Batgirl starring Leslie Grace could have become something big, instead, it was shelved. This is an era that DC should regret.
In August of 2022, Warner Bros began canceling future projects. Among them was Batgirl starring Leslie Grace as Batgirl, Brendan Fraser as the villain Firefly, and Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne. The project being shelved was brought up during a GQ interview with Micahel Keaton.
Keaton seemed okay with the movie not being released saying, “No, I didn’t care one way or another. Big, fun, nice check.” However, he showed empathy for 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.” While Michael Keaton’s opinion makes sense, canceling Batgirl remains a mistake.
Why canceling Batgirl was a mistake
The first thing that comes to mind is how this affects the cast and crew. People woke up early in the morning and stayed late into the night to make Batgirl. The actors studied lines, got their bodies into action-movie shape, and sacrificed time with their loved ones. The unsung heroes like the key grips, caterers, and stunt coordinators spent time making everyone’s lives as comfortable and safe as possible—all of that for their work not to be shown to the public.
Of course, people were paid for their work. Not being compensated would have been the biggest travesty. Nevertheless, imagine busting your butt for months only for your work not to be seen. It would be heartbreaking. Plus, this could have catapulted careers. Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton are established movie stars. They’ll be fine. Meanwhile, Leslie Grace was robbed of an opportunity to be further recognized as a star and a possible Batgirl franchise.
“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." -Brendan Fraser
This also gave people another reason not to trust DC Comics movies. Ezra Miller’s off-screen antics and lack of box office success for films like The Suicide Squad (despite it being good) gave fans a reason to lose faith in any upcoming DC Comics movies. If James Gunn and producer Peter Safran weren't named co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, DC comic book movies may have been put on hold for a while.
This affects the future of possible Batgirl movies and shows too. Investors could look at this and become skeptical. Yes, the movie’s cancelation was due to tax reasons. The problem is the project may have made more money at the box office than it did with the tax break. A decision that could turn investors off despite Batgirl being a sound investment.
There is some good news. As I mentioned earlier, DC Studios is in the hands of James Gunn. If anyone is willing to take a chance on Barbara Gordon it’s him. He took Guardians of the Galaxy and Peacemaker and made them successful franchises. There’s no way he couldn’t do the same for Batgirl. Maybe he’ll bring Leslie Grace back and make things right by her. Stay tuned to Caped Crusades to see if that happens.