In a surprise turn of events, Warner Bros. Discovery has reportedly decided to cancel the release of the planned Batgirl film, according to a recent report from The Wrap.
RELATED: Warner Bros. Debating on Releasing Batgirl in Movie Theaters
The report mentions that Warner Bros. Discovery is no longer planning to release the film, which had already wrapped production earlier this year and was seemingly all but completed, on either HBO Max or in theaters. Earlier this year, reports hinted at the possibility of the film being shifted from theaters to streaming only, but it seems as if Warner Bros. Discovery has instead chosen to scrap it altogether.
News of the film’s cancellation also hints at the potential reasoning behind it, with the report noting that the new leaders of Warner Bros. Discovery, led by CEO David Zaslav, are looking to make DC films more of a major theatrical event for the movie industry and that Batgirl did not fit that mold. The film was initially not conceived as a theatrical film and had a much smaller budget compared to most comic book blockbusters.
Batgirl was set to star Leslie Grace (In the Heights) in the role of Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon. The hero was first seen in the 1967 Batman series with the late Yvonne Craig playing Barbara. Her first comic book appearance was in Detective Comics #357 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino.
RELATED: HBO Max’s Batgirl Film Wraps Production in Glasgow
The news comes amidst a turbulent time for the DCEU, as earlier this year, reports also surfaced that hinted at Warner Bros. Discovery looking to re-examine the current state of the DCEU. With only five films — Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, The Flash, and Blue Beetle — having concrete release dates as of now, it’s anyone’s guess as to what the future holds for the world of DC Films.
