DC’s “Batgirl” Was a Male Character at First
On the day of DC Comics’ 75th anniversary, Vulture published a piece that brought up the issue of gender in superhero films. The article points out how every hero has had their gender changed for a live-action film except for Batgirl, who was introduced in 1961.
The protagonist of “Batgirl” was Barbara Gordon, who has been written as female since her opening issue. In this sense, Barbara and Batgirl are one and the same.
The reason for the change was that Batgirl was not getting enough attention in her own book, and DC wanted to give her more. The result of the change is that Batgirl is now the eponymous character of her own series which has been going on since 2006.
Dee Carter, DC’s digital editor, said the following about this decision: “It’s important that we showcase characters with depth who are not just gender-specific.”
What Makes Batgirl Different From Other Superhero Characters?
Batgirl has been mentioned in many stories together with Batman. But it has never been mentioned that she was the one who brought him back to life.
Batgirl is unlike many other female superheroes. She dresses in a different way than her peers and has a slightly more feminine appearance. And, she comes into her superhero identity later in life without the help of superpowers.
Batgirl has all of the same powers as other superheroes from DC Comics, but she sees herself as different from all of them. She wants to be known for being an intellectual and independent person first, before becoming a superhero later on in life.
How Batgirl’s Story Became More Female-centric in the Modern Era
Due to DC’s reboot of the comic, the women in their superhero universe are more prominent and distinct in their actions. There has been a movement by feminist groups to try and get more female superheroes on the big screen.
The role of Batgirl is particularly interesting because she started out as a sidekick and evolved into a heroine. The popularity of Batman made her stand out from other female heroes, and she became known for being independent and working with Robin instead of being his love interest.
In the 1980s and 1990s there were many female characters in comic books. This was when DC comics had a more male-centric story that focused on Batman as the hero. Batgirl was one of these characters who was introduced during this time, but changed over time and became more female-centric.