Why Joss Whedon's 'Batgirl' Needs To Be Feminist

I grew up adoring Joss Whedon productions. From "Buffy" to "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along," there's no denying the impact the writing icon's had on the sci-fi world as we know it today. I dare you to find any die-hard geek whose heart doesn't speed up even just a bit whenever news of a new Firefly continuation comes up. It's okay, me too. I still get weepy when I rewatch "Dollhouse."

But recently there have been rumors that Whedon is discussing a deal with Warner Bros. to write, direct, and produce the still-developing "Batgirl" movie — which means Barbara Gordon's entirely in his hands. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it means Whedon should keep in mind how many female fans will be anxiously looking forward to the movie.

Moreover, I think it's especially important now, of all times, that both Whedon and DC make sure not to make Batgirl over the top. Although "Supergirl" and "The Flash" have become popular, they're nowhere near as acclaimed as Marvel's "Daredevil" or "Jessica Jones." The former shows have been accused of being canned, and too cheesy. On the other hand, Marvel has shown an intense amount of gore and trauma on their end. Why can't we have both, while still keeping the heroes we love? Batgirl could have the best of both worlds: a realistic storyline and an optimistic theme.

Whedon, on the other hand, has been critiqued for a few recent productions, as well. He wrote and directed "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which was criticized for having an awkwardly timed and overall eyebrow-raising joke that alluded to rape (Tony Stark's jab about "prima nocta" when discussing Thor and Jane's relationship). Whedon may be known for sci-fi feminism, and his intentions may be entirely pure this time around, but it's a little disconcerting to picture this same kind of tone-deaf humor being written into "Batgirl"'s script, especially since she's the protagonist, not even just a side character like Jane.

Then again, Whedon's seen a lot of success with movies like "Cabin In The Woods" and In "Your Eyes," so the hope is that those annoying dialogue bits were just flukes, and not reflective of his writing style overall.

In the end, I'm still going to be excited when I finally get to sit down in the theater and watch "Batgirl." And I really, really hope that Joss Whedon and DC Comics bring back the same great storytelling we've fallen in love with every time.