So much for superhero fatigue. The genre continues to dominate at the box office and no matter which side of the studio you are on, as long as it is successful we will be getting more of these films.

But after a few missteps, WB is ready to do some course correction by hiring the right directors – or at least getting out of their way. In the latest inspiring hire, WB is close to a deal with Joss Whedon to write, direct, and produce Batgirl. Which seems fitting since he was working with DC on a Wonder Woman movie before Marvel snatched him up for two Avengers films. More on the story below.

Variety was the first to report on the news. But could not offer more details than that. However, Entertainment Weekly says Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon, will be the Batgirl and Whedon will most likely use the New 52 version as a stepping off point for the character. What this means is Barbara would have recovered from her paralysis caused by the Joker in The Killing Joke comic, where she was left confined to a wheelchair and acted as a second pair of eyes for Batman and assumed the name Oracle.

Again, this bodes really well for the DCEU. While Whedon could not get his Wonder Woman script into development, the filmmaker knows how to write really strong female characters. He was the creator and showrunner for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, after all. Plus it’s not as though Whedon doesn’t have any experience directing big budget superhero tentpoles. He did direct the first two Avengers films, The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. The latter being somewhat controversial due to the director butting heads with the studio over the creative direction. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again with Batgirl. Still, after the success with the Avengers, Whedon went on to be a creative consultant for Marvel Studios.

Fans theorized that Jena Malone would be playing Barbara Gordon when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Ultimate Edition was released. But that news was quickly extinguished when it was confirmed that Malone was actually playing Jenet Klyburn. So while the role has yet to be cast, we know who will be playing her father. J.K. Simmons is playing Commissioner Gordon in Justice League, so there is a chance that he could reprise his role here. So at least some of the pieces are in place. And there is a possibility that the film could have a connection to David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens. But this is all just speculation.

Jon Berg and Geoff Johns will oversee the project, along with Toby Emmerich, president and chief content officer of Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

[Source: Variety | EW]