Brendan Fraser To Play Villain Firefly in HBO Max Film Batgirl

Batgirl has found her villain in fan-favorite actor Brendan Fraser. The upcoming HBO Max film has cast The Mummy star as Garfield Lynns, better known as pyromaniac criminal Firefly.

Fraser joins Leslie Grace (In The Heights), who will be playing Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham police commissioner Jim Gordon. J.K. Simmons (who previously appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League) will be reprising his role as Gordon.

Batgirl is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) with a script from Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey). The movie marks Fraser’s second outing with HBO Max and DC, after his role as Cliff Steele in the series Doom Patrol. The film is the latest in Brendan Fraser’s long-awaited comeback. Fraser appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move and has been cast in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. He will also star in Darren Aronofsky’s next film The Whale.

The character Firefly aka Garfield Lynns was created by France Herron and Dick Sprang, who introduced the character in Detective Comics #184 (June 1952). The character was originally an out-of-work special effects expert who used lighting effects to commit robberies. The character was later imagined as a sociopathic pyromaniac and pyrotechnics expert who covers his severe burns with a fireproof suit.

While Firefly has never appeared in a live-action Batman film, he was previously played by Andrew Dunbar on Arrow. A female version of the character appeared on Gotham, where she was played by Michelle Veintimilla and Camila Perez.

The plot of Batgirl has been kept under wraps, but it’s a safe bet to assume that the film will be somewhat based on 2003’s Batgirl: Year One. The comic book mini-series, written by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon, with art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez, offers a new origin story for Barbara Gordon, who is discouraged from starting a career in law enforcement by her overprotective father. On her journey to becoming Batgirl, Barbara faces off against Lynns and his fellow villain Killer Moth.

It’s always exciting to see actors like Fraser, who have a long history of playing heroes, take on a villain role. No other casting announcements have been made, but we’re excited to see how the project develops. Many folks took to social media to discuss Fraser’s casting:

(via THR, image: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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