‘Joker’: Heroes Who Deserve the Elseworld Treatment
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a popular character in the comic books but she’s yet to make her debut on the big screen. A different take on the character is Alicia Silverstone in Batman Forever as Barbara Pennyworth. The character is also supposed to be coming to the third season of Titans. Since Barbara isn’t in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey giving her a solo movie is the best way to satisfy her fans.
While most will want to see her in the connected universe, a new take on the character can also be fun. This version of Barbara follows in her father’s footsteps to become an Officer in the Gotham City Police Department. Basing it loosely on The Long Halloween, Barbara is hunting down a serial killer using the months of the calendar.
The main focus is on her trying to come from under her father’s shadow as it’s mostly believed she only got the job because she’s his daughter.
As her investigation sends her deeper into the bowels of Gotham, Barbara discovers a mysterious cabal trying to change the future of the City. This brings in a version of the Court of Owls who threatens Barbara. It makes her butt heads with Commissioner Jim Gordon who doesn’t want his daughter putting herself in harm’s way like that.
To compare it to another movie, this will be similar to The Silence of the Lambs. Barbara uses a locked-up Calendar Man to help her figure out who the killer is.
An actor who would be great as a Calendar Man with years of experience is John Goodman. He’s shown in 10 Cloverfield Lane, Barton Fink, and even The Hangover III that he’s got the chops for sinister roles that can also be empathetic.
Casting Barbara Gordon is a harder decision. As she’s starting out in her career, it makes sense to cast somebody who is in their 20s. Someone who I can see in the part is the daughter of Back to the Future actress Lea Thompson, Zoey Deutch.
Zoey is already on fan castings to play the role in the extended universe and she’s already played a character who investigates a difficult case. In Before I Fall she lives the same day over and over while investigating why it’s happening to her.
