DC’s Birds of Prey Starring Ewan McGregor Deserves Another Look on Streaming

Fans of DC Comics have experienced an uneven run of movie adaptations over the years. Strong releases like The Dark Knight trilogy, the 2017 hit Wonder Woman, and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad demonstrated what works on screen. Other entries fell flat despite talented cast members like Viola Davis and Will Smith.

While Zack Snyder supporters argue over whether his version of Justice League redeemed the material, another DC release deserves a closer look. Cathy Yan’s 2020 film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) stands out as a distinct highlight, particularly for anyone tracking Ewan McGregor’s filmography. Following his turn as Greg Platt in The End of Oak Street, McGregor delivers a gleefully unhinged, vile antagonist.

The story follows Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in the wake of her breakup with the Joker. Harley attempts to build her own identity, but losing the Joker’s protection leaves her exposed to every criminal in Gotham. Her struggle brings her into direct conflict with Roman Sionis, the villain known as Black Mask, played by McGregor.

Black Mask first appeared in 1985 in Batman No. 386. Bruce Wayne inherited his wealth after a street robbery took his parents, but Sionis killed his own parents after they objected to his girlfriend. McGregor, widely recognized as Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas’s prequel trilogy, typically projects warmth and reliability on screen. That wholesome background makes his portrayal of Sionis even more unsettling. Sionis enters the story as an eccentric, wealthy club owner, yet any perceived slight triggers sudden, terrifying violence.

McGregor outlined the character’s motivation in an interview with Men’s Journal, describing Black Mask as an ideal villain for “the time of Trump.” McGregor called him a total narcissist who was “spoiled in his upbringing to the point of having no contact with what life or people are about, who has a skin this thin and wants nothing more than to be the center of attention.”

Comic book antagonists often pursue world domination or wield superpowered gadgets. In Yan’s film, Sionis seeks control through cruelty, directing much of his venom at the women around him. The focus on Harley Quinn and the group of women who unite to protect themselves provides a sharp counterweight to his abuse.

Despite underperforming at the box office, Birds of Prey remains Robbie’s most compelling run as Harley Quinn, delivering an inventive superhero story rooted in real-world friction.

Source: Polygon