Birds of Prey focused more on Harley than the actual Birds, but fans still came away from the film largely pleased with how each of the titular ladies were portrayed.
Smollett in particular received rave reviews for playing Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary. At the start of Birds of Prey, Dinah was stuck working as a singer in a nightclub owned by Black Mask, aka Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). Dinah used her connection to Black Mask as a way to help protect young Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) from his influence, and in the end, she formed the Birds of Prey with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). The end of the film set up future adventures for the three ladies, and fans have wondered if they will ever get to see them.
While talking to Lovecraft Country, Smollett entertained the idea of starring in a Black Canary television show. In this scenario, the Black Canary show would be developed by Lovecraft Country's creator Misha Green, with whom Smollett has a strong working relationship. "It’s no secret how much I love Black Canary. It’s a dream character and was a dream to play her," Smollett said. "If [the] dynamics fell in the right way, I would absolutely do it in a heartbeat, and Lord knows, I follow Misha wherever she leads me." Green echoed her interest in working on a Black Canary project, saying, "I mean, you can’t help but imagine it a little bit… like, ‘What would I do with a Black Canary show?' It’d be exciting, I know that."
Everyone has been so focused on the possibility of a return to the role of Black Canary, and fans largely seem to be in the same boat. However, Birds of Prey's lackluster performance at the box office has put sequel plans in jeopardy, so it's hard to say what could come in the future.
At the same time, another Black Canary might already be headed to television. The Arrowverse's Marc Guggenheim said in June a decision would be made soon, but so far it has not come. If it does get picked up, however, Green Arrow and the Canaries would star Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake/Black Canary and Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance/Black Canary. Of course, this wouldn't impact any DCEU Birds of Prey plans, since the two remain largely separate. Only time will tell if Smollett can revisit Black Canary, whether by film or by television.
Source: Variety
