While plenty of studios have scrapped movies before now, Batgirl's cancellation is pretty unprecedented. The movie is currently in post-production, with costs on the $70 million DC Comics adaptation rising to $90 million as a result of reshoots and issues caused by the pandemic.
While Batgirl was developed for HBO Max (making it the equivalent of a TV movie), it also felt like a big deal for the DCEU. For starters, it was set to take place in the new DC Universe created by The Flash where Michael Keaton's Batman is Gotham City's Caped Crusader.
J.K. Simmons was also reprising his Justice League role as Commissioner Gordon, news that excited SnyderVerse fans. Now, though, Batgirl will never see the light of day as Warner Bros. Discovery goes back to the drawing board with its DC Comics movies.
The potential blockbuster wasn't deemed cinematic enough for the big screen, while it appears studio heads felt it simply wasn't worth the time or expense to release it on HBO Max (where it would make little difference to their balance sheets).
Today, a prolific leaker has shared some intel on how Batgirl was going to play out.
As you can see below, Keaton was expected to have a relatively small supporting role in Batgirl, while Barbara Gordon's transformation into a superhero looked set to play out a little differently from the comic books. Despite that, we'd have eventually seen a full-blown team-up and a tease for the future as both heroes leapt into action as Gotham's protectors.
Nothing about this sounds inherently bad, and unless all plans for Keaton's Batman have been ditched, we're not sure why Warner Bros. didn't take a punt and give this movie the chance to make its budget back at the box office. The belief seems to be that it could have damaged the brand by not being grand enough in scale, but Joker wasn't exactly Avengers: Endgame!
Check out these new Batgirl details below: