Jayme Lawson is Bella Reál

[Invader Joker]

I don't think she's working for the Falcones, I think she could be related to them in some way. Say the wife of the cousin or a daughter going against her family or someone that had family that worked for them or whatever.

There are many ways she can fit into the story beyond running against a villain

 

[David H.]

Seems harsh to think an actress can or can’t play a certain type of character already when we all literally only just found they exist.

 

[Invader Joker]

Seems harsh to think an actress can or can’t play a certain type of character already when we all literally only just found they exist.

Even if she was the best most versatile actress in the world I'd still think she looks and is too young for DA or Mayor. I think she'll run for representative but with a extremely strong base behind her, touching a lot of nerves.

 

[C Prometheus]

Oh definitely there's more ways than that. But I don't buy a "grassroots political candidate" having any serious ties or connections to the Falcones, namely because that would inherently go against the point of a candidate being grassroots. Obviously that discrepancy could be a twist in the story and reveal a corrupt side to this character, but if we're taking it at face value that this "Bella" is a legitimate grassroots politician, she's almost certainly going to be running against corrupt power figures in Gotham such as Penguin or the Falcones, even if it's only by running against their agendas rather than as an opposing candidate.

Seems harsh to think an actress can or can’t play a certain type of character already when we all literally only just found they exist.

I mean, age is a factor here. If we're talking someone who's in her late teens/early 20's playing a character that's running for political office... that's a field that's typically dominated by men and women in their forties onward.

Granted we're starting to see some younger folks run for public office, like a 29 year old AOC jumping from bartender to Congressional Representative in the span of a year or Mayor Pete Buttigieg becoming Mayor at age 30 and running for President at age 37.

 

[Blind Bat]

There is about a 0% chance she's playing Barbara Gordon. She's literally fresh out of Julliard with 0 name recognition. None of us even knew she existed until hours ago. Whoever ends up playing Barbara is gonna be someone with at least some name recognition who can feasibly take top billing in a solo movie (someone like Hailee Steinfeld).

My guess is that she's playing a character running for city council who ruffles someone like Oswald Cobblepot's feathers (pun intended) who ends up one of the murder victims and causes Batman to be suspicious of him.

 

[Invader Joker]

Oh definitely there's more ways than that. But I don't buy a "grassroots political candidate" having any serious ties or connections to the Falcones, namely because that would inherently go against the point of a candidate being grassroots. Obviously that discrepancy could be a twist in the story and reveal a corrupt side to this character, but if we're taking it at face value that this "Bella" is a legitimate grassroots politician, she's almost certainly going to be running against corrupt power figures in Gotham such as Penguin or the Falcones, even if it's only by running against their agendas rather than as an opposing candidate.

She could just be someone that rejected the advantages her family has and is so principled she decided to do a grassroots thing instead.

 

[C Prometheus]

She could just be someone that rejected the advantages her family has and is so principled she decided to do a grassroots thing instead.

Possibly, but I highly doubt that.

My guess is that she's playing a character running for city council who ruffles someone like Oswald Cobblepot's feathers (pun intended) who ends up one of the murder victims and causes Batman to be suspicious of him.

Yep, this seems likely to me. Granted, it could also be that someone tied to her campaign is murdered instead or something and that she winds up being a valuable source of info for Batman in solving the case.

 

[Invader Joker]

There is about a 0% chance she's playing Barbara Gordon. She's literally fresh out of Julliard with 0 name recognition. None of us even knew she existed until hours ago. Whoever ends up playing Barbara is gonna be someone with at least some name recognition who can feasibly take top billing in a solo movie (someone like Hailee Stenfield)

The general audience doesn't care at all about Hailee Stenfield or pretty much anyone in this age range. If the Batgirl movie is a spinoff from this movie it won't need "star power" because it'll just be riding on the success of this film. Plus, who's to say this film won't make her a star?

Possibly, but I highly doubt that.

Why? It's not even that uncommon. And if she's someone that despises her family so much she decided to cut ties with them even to her disadvantage then I could see how that'd potentially make her a suspect or someone that Batman has to be researching if someone from the Falcones died.

 

[C Prometheus]

Why? It's not even that uncommon. And if she's someone that despises her family so much she decided to cut ties with them even to her disadvantage then I could see how that'd potentially make her a suspect or someone that Batman has to be researching if someone from the Falcones died.

Sometimes there isn't a "Why." It's just a gut feeling on my part. Right now we're all speculating.

 

[Blind Bat]

The general audience doesn't care at all about Hailee Stenfield or pretty much anyone in this age range. If the Batgirl movie is a spinoff from this movie it won't need "star power" because it'll just be riding on the success of this film. Plus, who's to say this film won't make her a star?

Hailee Steinfeld headlined a major blockbuster film that made 3 times it's budget in profits. She was nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards for various roles and is only 22. She absolutely has name recognition.

It's possible she becomes a mega star from this role, I suppose, but not likely. Honestly, it reminds me of the casting buzz from The Dark Knight, when people thought that no-name British actress with Eric Roberts in the night club scene was playing Harley Quinn because she's blonde and Joker was in the movie. This woman is immediately thought to be Barbara Gordon because Jim Gordon is black in this movie and she's young and black. I just seriously doubt it.

 

[Invader Joker]

Hailee Steinfeld headlined a major blockbuster film that made 3 times it's budget in profits. She was nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards for various roles and is only 22. She absolutely has name recognition.

Movie stars are few and far between nowadays, Hailee is absolutely not one of them. She's been on some good projects, but general audiences are not really going to the movies she's been in /because/ of her. Audiences are pretty much not going to movies based on actors these days.

 

[fan4stic]

A young female "grassroots political candidate". That seems like a very topical role given the young women like AOC and others coming into our national politics in the Age of Trump.

