Hot off WB's acclaimed In the Heights movie, Leslie Grace has been cast as crimefighter Barbara Gordon in the upcoming HBO Max movie Batgirl, Collider has confirmed.

Grace reportedly edged out Zoey Deutch, Haley Lu Richardson and Isabela Merced for the coveted role, making her the third Latina to be cast in a DC superhero project. The Dominican-American actress joins Sasha Calle, who will play Supergirl in The Flash movie, and Rachel Zegler, who has landed an unspecified role in Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Grace's casting was first reported by Deadline and TheWrap, though she confirmed the exciting news an hour later on Twitter, writing: "I am beyond excited to embody Barbara Gordon, your Batgirl ! I cannot believe what I’m writing [right now]. Thank you DC for welcoming [me] to the family! I’m ready to give her all I’ve got!"

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Image via Warner Bros.

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Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will direct the Batgirl movie, which was written by Christina Hodson, whose DC credits include Birds of Prey and The Flash. Kristin Burr will produce the comic book movie, which is one of several being developed exclusively for HBO Max rather than theaters.

Batgirl made her comic book debut as Betty Kane exactly 50 years ago and the character remains quite popular among DC fans. Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon, may not have been the original Batgirl but she's the best-known incarnation of the character. When Barbara was left paralyzed by the Joker in Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel The Killing Joke, other crimefighters such as The Huntress and Orphan took up the Batgirl mantle, while Gordon became Oracle, who helped aid Batman in his adventures.

Grace grew up in the Bronx and earned raves for her turn as Nina Rosario in In the Heights, which pairs her with Corey Hawkins. The award-winning singer has a bright future ahead of her in Hollywood, and I'm eager to see who joins her in the Batgirl movie, as well as what the tone of the film will be. For more on Grace, watch her interview with Perri Nemiroff for Collider Ladies Night.

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