During the press event meant to outline their plans for the DC Universe, co-CEO Peter Safran gave his definitive opinion on whyBatgirlwas cancelled by Warner Bros. Discovery, citing concerns about the film’s commercial viability as the main driver behind the decision.
AlthoughBatman, Superman, and even Supergirl will be key players inDC’s new era, Barbara Gordon’s name was not mentioned during Safran and James Gunn’s reveal of the DCU’s Chapter 1.Batgirl’s removal from DC’s ongoing slatein August partly triggered the studio revamp, despite directors Adil & Bilal (Ms. Marvel) and stars Leslie Grace and Brendan Fraser voicing their displeasure, all but guaranteeing the film will never see the light of day.
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As Safran told the press, (viaThe Wrap), despite the talented team that worked on Batgirl, “that film was not releasable.” The CEO went as far as to say that if the movie had premiered in theaters or even on HBO Max, “it would have hurt DC and it would have hurt the people involved in making it.” Nevertheless, Safran was assertive, explaining that new management is still open to working withthe people who madeBatgirl, including Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah or screenwriter Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey), referring to the decision as something that simply “happens sometimes.”
Overall, Safran’s stance and seemingly that of the studio, is thatBatgirl“was built for the small screen,” meaning it had no business competing against the type of superhero blockbusters released nowadays. Naturally, as the leading duo behind DC, Gunn and Safran would have had access toBatgirl’sfinal cut. So, their decision to back the removal of the film continues to deny initial rumors thatBatgirlhad been scrapped due to a potential tax break generated by its losses.
For DC fans, especially Batman lovers,Batgirl’s cancellation was yet another disappointment from the studio. However, in the end, many will find it reasonable to prioritize quality over desperately putting out a film that is not up to the company’s standards. WhileBatgirldidn’t get to try her luck with moviegoers, that wasnot the case for Dwayne Johnson’sBlack Adam, a costly superhero blockbuster that also resulted in financial woes for Warner Bros. as it severely underperformed despite a clear backing from executives and Henry Cavill’s short-lived return as Superman.
Gunn and Safran’sDC slate announcements included 10 shows and moviesthat will serve as the building blocks for their Chapter 1 initiative, yet the two men also highlighted that these are not all the projects that will make up the entirety of said phase.
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