Matt Reeves’ The Batman has hit theaters and has already been referred to as one of the greatest DC projects to date, with many fans and critics comparing it to the ultimate DC film - The Dark Knight. While the film itself will have to stand the test of time to truly be compared alongside Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, it’s safe to say that DC has finally found a groove in which it can realistically compete against the success of the MCU.

The Batman has risen above every expectation, and with films such as Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman 2 set to release later this year (not to mention more HBO Max spin-off series), DC has reached a point where they can start to delve further into their laundry list of heroes and villains. One particular DC antiheroine that deserves her red rose on the big screen is Poison Ivy. There have been some spectacular performances by DC villains in the past decade (Bane, The Riddler, Harley Quinn, multiple Jokers). Yet, Poison Ivy’s character has gone completely untouched in the DCEU… and that needs to change.

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Live-Action History

     Warner Bros.

Despite never having stepped foot in the DCEU, the plant-controlling antiheroine has had a long history of live-action performances (most in television and over the last few years). The story began with the infamous performance of Uma Thurman portraying the character in the 1997 movie Batman & Robin. In the film, she’s portrayed as a villain and teams up with Mr. Freeze and Bane in order to carry out a plan that will freeze the entire world and allow her to grow her plants without the fear of mankind destroying them.

The next live-action performance came from the series Gotham. The character was played by three different actresses (Clare Foley, Maggie Geha, and Peyton List) and also portrayed as a villain as she regularly aligned herself with the other villains of the show. Two more live-action appearances came in the show Batwoman when two versions of the character (portrayed by Nicole Kang and Bridget Regan) teamed up to wreak havoc on Gotham. With so many live-action performances for the character (especially in the last few years), it seems only fitting that the character gets her official live-action justice in the DCEU.

Success in HBO’s Harley Quinn Animated Series

     HBO

While Poison Ivy’s live-action television character may have gotten a slight uptick in recognition over the past few years, the one television show that truly embodies how necessary it is for Poison Ivy to get live-action justice in the DCEU is the Harley Quinn animated series currently streaming on HBO Max. Now, let’s be clear – Poison Ivy has been portrayed dozens of times in animated projects for DC and all of them have had their own unique spin on the character – but it’s this particular animated series that really does Poison Ivy justice. The series stars the titular Harley Quinn as she leaves Joker and tries to make a name for herself among Gotham’s elite villains - and who’s alongside her the entire way?

Poison Ivy, voiced by Lake Bell, the plant-powered antiheroine, plays much more of a hero role in this particular series. She does everything she can to help her best friend Harley get the recognition (and happiness) she deserves. The series even takes their relationship a step further and ends the second season with a cliffhanger of Harley and Ivy getting together as a full-on couple (an idea that director Cathy Yan wanted to potentially explore in a Birds of Prey sequel). Since the show has been such a massive success for HBO, fans have made it clear how much they love Ivy and Harley’s relationship. It seems a pretty obvious move for DC to bring her character into the DCEU fold and further explore said relationship.

Future DCEU Projects Poison Ivy Could Appear In

     Warner Bros. Pictures

DC is releasing several new films this year, but it seems highly unlikely that fans will get the chance to see Poison Ivy in any of the upcoming 2022 movies. That said, the success of The Batman has led DC to announcing two new live-action shows on HBO Max, both of which have some real potential for where a live-action Poison Ivy might show up. The first show is set to center around Colin Farrell’s portrayal of The Penguin and his rise to taking over the underworld of Gotham. The second show is set to center around Arkham Asylum and it’s many deranged and dangerous occupants. Both shows have real potential for Poison Ivy showing up (either as an adversary to The Penguin or as a patient at the Asylum) and could make for an excellent opportunity for an actress to portray the character with the justice she deserves.

The only problem? The Batman and its upcoming projects aren’t part of the DCEU and are considered their own separate shared universe. Not only that, but the icing on the cake is that both Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson have named several villains they’d like to explore in the future installments, and neither of them mentioned Poison Ivy. Perhaps the character will never truly get the DCEU justice she deserves.