Could We See The Original Birds Of Prey On Arrow? Or A Spin-Off?

At this time twelve years ago, a pilot was being shot for a WB Network television series called Birds of Prey. The series featured a Huntress, a computer genius with glasses, and a sort-of Black Canary… and ultimately ran as a series for 13 episodes.

This Wednesday on Arrow, we get a new televised “Birds of Prey” in an episode that uses that title. We’ve got a Huntress, a fully-formed Black Canary, a maybe-someday Black Canary, and a computer genius with glasses. Jessica de Gouw makes her first return appearance on the show in a year, and the Lance sisters get involved in the action as well.

Last week, we spoke to Arrow Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim about the episode, and joining him was “Helena Bertinelli” herself, Jessica de Gouw. While there, a reporter asked Guggenheim & de Gouw if there’s any possibility that we could see some actresses from the original Birds of Prey show on Arrow at some point.

“We’re always talking about that,” Guggenheim admits. “I think the fact that they cast John Wesley Shipp in the Flash pilot, I think, sort of opens the door.”

While not commenting directly on the Birds of Prey of it all, there is someone connected to the Green Arrow mythos that Guggenheim has been thinking about. “I’ve always wanted to [have], say, that if they made a movie out of Oliver Queen’s life, and the actor Justin Hartley played Oliver Queen, that would be fun. But you never know,” Guggenheim says.

“That would be kind of brilliant, I think,” Jessica de Gouw adds about the notion of having her come face to face with someone from the original BOP series. “I think we’re also very different. I’ve seen some of the original stuff, and they’re such different shows as well.”

“They are [different],” Guggenheim agrees. “That’s the thing. Smallville and Birds of Prey and Arrow are all very, very, very different shows, and I think it’s always fun to do this sort of thing in a way that’s one for the fans. It’s like Sean Connery being Indiana Jones’ father. Like, of COURSE James Bond is going to be Indiana Jones’ father.”

With all of the attention on the butt-kicking females in Wednesday night’s Arrow, is there any chance we’ll get a Birds of Prey spinoff series?

“Series? I think anything is possible. Way above my pay grade,” Marc Guggenheim admits, though he does have an idea for some things he’d like to do to with the Helena character. “One of the things we would love to do at some point is do an episode where you’ve got Black Canary, Felicity, and the Huntress working together. That’s on our show bucket list,” he says.

Guggenheim also reveals that he has talked to DC Comics about doing a Huntress comic book story exploring the year that was spent between “The Huntress Returns” and “Birds of Prey” – but “from her perspective, traveling the world and hunting for her father.”

“You never know,” he says. “All things are possible, as long as we’ve got Jessica’s willing participation.”

Don’t miss the Arrow episode “Birds of Prey” Wednesday night, March 26 on The CW!