It’s always nice when a long-standing rumor pans out. Birds of Prey will indeed include Ewan McGregor as the villain Black Mask, as was previously teased back in September.
McGregor had been in contention for the role along with Sharlto Copley, but it looks like the former Obi-Wan Kenobi has won out. He joins Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, and Rosie Perez as detective Renee Montoya in the DCEU film. The all-girl gang of vigilantes will also include Cassandra Cain, but that role has yet to be filled.
The villain Black Mask is general a Batman foe, but he does tend to get around. His real name is Roman Sionis, a ruthless and brutal crimelord in Gotham City, known to have an obsession with masks and a sadistic pleasure from torturing people. Born into a wealthy family who neglected him, Roman murdered his parents and made a mask out of his father’s casket. D’oh. McGregor is great at playing creeps so this should be a fun role for him. I’d much rather see him do this than don a Jedi cloak ever again.
Directed by Cathy Yan, Birds of Prey opens February 7th 2020. [Deadline]
