2 Nov – "Birds of Prey" has got its leading ladies lined up, now it's time to unmask the villain – or put a mask on him, is more apt. The villain for the Harley Quinn-focused "Suicide Squad" spinoff has been revealed to be Black Mask and Deadline has confirmed that Ewan McGregor has landed the role. The 47-year-old Scottish actor will be playing the Gotham City mob boss, also known as Roman Sionis, who is the leader of the False Face Society gang. Black Mask first appeared in the comic "Batman" #386 in August 1985 as the titular superhero's enemy. The villain killed his wealthy parents to take control of their corporation, then lost everything due to his own faults but he blames Batman for his shortcomings.
McGregor joins a cast currently made up of Margot Robbie reprising her DC role as Harley Quinn, Jurnee Smollett-Bell making her debut as Black Canary, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. Harley Quinn and her all-female flock of superheroes, which also consists of the yet-to-be-cast Cassandra Cain, will be going up against Black Mask in a Gotham that is not protected by Batman. "Birds of Prey", helmed by Cathy Yan, is scheduled to open in North American cinemas on 7 February 2020. That same year, McGregor will be seen starring in another movie, "The Shining" sequel "Doctor Sleep".