Batgirl start date, Wonder Woman 2 script news and Affleck on The Batman
Writer/director Joss Whedon (Marvel’s The Avengers) is currently hard at work finishing extensive reshoots on Warner Bros. Pictures’ Justice League for its November release, but after that he will bring Batgirl to the big screen in her own solo movie. Now DC Films co-chairman Geoff Johns has announced a Batgirl start date for when Whedon will begin production, and has updated the current status of Wonder Woman 2.
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“Batman is more than just Batman,” Johns confirmed to IGN. “It’s been way too long since we’ve seen an expansion of that universe. We are doing ‘Batgirl’ with Joss Whedon, it’s gonna be super exciting and he’s gonna start that next year. That’s just the start. We want to explore the Batman universe in a big new way.”
So there you have it. Whedon will begin production on Batgirl in 2018! It’s also just been announced by Ben Affleck at Comic-Con that despite yesterday’s rumors to the contrary, the actor plans on keeping the Batman role for a long time to come, including in Matt Reeves’ The Batman!
“Let me be clear,” says Affleck, “Batman is the greatest f–king part in the world. I am thrilled to do it.” He went on to say he’d be an ape in the background for Matt Reeves, so that sounds like a solid confirmation.
Next, Johns confirmed that he’s writing the script for the Wonder Woman sequel with input from director Patty Jenkins. Johns did uncredited work on the screenplay for the first movie.
“I’m working right now on the ‘Wonder Woman 2’ script,” Johns told Yahoo Movies. “I just started.”
It’s confirmed that Whedon’s Batgirl movie will be part of the ever-evolving DC Extended Universe that includes Justice League, Aquaman, Wonder Woman 2, The Batman solo film and David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens. No other producers are attached to the Batgirl movie, though Toby Emmerich, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns will oversee the project for the studio, which is rumored to take its inspiration for the character from the Gail Simone/New 52 run in the comics.
Batgirl’s first comic appearance in 1967 was as Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, and she later became an ally of Batman and Robin in Gotham City. She was previously portrayed by Yvonne Craig in the campy ’60s Batman series, then by Alicia Silverstone (as Barbara Wilson, Alfred’s niece) in the equally-campy 1997 flop Batman & Robin. She was recently voiced by Rosario Dawson in The LEGO Batman Movie.
Are you excited for Batgirl, Wonder Woman 2 and The Batman? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @ComingSoonnet.
