DC’s Birds of Prey has just cast a fan-favourite character to its roster. Per Variety, newcomer Ella Jay Basco has begun talks to star as Cassandra Cain in the superhero team-up film from director Cathy Yan. If talks are successful, she will join Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smolett-Bell, Rosie Perez and Ewan McGregor in the film.
The film’s plot sees Harley Quinn, Huntress and Black Canary teaming up to protect Cain when she comes across a diamond belonging to Black Mask, a kingpin in Gotham City’s criminal underworld.
In the comics, Cassandra Cain is the daughter of Lady Shiva and David Cain, two of the world’s deadliest assassins. Trained to fight by her father, Cassandra is mostly mute after being deprived of her speech during her training, but eventually rejected her parent’s legacy and plans for her. After coming to Gotham, she met Batman and used her training for good to become the new Batgirl. In the current DC Rebirth comics now that Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl, Cassandra goes by the codename Orphan.
This will mark Basco’s first major film role after appearing in guest spots for TV series such as Grey’s Anatomy and Veep.
Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) is directing Birds of Prey from a script by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee) with Margot Robbie reprising her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo) as The Huntress, Jurnee Smolett-Bell (Underground) as Black Canary, Rosie Perez (Fearless) as Renee Montoya, and Ewan McGregor (Christopher Robin) as Black Mask.
Birds of Prey is set for release on February 7th 2020.
Originally published November 15, 2018. Updated February 7, 2019.
