Warner Bros. Discovery recently revealed that they will not be releasing the DCEU Batgirl film in any form - making a #ReleaseTheBatgirlCut inevitable. The nearly finished movie had built up a lot of excitement with fans, as it featured an all-new hero, brought back several industry and DC veterans, and further expanded the DCEU. The announcement of Batgirl's cancellation, though, upset many fans who are now pushing for the film's release, following in the footsteps of #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.
Set to star Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser, and Michael Keaton, Batgirl had wrapped filming before its cancellation and was nearly ready to be seen. However, due to shifting powers at Warner Bros. Discovery and a change of course for the DCEU, the film was shelved. Batgirl isn't the first film that has had to be campaigned for by fans, though. When DC released a butchered version of Justice League in 2017, the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign quickly began, petitioning for Warner Bros. to release a director's cut that stuck with Zack Snyder's original vision. After years of campaigning, the movement finally paid off when Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on HBO Max. Due to successes like this, similar campaigns among fans have become increasingly popular, with a campaign for a new Game of Thrones ending, a petition for a different Sonic design in Sonic the Hedgehog, and #ReleaseTheAyerCut for the Suicide Squad all being recent examples.
Warner Bros. is no stranger to these fan demands, and WB's canceling of Batgirl has the potential to once again ignite the DC community into starting #ReleaseTheBatgirlCut. Many social media users have already begun expressing their anger and disappointment with Batgirl's cancellation, so another organized movement is not a far-fetched idea. #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has already shown that DC can be petitioned into making big moves, so if they truly refuse to release Batgirl, something in the vein of #ReleaseTheBatgirlCut is bound to happen.
Are WBD Likely To Ever Release Batgirl?
Sadly, it seems very unlikely that Warner Bros. Discovery will ever release a finished version of Batgirl in any form. Some industry analysts are suggesting that taxes and money-saving opportunities are behind Batgirl's cancellation, which could lead to some complications regarding the film's release. If Batgirl were truly being used as a tax write-off, that means WBD could never release the film in any monetizable way. So, the only way Batgirl could be released is if WBD released it online for free, or if the company changed its mind - but it would have to be soon.
Why WBD Releasing A Batgirl Cut Would Be Good
Even though some are saying Batgirl isn't a great film, WBD releasing it would still be a good thing. The main reason for this is that the film is basically done, meaning that the work of hundreds of creatives is being thrown away. Even if a film isn't good, there are still aspects of any art that can be appreciated, and some great talents had a hand in crafting Batgirl. The canceled Batgirl movie was also set to star Leslie Grace as Batgirl, which is another reason that the film should be released. Women of color are still severely underrepresented in the superhero genre, so having Leslie Grace headline a major DCEU movie would be a major step in the right direction. While Warner Bros. Discovery releasing Batgirl would be a good thing, it seems incredibly unlikely - unless #ReleaseTheBatgirlCut is a success.