Back in 2022, Warner Bros canceled projects for a variety of reasons. Among the axed projects was Batgirl. A movie that was going to be released on HBO’s streaming service, Max. It starred Leslie Grace as Batgirl, Brendan Fraser as Firefly, and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Despite Batgirl’s completion, Warner shelved it for a tax incentive. While fans and cast members were disappointed, Michael Keaton chose to look at things from a positive angle.
During an interview with GQ, Michael Keaton said, “No, I didn’t care one way or another. Big, fun, nice check.” while rubbing his fingers together to symbolize money. This may seem cold, but he was only speaking for himself. Keaton was sympathetic toward directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. “I pull for them. I want them to succeed, and I think they felt very badly, and that made me feel bad. Me? I’m good.”
“I mean, yes, once you give a film to the people in the world, it's open season to criticize it or praise it or whatever you want. But this didn't even really get a fair shake," -Brendan Fraser on Batgirl
As disappointing as this is for fans of Batgirl, Leslie Grace, and Brendan Fraser, Micahel Keaton brings up the bright side. The crew of Batgirl were paid for their work. Is it disheartening that the public won’t get to see the movie? Of course. I’m among the fans who anticipated Batgirl. This was supposed to be a new era for Batman lore that didn't focus on the Dark Knight.
With the negative press around DC Comics movies like The Flash and Black Adam, Batgirl could have helped change things. Instead, it wasn’t even given a chance. Brendan Fraser brought up a good point during his interview with Howard Stern. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t eat half-baked cake. I don’t wanna see something that’s not ready yet, and the sad thing is that I don’t know if it was judged on the merit. It wasn’t shown in the best light that it could have had been."
As fans have seen with the success of Prime Video’s Batman: Caped Crusader, some projects shouldn’t have been scratched. Maybe Batgirl was one of them. Hopefully, someone will find a way for the public to see it. If that happens Caped Crusades will let fans know how to watch it.
Would you have watched Batgirl? Are you hoping that it's released one day?