Batgirl set photos tease Lex Luthor – and a connection to another DC movie

New Batgirl set photos tease some big connections to the wider DC universe.

The film stars Leslie Grace as the titular vigilante, while Michael Keaton returns as Batman. Bad Boys for Life helmers Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah are in the directors' chairs.

While Batgirl is leading the movie, it looks like there are some big links to the rest of the DCEU, too. One picture from the set reveals a magazine cover for the Gotham Tattler, with a headline that reads "Billionaire villain Lex Luther hires new lawyer to appeal sentence." Luther is usually spelled Luthor, so whether that's a typo or a slight change to the name remains to be seen.

The cover also makes reference to a bombing at the Capitol. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Luthor orchestrated the explosion at the building, timed for a hearing on Superman. The villain also ended up in Arkham Asylum after the events of the movie, which saw him unleash the monstrous Doomsday – and by the sounds of things, he's still there.

That's not the only Easter egg to be found in the new pictures. Another set photo makes reference to The Court of Owls. In DC comics, this is a sinister group that runs Gotham City from the shadows – and once tried to enlist the original Robin, Dick Grayson. Look closely at the magazine cover, and you'll spot a "former circus child star" revealing that the Owls tried to recruit him. Grayson was part of a trapeze act with his parents as a child, and another set photo has already revealed Robin exists in the movie.

Then, one magazine cover features Black Canary, which fits with posters of the singer/superhero already spotted on the set, and another magazine references Vicki Vale, the journalist last seen on the big screen in 1989's Batman. 

It remains to be seen if any of these Easter eggs will be a big part of the plot, or are just fun references to the rest of the universe. 

Batgirl doesn't yet have a release date, but is expected on HBO Max in 2022. In the meantime, check out our guide to watching DC movies in order to get up to speed on the DCEU.