Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s new Netflix movie Kate proves that she needs to return as Huntress in the DC Extended Universe. Winstead is no stranger to appearing in action movies, but Kate is the first that puts her squarely in the lead. The Netflix original film stars Winstead as a trained killed named Kate with less than 24 hours to live after she’s poisoned on her final mission. Her latest deadly role is sure to generate more interest in another DCEU appearance.

Prior to starring in Kate, Mary Elizabeth Winstead joined the DCEU to play Helena Bertinelli aka Huntress in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The DC movie saw Margot Robbie return as Harley Quinn and be at the center of a female team-up with Huntress, Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett), Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). Viewers quickly gravitated towards the newest DCEU heroines Birds of Prey introduced, and Huntress was no exception. Winstead proved to be a fan-favorite part of the ensemble and led to fans wanting to see more from her. However, Warner Bros. and DC Films haven’t confirmed what future Huntress has with the shared universe.

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If there was any doubt that Mary Elizabeth Winstead needed to come back to the DCEU, Kate proves that this is the case. Although Kate has received largely negative reviews, the issues with the film are most commonly with the script and not Winstead. In fact, she’s one of the highlights of the film, as Kate gives her a chance to show how capable she is of being an action movie star. She brings a tenacity and ruthlessness to the role that isn’t too dissimilar from the energy Winstead brought to Huntress. But while Birds of Prey only gave her a few opportunities to get in on the action, Kate puts her at the forefront. Most viewers will leave the Netflix movie impressed with Winstead’s fighting skills, and that highlights exactly why she needs to come back as Huntress.

The good news for Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Huntress, and fans is that her DCEU future is completely wide open. That means all the studios need to figure out is whether or not they want to bring Winstead’s Huntress back, and Kate proves that this is definitely the case. Winstead is still very much interested in playing Huntress in the DCEU and Birds of Prey‘s ending didn’t directly set up where she could appear next. This is both great for Huntress because it makes just about anything possible, but it also signals that there is a direct plan in place for her story. Since Birds of Prey 2 doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon, Huntress’ DCEU return and the chance to see Winstead play the action heroine again could be dependent on the right project moving forward.

As long as WB and DC agree that Winstead’s Huntress should return to the DCEU, there are plenty of projects she could appear in. The recently announced Black Canary HBO Max movie starring Jurnee Smollett would be a natural place for Huntress to return. Helena was last seen with Dinah Lance when Birds of Prey ended, so the movie could see that crime-fighting partnership continue. There is also the opportunity for Huntress to return in Batgirl opposite Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon if she’s still active in Gotham. If the studios are so keen on giving Mary Elizabeth Winstead more to do as Huntress after seeing Kate, a solo movie or TV show on HBO Max could also be considered.

Key Release Dates
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  • The Batman (2022)Release date: Mar 04, 2022
  • DC League of Super-Pets (2022)Release date: Jul 29, 2022
  • Black Adam (2022)Release date: Oct 21, 2022
  • The Flash (2023)Release date: Jun 23, 2023
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)Release date: Mar 17, 2023
  • Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2022)Release date: Dec 16, 2022
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About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5625 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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