Over the past few years, Warner Bros. has been on a roll with its comic book content, set both outside and within the main DCEU. While the studio also started focusing on streaming releases, HBO Max shocked the public by removing some of its exclusive content and also scrapping both Scoob 2 and the Batgirl movie. Now Batgirl star Leslie Grace and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have responded to the WB pulling the movie before its release.
There was a fair amount of anticipation behind Batgirl before this surprise announcement, thanks to cast members like Brendan Fraser, Michael Keaton and JK Simmons. While it looks like this would be an exciting installment in the DCEU, it’s unclear if fans will ever get to see its contents. Leslie Grace was set to play the title character in the streaming blockbuster, and posted about the news on Instagram. She said:
What a class act. One can only imagine how disappointed Leslie Grace must be that her DCEU debut and months of hard work was seemingly in vain. Still, she went out on a high note. Along with pictures of her in costume and videos from the set, Grace thanked the cast and crew for their work, which will seemingly go unseen by moviegoers.
Leslie Grace’s comments are definitely a glass half-full take on the shocking news that Warner Bros. was scrapping Batgirl. The news broke the internet, especially considering that the streaming blockbuster had a reported budget of $70 million. As Grace mentioned, the cast and crew spent seven months filming in Scotland, where Gotham City was brought to life.
While the Batgirl movie was a potentially star-making moment for Leslie Grace, it was also a thrilling opportunity for its pair of directors: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The pair of filmmakers were coming off the success of Bad Boys for Life when they started work on Batgirl, and they’ve been sharing their excitement throughout the process. The directors shared their thoughts on the movie’s cancellation, posting:
This is another reaction that’s filled with class and grace. While it might have been easier to throw shade at Warner Bros. for their controversial decision, instead Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah used their public platform to thank their collaboration and express gratitude for their brief time working with the DC Extended Universe. We’ll just have to wait and see if we’re ever treated to any of the footage from Batgirl.
Considering Batgirl was supposed to be in the main DCEU (and possibly explain Michael Keaton’s return as Batman?), it should be interesting to see what changes future movies have to make to work around the scrapped flick. What’s more, fans are wondering if the Blue Beetle and Black Canary projects are still going to happen on HBO Max. We’ll just have to see, but clearly Warner Bros. is going to keep the public on our toes.
The next DC movie hitting theaters is Black Adam on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
