Despite the controversial decision to cancel the Batgirl movie, Leslie Grace's Barbara Gordon could appear in other DC movies. Warner Bros. Discovery made headlines last week when it came to the DC brand and the future of their content. After having finished principal photography on Batgirl in March, with Grace as the titular heroine, Warner Bros. Discovery made the shocking call to ax the DCEU product. With this being a rare move for the film industry, the news sent a shockwave through Hollywood, with a huge reaction on social media as well.
Batgirl was to follow Barbara's origin story and journey to becoming Gotham City's newest protector. Michael Keaton, who is set to reprise his Bruce Wayne/Batman from the Tim Burton universe in Ezra Miller's The Flash movie in July 2023, was also officially going to appear in the HBO Max original. Helmed by Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Batgirl would have been the first time since Batman & Robin that the iconic heroine appeared on the big screen.
However, a week after the news came in that Batgirl would not get released, it seems Grace's DC gig may not be entirely over. In a new report from Variety, the trade reveals that Warner Bros. Pictures Group bosses Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy are allegedly "entertaining the possibility" of having Grace's Batgirl appear in other DC movies. No specific titles were rumored or listed at the time of the story's publication.
While neither Warner Bros. Discovery nor Grace have confirmed this themselves, it wouldn't be a huge shock if her Batgirl still appears within the larger DCEU. Last week, it was already reported that Grace and the Batgirl directors were eying new deals with Warner Bros. Discovery for future projects. Despite the financial reasons for the studio canceling the Batgirl movie, Warner Bros. Discovery stressed in statements that it had nothing to do with the talent of the cast, filmmakers, or crew that were involved with the production.
As far as where Grace's Batgirl could appear, Warner Bros. Discovery could use her anywhere if they wanted to in the coming years. Given that HBO Max will still be part of their DC strategy even after it merges with Discovery+ to become the new streaming service, it's possible Batgirl shows up in any of the coming productions that are still set to go. The perfect project would be the Black Canary movie for HBO Max, which would unite the two Birds of Prey members for the first time in the DCEU. Since the Dinah Lance-focused film hasn't started production yet, if there is still time to adjust the script so Grace's Batgirl shows up in a supporting or cameo role, that would be a fun and logical option. Despite Batgirl not getting her own movie out there, it's still great to know that the studio is reportedly considering utilizing Grace's performance despite the cancellation.
Source: Variety
