As the Birds Of Prey come to the big screen in the DC Extended Universe, they have a relatively small team. Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Harley Quinn team up for Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of Harley Quinn), but in the comics, Harley and Montoya have never officially been on the team.
There has been a large rotating roster of characters that have joined the team in the comics. Some have simply appeared in single story arcs to lend a hand, others have remained as main team members for extended amounts of time. Not all of those characters would be a good fit for the current movie iteration of the team.
Stay Away: Catwoman
Catwoman is one of the most beloved female characters in DC Comics. Though originally a femme fatale who was a Batman antagonist, she’s become more than that. She’s even joined up with the Birds of Prey on numerous occasions, though not as a full time member.
While Catwoman interacting with the Birds Of Prey would be welcomed by many fans, she’s such a large character in DC mythos that she might overshadow the inclusion of lesser known characters that would enjoy a turn in the spotlight.
Join: Katana
Katana already exists in the DCEU, and she’s already appeared alongside Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. She didn’t get much time to shine in that movie, so allowing her to team up with a group of female vigilantes instead of leaving her to police a group of Belle Reeve inmates would allow her to flesh out her character.
In the comics, teaming up with Katana is the reason Black Canary learns to speak Japanese. Their developing friendship provides a great backbone for their missions that would work well in the movies.
Stay Away: Lady Blackhawk
Zinda Blake is a lady of the 1940s who has some serious skills. She can use just about any firearm put in front of her, and is a pilot. While Lady Blackhawk is a great character, she’s also a time displaced character, which could add some needless complications to the story.
One of the complaints about Suicide Squad was that there was too much going on with the combination of the magical elements of the Enchantress’ story with that of the espionage of Amanda Waller. Lady Blackhawk being added to a story of heroes dealing with problems in their neighborhood could make for a more confusing tale than necessary unless Lady Blackhawk’s backstory is changed up for the big screen.
Join: Vixen
If the DCEU is trying to steer away from characters that have been prominent in the Arrowverse, this character might be a longer shot to appear in the movies than others on the list. Multiple versions of Vixen have appeared in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, and the character has her own animated series that ties into the universe.
That being said, Vixen has a unique power set while most of the Birds Of Prey characters don’t have powers at all. She can call on the spirits of animals thanks to a necklace passed down in her family. She would provide a very different style in a fight.
Stay Away: Nightwing
While most of the time the Birds of Prey is made up of female characters in the comics, just as in the movie, that’s not always the case. As a long time ally of Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson isn’t averse to giving the team a hand once in a while.
Dick Grayson just became Nightwing in another corner of the multiverse over on DC Universe though. In Titans, the series has just gotten to the point where he’s accepted his new superhero persona as the Birds Of Prey have come to the big screen. Nightwing serves the Titans universe well, and for now, it would be better for him to stay there than introduce his complicated history with the usual Birds Of Prey team leader.
Join: Starling
In the second volume of the comic book team’s story, Evelyn Crawford was introduced as something of a Black Canary protege. She favored firearms more so than hand-to-hand combat, but she could hold her own in a fight.
Not much of Starling’s comic book history was revealed during her stint on the team, and she did eventually betray the team to Mr. Freeze. The movie universe would be a chance to expand her character and give a compelling reason for her divided loyalties, as well as explore the dynamic of Black Canary mentoring a young vigilante.
Stay Away: Condor
As a vigilante, Benjamin Reyes actually worked against the Birds Of Prey in the comics for a while. Eventually, he was recruited into the group and gained telekinetic powers as well as mechanical wings.
While Condor would add a bird themed vigilante to the team, the iteration of the team in the DCEU is (so far) all female. That dynamic works well in the first movie, and it would be wise to expand on that before adding male vigilantes to the mix and making the team less unique than it is now. Once the Birds have a few stories under their belts, then Condor could be a welcome addition.
Join: Poison Ivy
To be fair, most fans would rather Poison Ivy get her big screen introduction to the DCEU as a result of a Gotham City Sirens movie. She lands on the list, however, because fans would also love for Poison Ivy to exist in the DCEU at all at this point. The dynamic between the character and Harley Quinn in modern comics is one readers love.
During her time with the Birds Of Prey in the comics, Poison Ivy simply used their resources to be able to target corporations she didn’t agree with. She put her own agenda (saving the world of plants from industrialists) first, creating tension with the group when they discovered her true motives. Her interests would make for an interesting team dynamic, but she would also bring an incredible amount of power with her ability to control plants. She would certainly be an interesting member of the team for a single movie.
Stay Away: Hawk And Dove
Like Nightwing, Hawk and Dove have a place in Titans on DC Universe. Their Titans characters are a bit different from their comic book counterparts. While on the streaming series the duo don’t have superpowers, in the comics, they’ve been granted powers.
The only way the two would be compelling for audiences is if they provided a new take on the duo, making them different from the troubled former Teen Titans on their current live action series. Fans would need to have a reason to be interested in a big screen version of the characters instead of watching them on the small screen, so they aren’t a necessary addition to the group.
Join: Batgirl
Considering Barbara Gordon formed the group in the comics during her days as Oracle, we would be remiss if we didn’t include her character on the list. The group might not need an ever present voice in their ear to complete their missions, so Oracle might not be the best way to go for a movie - yet.
Batgirl out in the field might be a better way to start - especially since Cassandra Cain eventually became a Batgirl in the comics as well. Barbara’s intelligence and investigative skill are on par with Renee Montoya, so it would certainly be interesting to see the two interact on the big screen. Likewise, she and Huntress haven’t always gotten along, so exploring their dynamic in this new version of the team would be a must.
