The Birds of Prey movie will introduce Black Canary to many curious moviegoers for the first time. Here's the DC Comics origin story for the DCEU character portrayed by Jurnee Smollett-Bell.

Birds of Prey marks the live-action feature debut for Black Canary. The film primarily revolves around DC Comics character Harley Quinn, who was originally portrayed by Margot Robbie in the 2016 DCEU blockbuster Suicide Squad. Birds of Prey marks the eighth installment of the DCEU, and the franchise’s first R-rated film.

In 2020, Birds of Prey will be the center of pop culture conversations. There's the DCEU element, of course, as fans of the movie franchise and DC Comics will undoubtedly have plenty to say about the filmmaking, along with Robbie's performance as Harley Quinn. Beyond that, the R rating means that Birds of Prey won't have a huge opening weekend, at least in comparison to its PG-13 DCEU predecessors. As for Black Canary, here's what newbies need to know about the character's comic origin story, and how it applies to Birds of Prey.

Black Canary's Origin In DC Comics


Black Canary’s DC origin story dates back to 1947 and has changed significantly over the years. Created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared as Dinah Drake in the comic Flash Comics #86, in contrast to Harley Quinn, who originally appeared in the TV show Batman: The Animated Series before appearing in DC Comics. Originally, Dinah Drake ran a flower shop, and goes undercover to infiltrate the criminal underworld.

During the ‘60s, in the DC Comics series, Dinah Drake moved from Earth-1 to Earth-2 after her love interest, Larry Lance, passed away. Because of her grief, Dinah Drake became known for “The Canary Cry,” a sonic scream that’s correlated with her Black Canary persona. It’s revealed that Dinah Drake and Larry Lance had a child, one who presumably died after being cursed. The storyline becomes more complex when Dinah’s memories are transferred over to her daughter, thus creating a time-bending narrative. The Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline from the mid-'80s essentially destroyed Black Canary’s backstory.

And so Black Canary was reborn again for a mother-daughter storyline, evidenced by the 1990 comic Secret Origins #50. Dinah Drake later appears in Birds of Prey #1, and was revised once again for DC’s 2011 relaunch, known as “The New 52.” Black Canary is mentored by martial arts master Desmond Lamar, joins Team 7, and secretly marries Kurt Lance. During a Pandora’s Box mission, “The Canary Cry” leads to Kurt’s alleged death. Black Canary later forms the group known as Birds of Prey.

Black Canary's Powers In DC Comics


Dinah Drake (aka Black Canary) is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but she’s mostly known for her sonic scream that can literally shake up the world. As with Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian, Black Canary’s main power can be exhausting, so it’s only utilized when absolutely necessary. Because of Black Canary’s background in covert operations, she’s trained in leadership skills and knows how to efficiently operate when battling opponents with elite combat skills or superhero strengths.

In comparison to Harley Quinn, Black Canary is theoretically more powerful because of her sonic scream and martial arts expertise. But given Harley Quinn's unresolved conflict with The Joker, she's a little more unpredictable than Black Canary, and can lash out without thinking about the larger picture. Black Canary is more calculating and cognizant of her powers.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell Plays Black Canary In Birds Of Prey


Jurnee Smollett-Bell was announced as Birds of Prey's Black Canary in September 2018. She’d previously been acting in feature films and mainstream television series for nearly 20 years, best known for roles in ABC's Full House, NBC's Friday Night Lights, and HBO's True Blood. Smollett-Bell also starred as the title character in Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 feature film Eve’s Bayou. She’s the younger brother of actor Jussie Smollett and married to musician Josiah Bell.

Black Canary received a costume re-design for Birds of Prey; a character tweak that hasn’t gone unnoticed by long-time fans. But according to costume designer Erin Benach, the goal for Black Canary’s look wasn’t to be completely faithful to the original comic series, but rather to complement the character’s personality:

“Canary is the ultimate city girl survivor. She's a sultry singer by night, and by day she is all business. You will eventually see what that 'all business' looks like. She's the kind of girl who innately knows how to put a look together, exemplifying that 'style can't be bought,' she just has it. We took a lot of cues from her comic book character, as well. Her black fishnets and her color palette, yellow and black and blue. She dresses to embody strength and sultriness. Canary is that feeling of vintage meets modern with a fashion twist.”
Black Canary's Role In Birds Of Prey


In Birds of Prey, Black Canary teams up with Harley Quinn to battle the crime lord Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask). Whereas Robbie has previously portrayed Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey marks the DCEU debut for Smollett-Bell. She appears with a cigarette behind her ear during the opening moments of the first trailer, listening to Harley Quinn explain the concept of a harlequin, and how no one cares about them. In theory, Black Canary will personally connect with Harley Quinn because of their outsider status and romantic woes, though producers have implied that Birds of Prey won’t simply be a story about “girl empowerment.”

So, it seems that Black Canary’s minimal dialogue in the collective Birds of Prey trailers allows for a more revelatory first-time viewing experience. Brief moments show her in hand-to-hand combat, and also performing on stage. Black Canary appears to be somewhat of a quiet Birds of Prey character, which will make her inevitable sonic scream that much more impactful. And since Black Canary does indeed have strong leadership skills, she may prove to be especially valuable if and when Harley Quinn either loses focus or needs help.

In DC Comics, Black Canary has gone through numerous character variations over the past 70-plus years, and she'll undoubtedly change once again for Birds of Prey. But how much? The filmmakers will stay faithful to specific character traits from the comics, but still prioritize Black Canary's perspective as a modern woman for 2020 audiences. Just as Harley Quinn shouldn't be expected to blindly follow Joker's every command, Black Canary shouldn't be expected to mirror every personality trait from past storylines. In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn won't be the only woman trying to emancipate herself from the inherent darkness of Gotham City.