We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Batgirl HBO Max movie filming in January, says JK Simmons

JK Simmons has been speaking about the Batgirl movie filming "very soon," with him joining the crew in January in Glasgow

JK Simmons – who seems to be making a career out of playing beloved comic book characters – was “completely flabbergasted” to be asked to expand on his Justice League role of Commissioner Jim Gordon in the upcoming DCEU Batgirl movie. And he’s excited to begin filming in January, in order to meet a 2022 release date.

Comic book fans have been waiting a long time for Batgirl – a character first introduced in 1967 – to be given her proper due and a standalone film. That is now finally happening, with actress and singer Leslie Grace stepping into the boots of the iconic character of Barbara Gordon.

JK Simmons will next be seen demanding more photos of Spidey, as J Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But, like Michael Keaton, he is an actor who can say that he has a foot in both the Marvel and DC camps. And in Simmons case, both of his characters invoke strong feelings from comic book fans in terms of who plays these beloved figures.

 

 

Speaking to the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Simmons said;

“I was completely flabbergasted that they came back to me recently and wanted me to be Commissioner Gordon again, and have it be a more significant role…and I’m looking forward to it. I think I’m actually going to get on the horn with [star Leslie Grace] and the directors in the next couple days and do a little preliminary rehearsals…”

With Matt Reeves’ The Batman choosing Liverpool as one of its main shooting locations (as well as a cemetery in Glasgow), Batgirl is set to also set to start filming in the Scottish city; “They start very soon, and then I jump onboard sometime in January over in Glasgow, which is a wonderful place to be shooting it because it’s, y’know, Gothic. I’m excited to be the once and future Jim Gordon.”

While being bound by the usual superhero secrecy, he did reveal that he thought the script was an “interesting take” on the story of Barbara Gordon, as well as expanding his role as her father, Jim Gordon, beyond the bare minimum sequences he’d been given in Justice League. Batgirl – directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, with a screenplay from Christina Hodson, and also starring Brendan Fraser – is set for release sometime in 2022.