Barbara would transform herself into a greater more inspirational hero than she was before. Barbara received martial arts training and developed a gift for hacking. 

Batman and other DC heroes benefited from her genius. Her newfound ability pushed her toward a position of power and earned her the name, Oracle. As Oracle, she briefly worked with Power Girl, before working with Black Canary. Huntress joined after helping reduce Black Canary, and Birds of Prey was born. 

There are no Birds of Prey without Oracle 

Barbara Gordon was the founder of the original Birds of Prey. As Oracle, the genius hacker she formed a dynamic team that included Dinah Lance and Helena Bertinelli. So, how can Christina Hodson script and Cathy Yan’s vision tell a story about the group without its founder? Of course, the focus will likely shift to a new founder. There’s Black Canary who was the second Oracle recruit. They could opt to have the two founding members seeking new recruits. Still, not including Oracle feels like a disservice. 

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While we don’t know the role Barbara Gordon will play in Birds of Prey, if any, it’s a shame that her name isn’t included in the lineup.