HBO Max's Batgirl project has been generating a ton of buzz over the last couple of weeks after lead star Leslie Grace unveiled her official look as one of the caped crusader's trusty sidekicks. Now, the upcoming DC Extended Universe film is once again making headlines after it was revealed that the project is adding the first canon transgender character in the DC Comics lore.
In an exclusive scoop, the good folks over at Deadline reported that actress Ivory Aquino of When They See Us and Tales of the City fame is playing Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon's best friend who happens to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The character made its official debut in Gail Simone's Batgirl #1 in 2011 but it wasn't until the nineteenth issue of the said comic that she would come out as a transgender woman.
Aquino was actually spotted filming with Grace last week but details about her character weren't disclosed until now. As it stands, we still don't know the extent of the role Ivory plays in the film but it's worth noting that Alysia Yeoh was originally intended to be Batgirl's temporary replacement in the comics before plans were ultimately scrapped.
Also Read: Batgirl Co-Director Hits Back at DC Fans Criticizing Leslie Grace's Costume Reveal
It's nice to see Batgirl getting some love from the DCEU community especially considering the underwhelming response the project got when it was first announced. To its credit, the streaming service has been on a hot streak since last year thanks to the success of Zack Snyder's Justice League and now the James Gunn-helmed Peacemaker. Of course, we all know that WB still calls the shots at the end of the day but HBO Max seems to be the DCEU's lucky charm as of late.
No official release date has been announced for HBO Max's Batgirl which is currently in production.
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