Batgirl HBO Max movie adds Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh to cast

Ivory Aquino has joined the cast of Batgirl as Alysia Yeoh.

The film, helmed by Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah, stars Leslie Grace as the titular character, AKA Barbara Gordon, while J.K. Simmons plays her father Jim Gordon, Brendan Fraser plays the villainous Firefly, and Michael Keaton returns as Batman.

Deadline broke the news of Aquino's casting. Alysia Yeoh is a close friend and one-time roommate of Barbara's in DC Comics and works as a bartender. She'll become the first transgender character ever seen in a live-action DC Comics movie when Batgirl lands on HBO Max. Aquino has previously had roles in When They See Us, When We Rise, and Tales of the City.  

Not much is known about the Batgirl movie just yet, but a first look at Grace in costume has been unveiled, and the style seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from the Batgirl of Burnside comics.

Set pictures have also revealed some major connections to the wider DCEU, with a magazine cover referencing the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as street art showing Black Canary and Batman's sidekick Robin.

It's also unclear at the moment just how Batgirl will fit into the DC landscape, considering the Batman v Superman Easter egg seems to contradict Keaton playing Batman in the film. It's likely that multiverse-related questions will be cleared up by The Flash, which is releasing this November 4, and will see both Ben Affleck and Keaton play their versions of the Caped Crusader. 

Batgirl doesn't have a release date at the moment, but it's expected to debut on HBO Max this year. In the meantime, check out our guide to watching DC movies in order to get up to speed on the DCEU.