Batgirl star Ivory Aquino shares new behind-the-scenes images and a message to fans after the movie's cancellation. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah, Batgirl was poised to track the origin story of Leslie Grace's Barbara Gordon, with Michael Keaton and J.K. Simmons returning to reprise their roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Commissioner Jim Gordon, respectively. The supporting cast for Batgirl included Aquino, Jacob Scipio, Brendan Fraser, Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson, and Ethan Kai, with all the stars having completed principal photography by March 2022. The movie was in post-production earlier this month, but just last week, Warner Bros. made the shocking decision of shelving Batgirl indefinitely.
After Batgirl's cancellation, WB issued an official statement stating that its newly formed conglomerate, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), made the difficult decision to course-correct the focus toward theatrical movie-making. El Arbi and Fallah soon reacted to the move, expressing their disappointment, and Grace followed suit shortly thereafter, expressing gratitude toward her fans and directors for giving her the opportunity to play Barbara. Now, another star from the movie has opened up following the surprising cancellation.
In wake of Batgirl's cancellation, Ivory Aquino shared a bunch of behind-the-scenes images from the movie alongside a heartfelt message addressed to her fans and colleagues. The photos include some scenes from the movie, as well as behind-the-lens shots showing the cast and crew connecting. In her tweets, Aquino recalls her experience filming Batgirl, acknowledging it was wholesome to work with amazing peers and to be a part of the ambitious project. Take a look at the thread below.
Click Here to View the Original Tweets
While financial and strategic reasons prompted WBD to cancel Batgirl, it's hard not to see the decision as an incredible loss for diversity in the DCEU. DC Films has already been under fire for its lack of representation after Ray Fisher voiced his criticism over Joss Whedon's behavior during Justice League, and Batgirl's cancellation only makes matters worse. Had the movie been given a chance to come out, it would have marked the debut of the first Afro-Latina superheroine in the cinematic universe, with Aquino's Alysia Yeoh becoming the first major transgender character in a DC film. Plus, with up-and-coming Muslim directors at the helm, the movie could have helped the franchise expand and gain relevance among underrepresented communities. As Aquino points out, it's hard to put a price tag on what the movie sought to offer. But unfortunately, things did not turn out that way.
While Batgirl's cancellation is a major setback for the movie's team, it's still heartwarming to see how the cast and crew bonded while one set. They have surely forged some unbreakable friendships, and the memories made will be cherished for years to come. The new images will surely make fans want to see the movie even more, as it would have been an absolute joy to see the camaraderie between the actors and their enthusiasm for their roles play out on the screen. Another thing these photos suggest is that Batgirl wasn't a bad movie after all. There have been conflicting reports about Batgirl's test screening scores, but if the film looked anything like the scenes teased by Aquino, it's hard to believe audiences did not find it sufficiently stylistic and visually pleasing. That said, there are reports that WBD is eyeing new deals with El Arbi and Fallah and Grace, there's hope some deal between the parties materializes, and audiences get to their impassioned work in some form.
Source: Ivory Aquino/Twitter
