Following the surprise cancellation of the HBO Max movie Batgirl, fans across social media have divided reactions about Warner Bros. making this call. A DC project that had been in development for years, Batgirl would have marked the latest live-action take on Barbara Gordon, played by actress Leslie Grace. Directed by Ms. Marvel's Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Batgirl was expected to follow Barbara's origin story in becoming the iconic DC heroine.
Batgirl was planned as an HBO Max original film, reportedly eyeing a late 2022 premiere. Principal photography had finished all the way back on March 31, with post-production work having commenced right after. However, in a surprise move that threw off fans and industry figures alike, Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max decided to cancel Batgirl, with no plans to release it theatrically or on the streaming service. Despite having the film mostly done, at least with initial photography, the Batgirl movie cancellation is a rare decision.
With this being a hugely surprising move for the Batgirl film, the news has obviously caused a wide range of reactions from fans on social media. Many are, for understandable reasons, upset and frustrated that Batgirl is suddenly being scrapped by Warner Bros., as it means the loss of a female-led DC franchise that was being overseen by directors of color. On the other side of the reactions are also fans that are in favor of the DC movie being axed, with various reasons for that. Check out a sampling of reactions about the shelving of Batgirl below.
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Per the reports, Batgirl being pulled back was due to negative test screenings and Warner Bros. wanting their DC theatrical products to be "event films." The idea of scrapping a project isn't unheard of; Warner Bros. Discovery did quickly cancel the Wonder Twins HBO Max movie, as new CEO David Zaslav didn't want to invest $75 million dollars into the DC property. However, to put Batgirl on the shelves after having completed principal photography is a massive shock. This rarely happens, hence the massive fan reactions on social media. As many have said, it is extremely disappointing for Grace and the rest of the creative team. Everyone involved with Batgirl has been open about their enthusiasm for the project, so they must be feeling a myriad of emotions right now.
While it was inevitable for fans to be sad, frustrated, or even happy that Batgirl isn't happening, it will be interesting to see what Grace and other members of production say in response throughout the coming weeks. A big takeaway is that Batgirl would have been Michael Keaton's second DCEU project as his Batman, as he is also set to appear in 2023's The Flash movie with Ezra Miller. Whether or not Keaton's Batman will appear in other DCEU films after The Flash remains to be seen as his Batgirl material will never be used.
Source: Various (See above)
