Dream Casting: Batgirl

Emma Roberts (American Horror Story) is talented, charismatic, youthful without seeming like a kid, and sometimes she's a redhead. She'd make a great Barbara Gordon.

Angourie Rice (Every Day) will make a perfect fresh-faced Stephanie Brown, whether she's a backup Batgirl or helping out as Spoiler.

Hayley Kiyoko (XOXO) has a great, expressive face, which is important when you have a character who barely talks. Plus, her background in dance will give her a leg up on Cassandra's unique relationship to body language and fighting.

I considered sticking with J.K. Simmons from Justice League, but with so much of the DCEU up in the air and talk of recasting other Batman characters, I decided not to worry about it. Bryan Cranston (The Infiltrator) has already played Commissioner Gordon in animation (in Batman: Year One), but he also looks perfect for the part, so let's make this happen.

At first I was thinking Letitia Wright was off-limits for this, because she's already a character in the MCU, but that's a silly way to look at things. The truth is that she was so great in Black Panther, she should get to be in everything. She'll make a great Frankie.

The Penguin's son is a recent addition to the comics, but I like the dramatic possibilities of giving Barbara a love interest who turns out to be a villain in the end. Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) can balance handsome charisma with a strong undercurrent of sliminess.

David Krumholtz (The Deuce) is too young to actually be DeHaan's father, but he's more than capable of playing older, and I think he'd make a great Penguin.

Killer Moth was Batgirl's first villain, and being a criminal who styles himself after Batman will make him an interesting addition to a Bat-film in which Batman isn't a major character. Dax Shepard (Parenthood) is an underrated actor who'd be imposing behind a mask and would also make a great evil Bruce Wayne-type in a suit.

Poison Ivy hasn't been in a movie since the much-maligned Batman and Robin, but she makes a great foil for Batgirl, and Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect) could make her seem a little more like a real person... albeit one who likes plants more than people.

I want to be straightforward about this. Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon's close friend and one-time roommate, should absolutely be in a Batgirl movie. Furthermore, she should be played by an Asian American trans woman, reflecting who she is in the comic. However, as a person writing an internet column, I can't hold auditions to see all the Asian American trans women who have talent but can't get roles in Hollywood. Warner Bros, however, can and should. So while I was not able to come up with a working Hollywood actress who is right for the part, I know that the people making the Batgirl movie are more than capable of that, if they care enough to try.