With theMCU blessing us with a plethora of women-led movies and TV series, it’s safe to say that women have begun to dominate the superhero genre. That said, the only cinematic universe that can even come close to rivaling that of the MCU is the DC Universe. Featuring great characters like Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Wonder Woman, the DC Universe has a number of women heroes and villains that are just as strong as their male counterparts — and just as worthy of being seen on the big screen.
After the recent release ofThe Batmanstarring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz, the newBatmanfranchise is one of the best places for DC to showcase the large log of woman characters that have just been waiting for some screen time. TheBatmanfranchise is known for its unique villains that terrorize Gotham, many of whom are women and can hold their own against Batman. On top of this are a number of forgotten women characters hidden in The Dark Knight’s shadow. With talk of apotential sequel toThe Batmanin the works, these are women characters we’d love to see in a possibleThe Batmansequel.
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7Kate Kane / Batwoman
Former circus performer Katherine “Kate” Kane uses her skills to become crime-fighting hero Batwoman. Originally devised as a love interest for Batman, that soon changed as DC revealed that Kate Kane is an openly gayBatmancharacter. While not much is seen of her throughout theBatmanfilm franchise, Batwoman has a history in the DC Universe. She eventually received her ownseries in The CW’s ArrowversecalledBatwomanin 2019, starring Ruby Rose as the title character for the first season. Not only would her addition toThe Batmanfranchise add some much-needed LGBTQ+ representation, but her skills and talents, enough to rival Bruce’s, would bring a very strong female presence to the DC Universe.
6Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
Probably the most well-known woman character in the wholeBatmanUniverse is Harley Quinn. The crazed girlfriend of the Joker, Harley Quinn was originally Dr. Harleen Quinzell, a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum who was seduced by her patient, the Joker, and wound up helping in his escape from the institution. While Harley was originally meant to be a one-time character, she eventually became a recurring character and her popularity earned her, her own part inThe Suicide Squadand inBirds of Prey. Harley’s toxic and abusive relationship with the Joker has been subjected to much controversy, as no matter how badly he treats her, she seems to always return to him. This has changed in Harley’s most recent on-screen appearances inBirds of Prey,Harley Quinn, the animated series,and the newThe Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn is always a welcome presence from her cutesy crazed comedy to her skilled fighting. She would be a welcome sight in aThe Batmansequel.
5Helena Betinelli / The Huntress
The Huntress has a troubled past, which led her to be sent away to learn martial arts at a young age. Similar to Bruce Wayne, The Huntress is forced to watch her parents' murder and takes it upon herself to stop this from happening to others. The Huntress is a superhero that is hidden behind Batman’s feats, despite her skills as a fighter. The Huntress’ trademark is a handheld crossbow, fashioned from her dead parents’ equipment. While she is considered a hero, Batman refuses to work with her because he considers her to be too violent and unpredictable. This premise would make for a wonderful concept in aThe Batmansequel as The Huntress and Batman would surely butt heads.
4Pamela Lilian Isley / Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy AKA Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley becomes Ivy after Marc LeGrand tries to poison her for implicating him in a crime. Pamela survives the murder attempt and discovers she has acquired immunity to all-natural toxins. While Ivy has made many appearances over the years in film, TV, and video games, she hasn’t made an appearance in a film since Uma Thurman’s performance inBatman & Robin. With the words of aThe Batmansequel in the works, there are rumors thatNatalie Dormer is set to play the role of Poison Ivyin Robert Pattinson’sThe Batmanfilm franchise.
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3Barbara Gordon / Batgirl / Oracle
Many know Batgirl simply as one of Batman’s sidekicks when the reality is she has a number of skills, including being very tech-savvy. The daughter of police commissioner James Gordon, Barbara simply joined Batman on his mission to keep Gotham safe from the never-ending reign of villains. Her origins have changed over the years, from originally wanting to go straight to vigilantism to instead wanting to join law enforcement as her father did. Her popularity has gained her enough attention to get her, her ownBatgirlfilm set to be released on HBO Max. Seeing Batgirl inThe Batmanfranchise would not only add more women representation to the group of heroes in Gotham, but would be a refreshing sight if Reeves were to take more inspiration from the comics. While many women have taken over the role of Batgirl, Barbara Gordon has the most interesting story to tell.
2Sandra Wu-San / Lady Shiva
One of the most powerful characters in the whole of the DC Universe who is able to give Batman a run for his money is Lady Shiva AKA Sandra Wu-San. Lady Shiva is a martial arts grandmaster and an assassin who specializes in killing her opponents with her bare hands. The whole purpose of becoming a martial arts grandmaster was to avenge her sister’s death, attempting to take down Richard Dragon before taking up crime-fighting alongside him. Lady Shiva makes a prominent appearance in theBirds of PreyTV series. Seeing her skill live-action inThe Batmanfranchise would be an impressive feat for Reeves’ new films.
1Jaina Hudson / White Rabbit
An often forgotten supervillain in the DC Universe is The White Rabbit AKA Jaina Hudson. AnAlice in Wonderland-themed villain of Batman, she has the ability to duplicate herself as an albino woman with enhanced speed. While not much is known about The White Rabbit, she would be a nice new addition toThe Batmanfranchise. As she has not been portrayed on-screen before, her appearance inThe Batmanfranchise would be an introduction of her character for most.
