Casting Call: Birds of Prey

Since I love DC’s Birds of Prey, and I love casting things, I decided to combine those two things into a massive blog-worthy effort. So here’s part 1! Tell me what you think, if you like my choices, or who you’d cast instead.

Amy Adams as Oracle (Barbara Gordon)
Not only is Amy a gorgeous redhead, but she has the right balance of nice girl and professionalism that Barbara has, especially now that she’s Oracle. Her role in Julie and Julia is what really convinced me that she could bring the serious side of Barbara to light.

Yvonne Strahovski as Black Canary (Dinah Lance)
Blonde, beautiful, and worthy of an action-packed role, Yvonne has already proven she’s got the acting chops and physicality to play Dinah. It doesn’t help that she’s drop-dead gorgeous. It’s her facial expressions that really clued me in, she always seems to be pondering her next move, the way I would imagine Dinah would do.

Julia Voth as Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)
Yes, she looks the part, but it was her role in Bitch Slap that made me connect the dots between Voth and Huntress. She’s still as badass as the other members, but in a more rebellious sort of way.

Anna Torv as Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake)
Anna poise is perfect for the professional and somewhat outdated Lady Blackhawk (she was actually a pilot in WWII and somehow ended up in the present day). I think Torv definitely has the old Hollywood look that could work for this role and she’s already a tv action alum.

Danielle Harris as Gypsy (Cynthia “Cindy” Reynolds)
I have a feeling I won’t have too much trouble convincing MFC of casting Harris in anything, but I think her spunky yet cute attitude fits well with the character of Gypsy. I would love to see her kicking butt with her awesome illusion powers.

Sonya Walger as Spy Smasher (Katarina Armstrong)
When I first read a comic with Spy Smasher I immediately thought of Walger’s role in The Librarian. It’s such a perfect match that I never considered anyone else. Blonde, bitchy, and in charge, these roles are one in the same.

Lucy Lawless as Big Barda
Is there anyone more perfect to play the goddess Big Barda than the one and only Lucy Lawless? She looks the part and there’s no doubt in my mind (and anyone else’s I’m sure) that she could flawlessly pull of the tough as nails Big Barda. There really isn’t much explaining necessary for this one.

Sophie Turner as Misfit (Charlotte “Charlie” Gage-Radcliffe)
Who better to play an annoying teenage redhead than Sansa Stark? Turner is perfect as Sansa, and her added spunk at the end of season 1 of Game of Thrones made me think she’d be a good choice for the wannabe-Batgirl Misfit who can teleport.

Jewel Staite as Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)
Kendra is the second Hawkgirl (who is distantly related to the original Hawkgirl, Shiera) once a troubled young girl who killed herself. The soul of the original Hawkgirl then entered her body. She currently has all of Kendra’s memories, but almost none of Shiera’s, save for fighting experiences. I think Jewel can play both sides of this Hawkgirl, the lonley-little-girl-lost side, as well as the butt-kicking super heroine side.

Gabrielle Union as Vixen (Mari Jiwe McCabe)
Vixen is a beautiful African supermodel turned superheroine who can mimic the ability of animals. Gabrielle Union is a beautiful African-American actress who can kick butt on screen but remain graceful and charming off-screen. I think she’d bring a grace and power to the role of Vixen that no one else could.

Manu Bennett as (Aleksandr) Creote
He definitely has the big tough guy look going that would work for the sort of jobs Creote does as a former KGB member. And with the obvious homoerotic undertones in Spartacus, I’m sure he’d have no problem playing a gay man. There was one drawing of Creote with this look on his face that immediately brought to mind Manu’s facial expressions in Spartacus. After that, my mind was made up.

Charlize Theron as Catwoman (Selina Kyle)
I’ve made this comparison in the past and I stick by it. While I’m sure Hathaway will do a great job as CW, I think Charlize is perfect for this role. She’s gorgeous, witty, agile and feline-like, and could certainly outshine and compete with Batman. Also she can rock both the blonde and the brunette look with ease.

Olivia Wilde as Starling (Ev Crawford)
Starling is a member of the re-vamped BOP and is known to be Black Canary’s old friend from college. She’s a badass gun-toting vigilante rebel with tattoos up her arm and neck. Wilde is definitely sexy, badass, and ready to throw down, if her previous action roles speak for themselves.

Jason Lewis as Savant (Brian Durlin)
Savant is essentially a bad guy but he does team up with the Birds of Prey for a few missions. He’s a tough guy in charge who decided to leave his rich kid life behind to become a vigilante. He quickly turned to the dark side where he partnered with his loyal follower, and now lover, Creote. Lewis looks the part for sure, and he’s had no trouble making characters fall in love with him in other films.

Romola Garai as Power Girl (Karen Starr, Kara Zor-L)
While Power Girl’s constant clashing with Oracle prevented her from being a full-time member, she is a superheroine in her own right. Garai is tall, blonde, and buxom and her acting abilities so superb that I think she could definitely hit the different notes that Power Girl has to offer.

Maggie Q as Lady Shiva/Jade Canary (Sandra Wu-San)
Lady Shiva is one of the most feared and revered of DC’s women. She is undeniably fierce, as is Maggie Q who I choose to play her because they share that ability to be both beautiful and lethal.

Matt Barr as Green Arrow 2 (Conner Hawke)
Check out Harper’s Island if you want to see why I choose Matt to play the second Green Arrow. He’s old enough to be a hero in his own right, but youthful enough to pull off the son-to-Oliver-Queen aspect.

Nia Long as Onyx (Onyx Adams)
Bothwomen are beautiful, bold, and look like they could kick lots of ass. I would love to see Long take on the multi-faceted role of Onyx.

Erin Cummings a Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)

Erin Cummings has the exact right look to play Poison Ivy. She’s supremely sexy but still has this etherealness about her that Ivy exudes. And she can throw down, as evidence in the movie Bitch Slap.

Lucy Liu as Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro)

Katana is a fearless warrior with a penchant for hearing voices (she believes her dead husband’s spirit lives in her sword). Liu has played some kick-ass characters including a cop and a Charlie’s Angel and would have no problem with this one.

Gong Li As Judomaster (Sonia Sato)

Judomaster is not only a martial arts expert but also has a pretty nifty “aversion field” that prevents her from certain enemy attacks. Gong Li is captivating on screen and I’d love to see her take over a this role and get more attention from American audiences.

Katrina Law as Manhunter (Katherine Spencer)

Kate Spencer is a human federal prosecutor with a metahuman supersuit that lets her fight the bad guys. She juggles real life drama (divorce, kids, etc) with a superhero life on the side. Katrina Law is impressive on Spartacus in both showing emotions and killing people and I think she’d work as Manhunter.

John Krasinski as Blue Beetle (Theodore Kord)

When casting Blue Beetle, it’s all about the personality. He’s known for his fierce dedication to saving the world as well as his snarky sense of humor. Who better to play a wisecracking good-hearted guy than Jim Halpert?