Rumor: Jurnee Smollet’s Black Canary to Lead Justice League in a Sequel?!

JB Augustine |

Sep 10, 2021

Source: Birds of Prey (2020), WB Pictures

A Birds of Prey sequel in the form of a Black Canary solo project – starring Jurnee Smollett yet again as the title heroine – might only be the beginning.

In a recent exclusive, Giant Freakin Robot reports their sources conveyed to the site Warner Bros. plans to have Dinah lead the Justice League in the rumored sequel.

As the sources claim, WB wants to go the semi-sequel/soft reboot route with Justice League 2 that they went in The Suicide Squad where the film took place in the same world but ignored most of the baggage from the first one.

Potential team members are a mystery but GFR thinks WB is going to introduce some new characters and/or fill the team with the young and diverse heroes who are getting their own solo films on HBO Max or are appearing in the DCEU soon.

This could mean they want Batgirl (Leslie Grace), Supergirl (Sasha Calle), Blue Beetle (Xolo Mariduena), Superboy, and maybe Animal Man to join the roster.

Previous GFR exclusives shared the studio is considering movies for Superboy and Animal Man on their streamer though neither has been cast. The latter, being a character related to Swamp Thing, is a no-brainer for a standalone flick albeit at the risk of J.J. Abrams producing as part of his Justice League Dark ventures.

If Green Arrow shows up in Black Canary’s movie then he’d make a good fit, which may indicate Huntress (whether or not Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays her) and others Dinah has associations with, seen and unseen in the DCEU, are fair game for recruitment.

The article adds there is no release strategy but WB will likely step back and see how streaming numbers do against box office in the coming years. Smollett, though, probably does fit into their plans leading up to JL2’s development.

Despite stints sitting at the League’s big round table with a deciding vote in the comics and time with the Justice Society plus the Birds, Black Canary has the chance of being an awkward fit with the DCEU’s JLA – let alone as its leader.

This is especially true when talking about the relatively green Dinah played by Smollett that is not a popular portrayal. Should they hit reset, that’d be one thing but most of us are willing to bet the team behind Lovecraft Country delivers more of the same.

I’m sure you have something to say about that so, please, sound off below.