If DC were to make Birds of Prey 2, there are several DC characters who definitely deserve to make an appearance in the sequel. Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) opened to positive reviews yet a disappointing box office return in 2020. Despite that, Margot Robbie has stated that she’s open to returning as Harley Quinn for sequels and spinoffs. The actress has already reprised the role for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and, given the character’s popularity, another appearance is always possible.

There are also reports that several stars of Birds of Prey are contractually obligated to return to their roles in the event of sequels or spinoffs. While it’s easy to assume that the big name roles such as Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Robert Pattinson’s Batman will stick around for quite some time, there’s also no reason why the DCEU versions of Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain wouldn’t all return for a sequel as well. Black Canary could also come back for a Birds of Prey sequel, especially now that it’s been confirmed she’s sticking around in the DCEU for the time being. Jurnee Smollett will be busy in the meantime starring in her own solo spinoff movie, called Black Canary, for HBO Max. The film is being written by Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green, though there aren’t very many details about it just yet. As for the Birds of Prey reappearing in a sequel, it was the right call to form the team so early on, with each of the characters all having their own ties to other corners of the DC Universe. With that in mind, there’s a whole lot Warner Bros. and DC could have planned for the future of each of these heroes (and villains).

Of course, fans of Birds of Prey are hoping that Warner Bros. greenlights a sequel in spite of the film’s box office standing, especially as the generally positive consensus for the film and Cathy Yan’s directing (along with Christina Hodson’s script) have been getting attention once more since the release of The Suicide Squad. While Robbie confirmed that Birds of Prey 2 is not currently in active development, there is still hope that a sequel will eventually get the greenlight. If it ever does, here are the characters who would make sense to appear in Birds of Prey 2.

Oracle

While the film rewrote the origins of the Birds of Prey so that Harley Quinn’s shenanigans were the catalyst for their formation, it’s only right that Oracle should make her debut in a potential sequel. Barbara Gordon, arguably best known for her time as the first Batgirl, was paralyzed after the events of the Batman story The Killing Joke. While she resigned the role of Batgirl, she assumed the mantle of Oracle, an expert hacker responsible for crafting a worldwide communications and information network for the heroes across the DC Universe.

On top of this, she’s also responsible for the comic book formation of the Birds of Prey, first working alongside Black Canary and then expanding the team to include several other prominent female heroes. Having Barbara Gordon show up in a potential Birds of Prey 2 is now possible thanks to the standalone Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace as the titular character. The film is set for HBO Max and it could open the doors for Barbara to appear in other DC properties in future.

Lady Blackhawk

Another member of the team in the original comics, Zinda Blake, aka Lady Blackhawk, has a bit of a convoluted origin that a film adaptation may have to condense. Zinda belonged to a World War 2 aviator squadron known as the Blackhawks, in which she became a renowned aviator and combat expert, with a wide and varied knowledge of aircraft technology as well as weaponry. She served alongside the Blackhawks throughout the war and then turned her expertise towards crimefighting afterwards, but as a result of the reality and time warping crossover known as Zero Hour, she was flung into the modern day alongside DC’s other heroes. Soon after, she was recruited by Oracle into the Birds of Prey as a member and the team’s official pilot. While Zinda’s time-traveling antics may have to be toned down in a cinematic appearance, Birds of Prey 2 could easily explain that, with the money taken from the Bertinelli diamond, the Birds hired an official jet pilot, one with hidden familial ties to the now-defunct Blackhawks organization.

Cheshire

A character with heavy ties to the world of Green Arrow and Arsenal, Cheshire has also found herself at odds with (and also fighting alongside) the Birds of Prey — in particular, Black Canary. Jade Nguyen was born to a French father and Vietnamese mother, but was unfortunately sold into child slavery which gave her years of resulting trauma. After escaping from her captors, Jade trained to become one of the most ruthless mercenaries in the DC Universe. After killing her original master, she was adopted and trained by a Chinese freedom fighter named Weng Chan, who trained her in guerrilla warfare. She was also trained intricately in poisons by Kruen Musenda, an African assassin known as the “Spitting Cobra.” Because of her expertise, Black Canary once ranked her as the second most deadly assassin in the world, which would make her a formidable foe for the team to go up against in Birds of Prey 2.

Katana

Having served alongside the Birds of Prey as both an ally and official member from time to time, Katana would be the easiest person on this list to introduce in a sequel as she is already in the DCEU thanks to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad. An Olympic-level martial artist, Tatsu Toro became the owner of the sentient Soultaker sword after it was used to kill her husband and children by her jealous brother-in-law, Takeo, a member of the Yakuza. Before Takeo could kill her with the sword, the blade decided that Tatsu should be its new owner, and switched hands, allowing Tatsu to kill her brother-in-law. Armed with the blade, which she discovered could steal the souls of whoever was killed with it, Tatsu swore revenge against the Yakuza and became the vigilante Katana. Katana’s inclusion in Birds of Prey 2 could be as easy as having her contact the group to hunt down a rogue Harley Quinn, who is still technically a wanted criminal.

Manhunter

Kate Spencer is a controversial vigilante/anti-hero within the DC Universe known as Manhunter, recognized by her violent and often fatal tactics against criminals. Spencer was a federal prosecutor who became disillusioned with the system after watching one too many guilty criminals go free. The final straw came after Copperhead, a supervillain on trial for several murders as well as cannibalism, escaped custody after killing two guards. Enraged, Kate stole equipment from an evidence room, then hunted down and killed Copperhead. Feeling empowered by her choices, Kate took up the name Manhunter and blackmailed a former weapons manufacturer named Dylan Battles into creating equipment for her. Manhunter would be a great addition to the team in that, much like Marvel’s Punisher, she could find herself at odds or working alongside the newly-founded team of vigilantes, based solely on how they feel about her brutal methods.

Lady Shiva

Finally, an appearance from the most deadly assassin in the DC Universe would definitely shake-up the status quo in a potential Birds of Prey 2. While Lady Shiva is most frequently seen sparring with the likes of Batman, she also has a very unique relationship with Black Canary, which borders on respect as well as rivalry due to the fact that they were once trained by the same man. Shiva’s real name is Sandra Wu-San, a martial artist who first gained her skills as a child sparring with her sister Carolyn. Unbeknownst to the two, they’d been watched by David Cain, an expert martial artist and assassin who killed Carolyn because he saw that Sandra was holding back against her sister. Sandra initially hunted down David to kill him in revenge, but after realizing that he’d exposed her true potential, she forgave him. Cain promised to set her free, but only if she would bear him a child, which she did. Afterwards, Shiva devoted her life to a complete mastery of the martial arts, transforming her body into a living weapon through a process of training with acclaimed fighters and then killing them after she had no more use for them.

Shiva’s inclusion in a sequel to Birds of Prey could come in many different ways, with the most obvious being with regards to her daughter, Cassandra Cain. While Cassandra in the comics is radically different from the one introduced in the film (with the comic book version being a mute fighting machine who inevitably became a member of the Bat Family), the movie does leave that door open for exploration with the reveal that Cassandra is living with a foster family. If Warner Bros. did decide to introduce the character down the road in a sequel to Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), she would certainly be a ruthless and skilled opponent for the superhero team.

More: The Suicide Squad: Why Harley Quinn Has Changed So Much

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