How Does the Black Canary Get Her Powers Back
HBO Max's Black Canary Movie Can Fix Arrow's Worst Mistake
The DCEU's Black Canary movie can improve on the Arrowverse version by giving the character the recognition she deserves.
ABlack Canary movie is one of the several planned DCEU projects to be hitting the HBO Max app, and it presents an interesting opportunity. The version of the Blonde Bombshell from the previousBirds of Prey film wasn't the character's first live-action appearance, and with luck, it could end up being the best. The same can not be said, however, for Arrow's version of Black Canary.
The DCEU Black Canary can be a vast improvement over the Arrowverse version by not being an underutilized side character with a confusing legacy and identity. These problems and more stemmed from how confused theArrow showrunners seemed to be with what to do with Black Canary, resulting in several versions of the heroine that didn't really resemble the one from the comics. Here's how the movie can fix all of that.
No Black Canary Love Triangles
One of the biggest consequences of being a CW series was thatArrow was as much of a teenybopper soap opera as a superhero/crime show. Thus, the main characters were many times engaged in typically cringy love triangles, and Black Canary was no exception. Dinah "Laurel" Lance was first desired by both Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn, with the return of her sister Sarah complicating romance even further.
That meant that for the first two seasons especially, Laurel was more of an object to compete for than an actual character, let alone the strong and capable fighter from the comics. Even when she finally became the Black Canary and fought alongside Oliver, she never really felt like his equal and was more so just another side character.
Making Black Canary the focus in the narrative and not having soap opera-esque love triangles at all would go far in keeping from repeating these mistakes. There should be romance, of course, but this could be improved from the Arrowverse show by making Oliver and Dinah each other's one true love. After all, sidelining Laurel for Felicity Smoak was not only a heavily criticized move in itself but was also emblematic of how disinterested the showrunners were in developing Laurel.
Black Canary's Identity Crisis
As mentioned, there were several versions of the Black Canary on the TV showArrow, and not in the same way as the comics. Instead, Sarah was the first Black Canary, and she was replaced by both her sister Laurel and later the unrelated Dinah Drake. This further devalued the heroic title and Laurel in particular, who was one of several interchangeable faces behind the dark costume.
Birds of Prey already mentioned that Dinah's mother was a hero in her own right, inspiring her daughter's present-day actions. This resembles the comics, in which Dinah Drake Lance was the first Black Canary that was eventually succeeded by her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. This thread should be followed in the movie, establishing that Dinah is inspired by her predecessor but also her own person and not simply one in an assembly line of heroes.
Have Black Canary Be (Mostly) Fully Formed
Black Canary is already a hero in the DCEU, as shown inBirds of Prey. But on top of that, she also has her familiar Canary Cry powers and pretty good hand-to-hand combat skills. Emphasizing these skills even further will make Jurnee Smollett's Black Canary automatically better than the ones in the Arrowverse. Laurel was deemed by many as annoying and almost a damsel in the show's first season, and though Sarah was liked in the Black Canary role, people knew that it wouldn't last with Laurel there.
Giving Black Canary strength and resources from the start won't make her Dinah Laurel Lance in name only like in the show. She still has room to grow, however, and her being trained further in martial arts by the DCEU version of Wildcat or Lady Shiva would both reference the comics and build upon her skills. There's no word yet on who the foe in the movie will be, but Lady Shiva having a prominent role is a good angle to take.
This would also go far in making Black Canary her own character and not simply someone showing up in an ensemble of Green Arrow characters. A version of the White Canary closer to the comic books could also show up as the villain, as she's a character who's truly a Dinah villain and not a Green Arrow foe. Having her put on the iconic costume from the comics will also truly put the bombshell in the pretty bird, embracing what makes Black Canary such a strong character and translating it from the comics to the DCEU.
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About The Author 
Timothy Donohoo (1410 Articles Published)
Timothy Blake Donohoo is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he majored in Communication and minored in Creative Writing. A professional freelance writer and marketing expert, he's written marketing copy and retail listings for companies such as Viatek. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing video games, watching documentaries and catching up on the latest Vaporwave and Electro-Swing musical releases.
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How Does the Black Canary Get Her Powers Back
Source: https://www.cbr.com/arrow-black-canary-movie-fix-mistake/