Casting Batgirl

As most of you may know by now... Joss Whedon has been tapped to direct a Batgirl movie for DC Comics/Warner Brothers. No doubt following up on Suicide Squad's exceptionally received Harley Quinn and the anticipatory legendary experience of this summer's Wonder Woman, they're desiring to unleash all of their powerhouse female characters in the name of diversity and... well... making money.

No matter.

Even if they're only doing good for profit, at least good is still being released into the world. 

Which brings up an excellent question. 

How do we ensure that the Batgirl actress is the necessary good for this role?

Superhero movies have been riding the railways of cinema into the souls of audiences for decades now. Some attempts were magnificent, some... less so. Others were jusssst enough to keep the train going. Crossing blades in the never ending duel of comic book faithfulness vs the heart of the character/story (or, for you Bible scholars, the letter vs the spirit of the letter), it's been a roller coaster of a journey for this precious medium. Obviously the benefit in sticking to already established stories is that you have a roadmap. The downside is that you have hundreds of thousands of fans who know these stories inside and out, with itchy trigger fingers just waiting for you to flub a crucial detail.

(this is my guess on why Disney made the shrewd move to make the Star Wars Expanded Universe no longer canon, in their renewed energy to tell fresh Star Wars tales)

With that being said, it's pretty clear that - whatever route taken - a good story is imperative for the Batgirl film to work. A good story handled by someone who understands who Batgirl really is (The Killing Joke is a good example of not having that). Yet, all of this is still just background. An assumed element. What about Batgirl herself? 

Looking through the varied history of comicbook films (flops and successes), I've distilled the requirements down to three absolutely critical elements. Whoever lands this Batgirl will need to:

Look the Part

Know the Part

Be the Part

It sounds garishly straightforward, but you'd be surprised how omitting just one of these changes the whole dynamic... and how often studios choose to do that anyway. It's a trinity. Like God. Eliminate part of the trinity and He isn't God anymore. 

LOOK THE PART

This is the easy portion right? Easy because there are billions of people variations around the planet, and doubly easy because of that whole costuming/makeup department on payroll. We can literally transform anybody into anyone or anything.
Or at least close enough to get a passing grade.

So what are some of Barbara Gordon's/Batgirl's key physical traits?

Let's take a look.

-She's a ginger
-She's taller than the average woman (she comes up to about Batman's chest... Batman is 6'2" in most depictions)

-She's not busty or excessively curvy

-She's remarkably fit

-She has a snarky expression that can stun even Nightwing into silence

All in all, not too difficult to find or fashion. Especially with the Superhero Workouts that are quickly becoming industry standard these days- the only thing that would REALLY make someone stand out in this category is if by some blessed grace they actually already naturally looked like the character in real life!

KNOW THE PART

This is where it gets tricky, because knowledge comes in two different picnic baskets for this type of thing.

Acquired knowledge.

Injected knowledge.

Acquired knowledge is what we know as a result of time. We've lived life and simply picked up miscellaneous bits of information either on accident or due to some pursued interest or formal education. We've grown with it, debated it, debunked it, gained revelation about it, provided insight about it... Acquired knowledge is a part of who we are and, when shared, we are not so much tossing out factoids as much as peeling back a layer of our own identity.

Injected knowledge is virtually the opposite. Anybody ever crammed for a test? It's like academic anorexia- we jam it down, just long enough to meet a requirement, then it all comes ejecting back out as if it were never there. This is useful in many environments; even in acting if one is preparing for multiple roles. The ability to absorb what is necessary for as long as necessary to complete the task is an unparalleled talent.

But which of the two is best for Batgirl? Remember- she's getting her own movie. There might be Bat-family cameos, but this is her movie. Treating this like we'll never get this moment ever again (which we technically won't), should we opt for the natural performance? Or the cement-is-still-drying-please-don't-pull-the-cake-out-of-the-oven-yet one? 

BE THE PART

And this, boys and girls, is where the rubber meets the road. Sure you look the part. Sure you know all there is to know about Batgirl.

But can you act? 
Can you act well AND act like Batgirl?
Can you pull off the duality of Barbara and her masked alter ego?
 Can you execute the martial scenes with believability and finesse?

Casting Batgirl is a monstrous task.

There is so much to get right, so many little gaps where it could all fall apart or even just simply fall short. Collapse off the screen onto the floor, never making it into the hearts and minds of viewers. And what about the little girls? I have a slew of students who are already inspired by the upcoming Wonder Woman film. If for nothing else, we've got to get this casting right for them. It's nearly of divine importance; It would take a miracle to pull this off.

But what if...

What if there was someone who was a dead ringer for Batgirl? What if there was someone who was not only a dead ringer for her, but knew pretty much all there was to know about her and had so for years? What if this person also had an extensive background in acting and athletic activity?

What if there already was a miracle sitting right here under our noses?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you... Harley Salbacka!

Harley Salbacka is a 29 year old natural ginger, who also happens to be a manager at Blastoff- one of the most prolific comicbook stores in the Southern California area. She is a lifelong geek, who also spent several years as a dancer and a dance teacher, ranging from the most crisply, poignant ballet moves to hard hitting, fluid hip hop suavity (which gives you a glimpse of her athletic capabilities). In addition to all of this, along with her incredibly awesome name, she's also a dazzling writer and actress- there's a depth to her which truly shows up in her work. She's amazing with children and has this uncanny ability to form a connection with whomever she's speaking too. Outspoken, but never rude. Polite, but nobody's rug to walk on. She is the quintessence of fierce.

Choosing Batgirl is serious business, there's no question about that.

We've got to have the best woman for the job.

And I am absolutely convinced that Harley is that woman.

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