2019-01-01_SciFiNow

022 | W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K

16.Birds

Of Prey

Director

Cathy Yan

Cast

Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth

Winstead, Ewan McGregor,

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Release date

7 February 2020

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17. Joker
    Director: Todd Phillips
    Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie
    Beetz, Frances Conroy
    Release: 4 October 2019

It’s getting hard to keep track of all the

various Joker projects going on, but this

one sounds pretty sick (in a good way, not

a ‘Jared Leto doing method acting’ way).

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a

struggling stand-up comedian that turns to a

life of crime in Gotham City, 1981. Originally,

Phoenix had only been interested in a low-

budget character study about a comic book

villain but, not wanting to have to commit to

a huge franchise, he declined meeting with

Warner Bros about Joker. However, after

learning that the studio wanted to pull

the Clown Prince of Crime away from the

DCEU for the fi lm entirely, Phoenix signed

the heck up.

Harley Quinn
Alias: Harleen Quinzel
Description: Villain-turned-antihero
with an obsession with the Joker
Affi liated with: Gotham City Sirens, Suicide
Squad, Secret Six, Secret Society Of Super
Villains, Justice League
Abilities: An expert gymnast, immunity to various
toxins, weaponised props user, genius level
intellect, trained psychiatrist
First comics appearance: The Batman
Adventures #12 (September 1993)
Played by: Margot Robbie

Black Mask

Alias: Roman Sionis

Description: A major crime lord of

Gotham City and all-around bad guy

Affi liated with: The False Face Society, Gotham

Mafi a, Secret Society Of Super Villains, Black

Lantern Corps

Abilities: Criminal mastermind, a master of

torture, skilled marksman, fi rearms expert, ability

to use mind control via his mask

First comics appearance: Batman #386

(August 1985)

Played by: Ewan McGregor

Black Canary

Alias: Dinah Lance

Description: A skills

combatant/vigilante that just so

happens to be married to a Gotham

City detective

Affi liated with: Justice Society Of America,

Justice League, Birds Of Prey, Team 7

Abilities: Ultrasonic scream, expert

martial artist

First comics appearance: Flash Comics #86

(August 1947)

Played by: Jurnee Smollett-Bell

18. Suicide Squad 2
    Director: TBA
    Cast: TBA
    Release: TBA

Even after the terrible reviews of 2016’s

Suicide Squad, Warner Bros is still putting its

money on a sequel. But unlike most other comic

book sequels, WB is not promising more of the

same. Director David Ayer isn’t coming back to

helm, James Gunn is penning the script, and it’s

still unclear whether or not the same cast members

• or even characters – are returning. It’s going for
  a fresh new look and it’s crossing its fi ngers and
  hoping that it might get it right this time.