A surprising villain turn from a familiar hero
Superhero films have produced genuine classics as well as a fair share of misfires. Cathy Yan’s 2020 film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) sits in an interesting place: it struggled commercially, yet its colourful style, energetic action and committed performances reward a closer look.
The film is also one of the most unusual showcases for Ewan McGregor. Best known to many viewers as Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas’s prequel trilogy, McGregor often brings warmth, charm and an approachable quality to his roles. That makes Roman Sionis, better known as Black Mask, particularly disquieting.
What Birds of Prey is about
After breaking up with the Joker, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, is no longer protected by Gotham’s most notorious criminal. Once the city’s underworld learns that she is on her own, dangerous enemies begin closing in.
Harley eventually crosses paths with Roman Sionis, a wealthy and volatile crime boss who operates under the Black Mask identity. Their interests briefly overlap, but Roman’s temperament makes him an unstable ally. The film brings Harley together with several women as they fight to survive and reclaim control of their own lives.
Black Mask first appeared in 1985 in Batman No. 386. His comic-book origin is as unpleasant as the character himself: he accumulated his fortune after killing his parents because he resented the way they treated his girlfriend. He is not a misunderstood antihero, and McGregor’s casting becomes more intriguing because the actor seems so far removed from that kind of cruelty.
McGregor makes Roman Sionis impossible to ignore
Roman initially presents himself as an eccentric, socially disconnected man with an oddly inviting manner. His confidence and apparent sweetness can attract people, particularly when backed by immense wealth and influence. That surface disappears the moment someone disappoints him or fails to meet his standards.
McGregor then shifts from playful charm to sudden, animalistic violence. The contrast is the performance’s central strength: Black Mask is not frightening because he has superpowers or an elaborate plan to conquer the world. He is frightening because his ego is fragile, his authority is personal and his reactions are brutally unpredictable.
McGregor discussed the role with Men’s Journal, describing Sionis as a narcissist shaped by privilege and detached from ordinary people. That idea comes through in every scene: Roman needs attention, expects obedience and treats other people as extensions of his own status.
A grounded kind of comic-book menace
DC villains often chase power through grand schemes, advanced technology or outright fantasy. Black Mask’s ambitions are smaller but more recognisable. In Yan’s version, he uses money, intimidation and social power to harm people he considers beneath him, with particular hostility towards women.
That focus gives the villain a disturbing realism. Even in a setting filled with costumed characters and impossible abilities, misogyny and sexual violence remain painfully familiar threats. The film does not make Roman sympathetic; instead, it uses his theatricality to expose the entitlement and abuse beneath the performance.
Harley Quinn’s story gives the film its purpose
Although Black Mask provides the film with its most unsettling performance, Birds of Prey is fundamentally Harley Quinn’s story. Robbie’s portrayal benefits from the film’s attention to Harley as a person rather than simply a recognisable brand or supporting character.
Her journey is about stepping out from the Joker’s shadow and forming new connections. The women she meets, works alongside and befriends give the film a stronger centre than a conventional villain-versus-hero setup. Robbie would later return as Harley in The Suicide Squad, but this remains her most focused film in the role.
For more entertainment and gaming crossover stories, explore RETROCADE’s Arcade Blog and arcade videos. A film with this much comic-book attitude would also sit comfortably beside a dedicated arcade machine or a compact bartop arcade.
A commercial disappointment worth revisiting
Birds of Prey was a box office failure, but its reception in cinemas does not fully account for what the film attempts. It is bright, violent and deliberately strange, while still making room for a serious examination of control, abuse and independence.
Its timing also matters. As superhero releases increasingly compete through familiar characters and franchise comparisons, this film’s distinctive voice feels valuable. It is not flawless, but it has a clear visual identity, a committed cast and a villain whose menace depends on human behaviour rather than spectacle alone.
For viewers discovering McGregor through his more heroic work, Black Mask offers a sharp counterpoint. Roman Sionis is flamboyant, funny and repulsive in equal measure, and McGregor understands that the character works best when the charm never quite conceals the danger. That performance, along with Robbie’s strongest Harley-focused story, makes Birds of Prey a superhero film deserving of another chance.
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