Joss Whedon will start work on ‘Batgirl’ "next year".
The 53-year-old director is helming the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) movie, which centres around the female crime fighting superhero and her alter ego – who has had many different names including Betty Kane and Barbara Gordon – and according to DC chief Geoff Johns, the filmmaker is due to start working on the project as soon as 2018.
Speaking to IGN.com about the future of both ‘Batman’ and ‘Batgirl’, Geoff said: "But for Batman what I will say is that Batman is more than just Batman and, you know, it’s been way too long since we’ve seen, you know, an expansion of that universe, and Batgirl – we are doing Batgirl with Joss Whedon, it’s going to be super exciting. He’s going to start that next year, and that’s just the start."
Previously, Joss admitted he was "obsessed" with the character of Batgirl because he can’t turn his attention away from how "intense" the superhero’s life is in the comic book.
He said : "She came up, and I started getting obsessed with how a young woman could get hardcore enough to need to put on the cowl. Like, what’s her damage?
"She didn’t have her parents killed in an alley. Who is this person, who decides – rather than being forced to by their childhood trauma – decides to pick up this life?
"How intense and driven that person is … I just couldn’t stop thinking about it."
Meanwhile, Joss said he wants to develop the character before he starts thinking of people he could cast in the role.
He said: "I don’t have my eye on anybody. I feel like I’m creating this character, I’m gonna dialogue with her and then we’ll see who joins that later on."
And the ‘Avengers’ director admitted he "doubts" he will cast a big name in the role, as he wants audiences to focus on the character, rather than the name attached to her role.
He explained: "I doubt it will be a name. This is somewhere where you go and find Batgirl and then you cast her. I’m not against movie stars, they’re great, but you need somebody who’s going to be just right. And a situation like this, the name carries a lot of weight so its not as critical."
Joss Whedon to start Batgirl in 2018
