HBO Max's 'Batgirl' To Feature First Transgender Character In A DC Movie

Ivory Aquino has reportedly joined the cast of HBO Max's "Batgirl" as Alysia Yeoh, the transgender best friend of the titular superhero played by Leslie Grace.

Aquino's addition to the cast will be a milestone for Warner Bros' DC Films division as it marks the first openly trans character in a DC movie, Deadline reported.

The Filipino-American actress is known for her portrayal of trans rights activist Cecilia Chung on ABC's 2017 mini-series "When We Rise."

News about her casting first came around in the middle of January after Grace shared a snap of them together in an Instagram Story. Grace captioned her post, "Barbara and Alysia." Photos showing Grace and Aquino in what appears to be a movie set surfaced on social media last week.

"Latest #Batgirl set images," one Twitter user wrote after sharing a snap of the two actresses crossing the street.

"Directors @BilallFallah & Adil El Arbi going over the scene with Leslie Grace, Jacob Spicio, & Ivory Aquino _ #Batgirl," the same Twitter user captioned another photo that showed the actresses receiving instructions for a scene in the movie.

Superhero adaptations have strived for more LGBTQ inclusions over the years, beginning with the CW series "Supergirl," which featured the first trans superhero with "Dreamer" (played by Nicole Maines). The superhero's sister, Alex Denvers (Chyler Leigh) came out as a lesbian in the show's second season.

Similarly, the lead character of CW's "Batwoman" is portrayed as a lesbian since its first season. Ruby Rose and Javicia Leslie played the role in the subsequent seasons. The DC series "Harley Quinn" included a lesbian police detective, which was played by Rosie Perez. Disney+ series "Loki" also made headlines last year when its title character (played by Tom Hiddleston) revealed he was pansexual. Marvel also featured its first same-sex couple in "Eternals," played by Brian Tyree Henry and Haaz Sleiman.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah ("Bad Boys For Life") are co-directors of "Batgirl." J.K. Simmons will appear as Barbara's father (Gotham City police commissioner Jim Gordon), Brendan Fraser as a villain and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Jacob Scipio will also star in the movie.