'Birds Of Prey' Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Justina Machado And More Testing For Roles

Warner Bros. is on the lookout for their Birds of Prey cast, and they're considering several exciting actresses for parts. A new report indicates Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Justina Machado and more have all tested for parts. Janelle Monae has also been mentioned, although it remains unclear if she tested for a part or not. More on the potential Birds of Prey cast below.

THR has the scoop on the prospective casting for the female-driven superhero film. Margot Robbie is returning to play Harley Quinn, with Cathy Yan directing a script from Christina Hodson. As previously reported, the flick will find Harley teaming with Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain and Detective Renee Montoya.

For the role of Black Canary, aka Dinah Laurel Lance, Warner Bros. tested Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who appeared in A Wrinkle in Time and the fantastic Black Mirror episode "San Junipero" and Jurnee Smolett-Bell, an actress whose worked on the TV shows True Blood and Underground. THR adds that singer and actress Janelle Monae, who has had roles in Moonlight and Hidden Figures, is also in the running – but it's not clear if she actually tested for the part.

Black Canary possesses a "canary cry" – a high-powered sonic scream that can shatter objects and knock people flat on their ass. All of these actresses are promising, although I'll admit that it would be pretty damn cool if Janelle Monae ended up with this role.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane), Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers) and Cristin Milioti (Black Mirror) have either tested or read for the part of Huntress, a vigilante. There are several different versions of Huntress in the comics. One – Helena Wayne – was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. The modern Huntress – Helena Bertinelli – is the daughter of a mob boss. I'll admit that of all these actresses, Winstead is the only one I'm familiar with. She's also usually delivers a great performance.

For the part of Gotham City cop Renee Montoya, Warners tested Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) and Roberta Colindrez (Love Dick). Montoya is a great character – she had a reoccurring role on the Batman animated series, and a prominent arc in the fantastic comic series Gotham Central.

The other remaining part is Cassandra Cain, who is one of the more recent Batgirls. THR doesn't mention a specific actress as having read for the character, but adds: "The studio is seeking to remold the character as a 12-year-old and is looking for an Asian actress for the part."

Birds of Prey is set to begin filming in 2019.