A fifth female superhero will take center stage as part of DC Studios' ongoing slate of projects. DC Comics is littered with powerful female heroes, many of whom are already planned for adaptations within the growing DC Universe. This will also continue on the animation front, adding exciting new stories to the greater saga.
The DC superheroine Big Barda is confirmed for a role in the upcoming Mister Miracle show on HBO Max. Speaking with the wordballoon YouTube channel, DC Studios writer/filmmaker Tom King confirmed the project to be a TV show with "huge implications for the DCU at large." Artist Mitch Gerads will join him as a producer and designer, and he said the show will cast the DC supervillain Darkseid and his son, Scott Free, along with Barda:
"I can confirm that 'Mister Miracle' is a DCU show that has huge implications for the DCU at large. We are doing it right. Mitch is a producer on it and a designer. We got to cast Darkseid. And we got to cast Orion. Obviously, Scott and Barda were the big ones."
Debuting in October 1971 (Mister Miracle #4), Big Barda was created by Jack Kirby. Born on Apokolips about 250 years before the current DC timeline, she was taken from her mother at a young age and trained at Granny Goodness's orphanage (Granny Goodness also appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League) to become a warrior. Meeting Scott Free during a raid, she eventually leaves Granny Goodness and becomes a hero with powers like immortality, superstrength, hand-to-hand skills, and gear like battle armor and a mega-rod.
Big Barda will mark the fifth female superhero introduced in the new DC Universe. That list begins with The Bride, played by Indira Varma in 2024's Creature Commandos. First made to be the bride of David Harbour's Frankenstein, Frankenstein murdered their creator and sent her on her own violent rampage for years before becoming one of the leaders of the Commandos.
Creature Commandos also features Zoë Chao's Nina Mazursky, a kind woman born with a severe lung condition, who was later turned into a metahuman amphibian by her father. Bullied for her monstrous appearance, Nina needs water to breathe, but she also boasts extraordinary abilities before her tragic death at the end of the show.
Isabela Merced joined the DC Universe in 2025, playing the classic DC superheroine Hawkgirl in 2025's Superman. A member of the Justice Gang, Hawkgirl is able to fly with wings that protrude from her back, and she is proficient with a mace she carries to take out her enemies.
The next female superhero to make her debut in the DCU will be Milly Alcock's Supergirl in her own 2026 solo movie. The Kryptonian will possess many of the same powers as her cousin, Clark Kent/Superman, including flight, super strength, near-invulnerability, and heat vision.
As of writing, there is no production or release timeframe for the upcoming Mister Miracle show. There are also no actors confirmed for the voice cast or behind-the-scenes crew, though Tom King, who wrote the 2017 Mister Miracle comic run, will serve as executive producer and showrunner. The show is also expected to be rated TV-MA.
Mister Miracle Brings New DC Superheroine to the Forefront
Big Barda will be the latest female superhero to join the DCU, bringing a new kind of strength and power to the exciting Mister Miracle animated series. Additionally, she will be far from the last hero of her kind to take a starring role in this ever-expanding comic-book franchise.
Wonder Woman is already confirmed to have her own solo movie in development, as fans offer their ideas for who should take over the role from Gal Gadot in the DCEU. Names like Top Gun: Maverick's Monica Barbaro and Andor's Adria Arjona have been prominent in these fan-castings, but the project still seems to be some time away from moving into further development.
Another Wonder Woman project, Paradise Lost, may not be among the projects being released, as reports indicate DC Studios canceled the show.
Plenty of other female superheroes are also on fans' lists of hopefuls to join the DC Universe. Names like Black Canary and Huntress from the Birds of Prey have come up often, not to mention more magic-based heroes like Zatanna. Rumors also point to a Teen Titans movie being in development, which would bring in powerful players like Starfire and Raven.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