I don't see how it's much more topical now than before Trump. Women have been involved in politics for years.

 

[fan4stic]

Movie stars are few and far between nowadays, Hailee is absolutely not one of them. She's been on some good projects, but general audiences are not really going to the movies she's been in /because/ of her. Audiences are pretty much not going to movies based on actors these days.

I don't think that's the case. I think it can go both ways for what the audience pays to see.

Irregardless, it doesn't mean a more known actress won't be cast in a Batgirl movie and it doesn't mean Hailee isn't a more prominent name in Hollywood or even to some general audience members than other young actors.

 

[Invader Joker]

I don't think that's the case. I think it can go both ways for what the audience pays to see.

Irregardless, it doesn't mean a more known actress won't be cast in a Batgirl movie and it doesn't mean Hailee isn't a more prominent name in Hollywood or even to some general audience members than other young actors.

If Hailee was really someone audiences really cared about, Bumblebee would've been a massive box office success which it wasn't.

 

[fan4stic]

If Hailee was really someone audiences really cared about, Bumblebee would've been a massive box office success which it wasn't.

i like Will Smith's performance in more than a couple things. It doesn't mean I've rushed to watch Gemini Man. But that doesn't mean she won't be cast. I think it's not necessarily impossible that she she may be a more known actress than some others.

 

[Invader Joker]

i like Will Smith's performance in more than a couple things. It doesn't mean I've rushed to watch Gemini Man. But that doesn't mean she won't be cast. I think it's not necessarily impossible that she she may be a more known actress than some others.

She's more known but my point is that doesn't matter. IT Chapter One did fine with newcomers as its leads

 

[Marvel united]

Nobody cares about "star vehicles" anymore. The age of the movie star is coming to an end in Hollywood. The name recognition of the IP itself is what matters to the general audience, not who's in it.

Barbara will probably be a young, lesser-known, black-biracial actress. There is zero need for a minor character in this movie to be a name

 

[TheSmoothKnight]

I wish they would cast Hailee, get her before Marvel/ Disney lock her up in a contract for 10 years. I know there were rumors about her joining the Hawkeye Tv series.

 

[Dr.]

Assuming the Batgirl movie is still a thing, will it exist in the same continuity as The Batman? If so, then casting Barbara Gordon is a big, multi-movie decision…

Some nerdy trivia I just learned : A US senator has to be at least 30; for a representative it’s 25. At other levels of government, the minimum age is usually 18-21. Not sure about a DA; but having to graduate from law school defines a certain lower limit.

 

[fan4stic]

She's more known but my point is that doesn't matter. IT Chapter One did fine with newcomers as its leads

That was a movie about kids under 17. I think something like that using newcomers is mostly something that's gonna happen.

 

[Mani-Man]

Assuming the Batgirl movie is still a thing, will it exist in the same continuity as The Batman? If so, then casting Barbara Gordon is a big, multi-movie decision…

Some nerdy trivia I just learned : A US senator has to be at least 30; for a representative it’s 25. At other levels of government, the minimum age is usually 18-21. Not sure about a DA; but having to graduate from law school defines a certain lower limit.

Hm, i totally forgot about the Batgirl movie...i could see it being part of the continuity if the batman is a success.
But havent heard anything for a while about that movie.

If she is really barbara then that would be a huge deal if the plans for the batgirl movie still stand.
But it seems strange to make a secret out of her role, that could mean many things.
Could mean that she is barbara but has a more important role and is kept therefore a "secret".
But it also could really just be a different character.
Interesting either way, im so excited for when they start shooting.

 

[Boy Scout]

They can afford to cast a complete unknown as Batgirl when they’re building her up using a Batman movie as a vehicle. Not that I think she’s Barbara (yet), but it’s not an impossible thought.

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Daisy Ridley was a complete and total unknown when she was cast in Star Wars. Tom Holland was an experienced actor for his age but unknown to the vast majority of people. If she's Barbara and killed the audition then, yeah, them taking a gamble on an unknown actress who will cease to be unknown once The Batman comes out is hardly a crazy move.

It seems more likely she's an original character though. Anyone have a read on how reputable the source for the Bella rumour is? Know they're not some two-bit lie factory like WGTC or comic book resources but I've never really seen them give insider info before.

 

[Yowza]

At this point even if Birds of Prey is a success I don't think Batgirl will be in a spinoff or sequel instead saved for The Batman franchise similar to how Penguin was.

Bumblebee and Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson was reported late last year as working on a solo Batgirl movie after Batgirl was removed from the Birds of Prey script. I think the Batgirl movie script will be redone again or at the very least reworked like Birds of Prey was reworked in the scripting stage (after Margot opted to go with a BOP project as opposed to Gotham City Sirens last summer and after R rating okayed upon).

As for Bella, the attached description I think rules her out as Batgirl. Also, the whole hating her family angle is a layered in aspect by a writer trying to go a different route not necessarily the source pooled distilled essence of the character to project cinematically for audiences to get who this character is.

The Batman cartoon in the 90s I think projected her personality right. The comics post 2000 and even later 90s really have some unique ideas layered in but the actual essence of many comic characters gets lost at times and I hope this movie gets it right. Barb is a smart determined young lady proper with a bit of snark, quick wit, and very cerebral yet proper and morally driven to do her part. Her father as a police Commissioner gives her some insight into the crime ridden state of Gotham as her initial motivation is to do her part and support the police of Gotham. Personally she wants to please her father while at the same time remaining fiercely yet coyly independent often playing the good girl so people don't worry about her or ask questions.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I remember when we all thought Jena Malone was playing Robin or Scoot was playing Flash cause of them green screen socks.