Mary Elizabeth Winstead Would Love To Play Huntress Again

The DC Universe is steadily getting back on track, with Warner Bros. leaning into the inherently scattered nature of comics and opening up their cinematic plans for any number of interpretations and spins on the classic material rather than upholding a single filmmaker's all-encompassing vision for the property at large. Recent movies like James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" opened to rave reviews and plenty of eyeballs, even if many of those views happened to come from HBO Max subscriptions rather than in movie theaters. But Warner Bros. isn't opposed to building out their universe on the streaming side of things too, especially when it comes to the news that Jurnee Smollett's Black Canary will be making the jump from "Birds of Prey" to her own solo film debuting on HBO Max. 

Could other members of "Birds of Prey" be coming along for the ride? Nobody has said as much just yet, but Huntress star Mary Elizabeth Winstead is perfectly willing and able should she get the call.

Crossing the Streams

Cathy Yan's "Birds of Prey" is notable for being one of the very last major releases to drop right before the pandemic shut everything down in March of 2020. The film didn't light the box office on fire, but it's inspired a very loyal online following that is starving for more sequels or spin-offs to continue the adventures of the generally well-received team of female villains and anti-heroes. Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress (NOT the crossbow killer!) was easily one of those stand-outs, leading fans to hope that she might reappear in the DC universe sometime down the line. Collider recently caught up with the actor and asked her the very same question. Her response to another potential crossover? Here it is:

"I'm super excited about the Black Canary movie. I love Jurnee, I love the work that she did and I can't wait to see what they do with that. I have no idea what other characters are gonna potentially be involved. I don't know if Huntress is gonna continue on in some way. You know, there are so many different iterations of Huntress whether it's in the comics or in TV and film, and so I don't know if my version of her is gonna continue on. But, I do love her and if there was an opportunity to do that then I would be down for it, so we'll see!"

One look at the behind-the-scenes of "Birds of Prey" indicates that Yan fostered an incredibly collaborative environment and provided space for the whole cast to have a total blast during filming, so it's not too much of a surprise to hear that Winstead would be game to reprise her role as Huntress. The lesser-known character's reception among fans is certainly a testament to Winstead's charisma and screen presence and bringing her back for the HBO Max "Black Canary" film would feel like a natural fit. With so much currently in flux, it's impossible to guess what WB's plans might be for Huntress or any other reappearances for members of the Birds of Prey (other than Harley Quinn, of course, who will likely remain a face of the franchise for as long as Margot Robbie is willing to portray her). Here's hoping they find more room for the crossbow-wielding fan-favorite who absolutely does NOT have rage issues.

You'll next be able to see Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the Netflix movie "Kate" on September 10, 2021.