HBO Max's 'Batgirl' Cast Ivory Aquino As First Trans Character In DC Comics' Film

Los Angeles, January 25 - The upcoming HBO Max feature film "Batgirl", based on DC Comics has officially cast Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh. Both Aquino and Yeoh are transgender, marking the first time a live-action DC Comics feature film will feature an openly trans character.

Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh will play the best friend of the titular superhero, a.k.a. Barbara Gordon played by Leslie Grace in this original HBO Max film. Yeoh first appeared in a 2011 issue of "Batgirl" written by Gail Simone and penciled by Ardian Syaf.



According to Variety, news of Aquino's casting first leaked online in mid-January after Grace posted a photo seemingly from the set of the film to her Instagram story, tagging Aquino and captioning the shot (of two women crossing the street) with "Barbara and Alysia".

There have been several strides in broadening LGBTQ+ representation in superhero adaptations over the past few years. The latest such example was seen in Marvel Studios' feature film "Eternals", which included the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first same-sex couple, played by Brian Tyree Henry and Haaz Sleiman.

Meanwhile, the "Batgirl" is being directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. It also stars J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Michael Keaton (reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman, which he will first do in "The Flash" in late 2022), and Jacob Scipio. "Batgirl" is currently slated for a late 2022 release on HBO Max.

Stay tuned...