It was a major bummer for everyone involved when Batgirl was canceled from its planned release on HBO Max. Even though the film has been completely shot and was getting finalized in post-production, the decision was made at Warner Bros. Discovery to toss the film completely as part of a new business strategy for the DCEU. There are no plans for Batgirl to ever be released, meaning fans will probably never get to see Leslie Grace leading the film as Batgirl alongside such big names as Michael Keaton as Batman, J.K. Simmons as Jim Gordon, and Brendan Fraser as the villain Firefly.
Fraser has since moved on with his starring role in the Darren Aronofsky film The Whale, which has been garnering rave reviews after being screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Speaking with Variety while doing press for the event, Fraser touched on the fate of Batgirl at HBO Max. The actor summed it all up as “disappointing,” as he feels the fans would have loved seeing Grace bringing Barbara Gordon to life in the movie. Fraser also suggests that the lesson to be learned here is to stick with “trusted filmmakers,” naming The Whale helmer Aronofsky as an example.
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Leslie Grace Was Promising an Amazing Film Before Batgirl Was Axed
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In a previous Variety interview from before the film’s demise, Leslie Grace spoke about what it was like to work with Brendan Fraser. She described that it was difficult in some ways as he was such a friendly person behind the scenes, but it was still an “incredible learning experience” to share the screen with him. Grace also teased some of the stunts that we now know that fans will not get to see.
Perhaps one day, the higher-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery will change their minds about Batgirl. For now, fans can expect to see Fraser when The Whale hits theaters on Dec. 9, 2022.
