The release window for Batgirl has possibly been revealed by one of the producers of The Batman. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys For Life), Batgirl is set to star Leslie Grace (In The Heights) as Barbra Gordon aka Batgirl who is the daughter of Commissioner Gordon and follows Barbra's adventure as a superhero and pit her against Firefly, played by Brendan Fraiser. The film is set to be released on HBO Max, as opposed to theaters like the other DCEU films.
While set in the DCEU, Batgirl will not feature an appearance by Ben Affleck's Batman but instead Micheal Keaton's Batman from 1989's Batman and 1992's Batman Returns. Keaton will reprise his role as the caped crusader in The Flash, which is slated for release in November 2022 and is set to alter the entire DCEU. Filming is currently underway for Batgirl, which started in November 2021. While no wrap date is set, it is highly believed the film will be released on HBO Max sometime in 2022, but when exactly remains the question.
It appears the date may be more in focus as Michael Uslan, who has been a producer on all Batman-related projects since 1989's Batman, including the upcoming The Batman, made a post on Facebook which may have hinted at when HBO Max will release Batgirl. Uslan showcased a photo of Batman's shadow and commented on how Keaton's Batman will return in November, which is the confirmed release date for The Flash, but also mentioned December, indicating Batgirl could be released in December. No official release date has been announced by Warner Bros. or HBO Max at this time.
A December release date seems plausible, as it would be right after The Flash, and one imagines the involvement of Keaton means they cannot release it until after that film. If the film is set to be released in December, that makes Batgirl the sixth DC movie set to be released in 2022 and the first one exclusively for HBO Max. It also will mark the second DC film for release that December, as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to open in theaters on December 16, 2022. Releasing two DC films in December, even on two separate platforms, is a risky move and one that could cause the two films to cannibalize each other in terms of audience, or be beneficial and serve as a boost to both with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being the studios big holiday tentpole, and Batgirl as the streaming release over the holidays.
This release date window could always change as it is entirely possible Warner Bros. may delay Batgirl to 2023 as to not release too many DC films in one year. Currently, only two DC films are set for 2023: Shazam! Fury of the Gods on June 2 and Blue Beetle on August 16. There are no current release dates for planned DC films like Wonder Twins, Metal Men, Zatanna, or Black Canary. Batgirl's HBO Max release could tie into a major holiday in the early part of 2023, like Valentine's Day or even March 8 to commemorate International Women's Day, which was beneficial to the release of Captain Marvel back in 2019. Either way, audiences will get to see Batgirl on HBO Max sometime soon.
Source: Michael Uslan
