It's hard to imagine Green Arrow without Black Canary, which is why fans looked for any signs of her showing up on Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
Arrow's Katie Cassidy and Birds of Prey's Jurnee Smollett-Bell each brought their own unique takes on the character to their respective stages. And both of them were comics accurate, and highly entertaining, in their own unique and incredibly important ways.
Katie Cassidy: Fought For Her Role
This version of Laurel Dinah Lance wasn't exactly a well trained fighter when she first started out. Then again, neither was Oliver Queen when he washed up on a supposedly deserted island and look how he turned out.
None of that stopped Laurel from becoming one of the city's top vigilantes. Even death didn't stop her, thanks to the existence of alternate realities in the Arrowverse.
Jurnee Smollet-Bell: Ready To Fight
Not a lot is known about the history of this version's Dinah Lance. What is known about her is that she carries herself like someone who has thrown down more than a few times in her life.
Before she became the Black Canary in the movie, Lance had obviously acquired a lot of combat experience. No one just walks into a situation with Harley Quinn and fights like that without having a few rumbles in her rearview mirror.
Katie Cassidy: Wanted To Be A Hero
As Laurel learned more and more about what was going on in her city, she came to the conclusion that she could contribute, too. She actively made the decision to become a vigilante and help protect the citizens of Starling City.
The life of a costumed crime-fighter was something that she very much wanted. Given the number of butt-kickings Laurel received during the early stages of her crime-fighting career, she must have really wanted to be a hero.
Jurnee Smollet-Bell: Highly Trained Fighter
When fans first met Dinah in the movie, she was a lounge singer in Black Mask's club. But the scene where she saved Harley Quinn from some thugs trying to abduct her showed she was a lot more.
It was quite apparent in that scene that Dinah had spent a lot her life training for combat. She was skilled, precise, and utterly brutal. This Black Canary was easily the best hand-to-hand combatant in the movie.
Katie Cassidy: Gets Involved In Big Storylines
One of the things that make the Arrowverse so compelling is the fact that it has a lot of big crossover events. These storylines connect all of the shows and their relevant characters to each other.
Naturally, Black Canary often finds herself involved in these events as she often does in the comics. It's hard to have a major battle in any media form of DC without her presence in some capacity.
Jurnee Smollet-Bell: Member Of The Birds Of Prey
While Black Canary is a respected hero all on her own, her hip in the Birds of Prey has also been a defining factor in her career. The other of this team are her closest friends and greatest allies.
It was good to see the film version of Canary have those kind of connections in the movie. That being said, the movie was focused on the Bird of Prey, so not having her appear as part of the team would have been a little odd.
Katie Cassidy: Trained With Wild Cat
On her journey to becoming a vigilante, Laurel trained with a former boxer named Wild Cat. He also worked as an extremely secretive crime fighter at one point, but had retired from it by the time he started training her.
This lines up with the comics as Wild Cat was one of the many characters who trained her. But the comic version of Wild Cat never seems to fully retire, and also took a hand in training other heroes like Batman.
Jurnee Smollet-Bell: Lack Of A Day Job
The Arrowverse version of Black Canary has a long-standing job as a lawyer, primarily working with the District Attorney's office. But the comic book version of the character is not so professionally accomplished.
Again, fans first met the movie Black Canary when she was a lounge singer, though that time in her life is over. Much more accurate to the comics, Dinah just doesn't seem to have a career outside of beating thugs up.
Katie Cassidy: Her Connection To Green Arrow
Another key relationship for Black Canary in the comics is Oliver Queen. Their marriage has been a big part of both of their lives, helping them survive as heroes.
That relationship was on full display on TV. Laurel was the early love interest, though she was eventually replaced by Felicity Smoak in that role. The movie never depicted this relationship, largely because it's not clear if Green Arrow even exists in that world.
Jurnee Smollet-Bell: Second Generation Hero
There are a surprising number of heroes who got into the business because of family. Parents, siblings and other relatives who are already vigilantes are often the inspiration for other people to start fighting.
That was certainly the case with movie Dinah. While there weren't a lot of details provided, it was indicated that her mother had worked in Gotham as a street hero. If a second movie ever happens, fans might finally get some answers.
