BATGIRL: New Details On Michael Keaton's Role As Batman Revealed After The Movie Is Compared To A CW Pilot

BATGIRL: New Details On Michael Keaton's Role As Batman Revealed After The Movie Is Compared To A CW Pilot

We finally have some intel on the role Michael Keaton's Dark Knight was set to play in Batgirl, while the movie has been compared to a pilot on The CW, the home to TV shows like The Flash and Batwoman.

By JoshWilding - Aug 29, 2022 06:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Batgirl
Source: Twitter (@ErikDavis)

Much has been said about Batgirl's shocking cancellation since Warner Bros. Discovery made the unprecedented decision to scrap the $90 million movie. Now, though, we have some intriguing new details from a recent Twitter Spaces conversation between Fandango's Erik Davis and The Wrap's resident superhero scooper Umberto Gonzalez. 

The latter spoke with someone who has seen an early cut of the DC Comics movie and shed some light on what fans could have expected to see from Michael Keaton's Batman. 

"I asked how Keaton is in it at least, and I was told he was good. He's playing Bruce Wayne/Batman age-appropriate, he's got white hair when he's Bruce Wayne," Gonzalez confirmed. "And the kicker here is that his Batman is ‘retired.’ But he obviously pops in to help and advise Barbara Gordon."

"He's not really that much in it, but he has a presence when he's in it, and it's sort of a pivotal cameo when he pops in and out."

This lines up with what we've heard about Keaton's Batman lending Barbara a helping hand as she attempts to become a hero in Gotham City, though Keaton's future beyond The Flash now looks uncertain. We know he'll still be a big part of that movie, but it's believed he's already been replaced by Ben Affleck in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

As for the quality of Batgirl (which has been a major talking point in recent weeks), Gonzalez made a very telling comparison.

"It plays like a very expensive CW pilot. It's not really a strong film, the tone is just very CW, lacking in depth, lighter, and more comic book-like, which is odd because Michael Keaton’s in it. It's basically an hour, 40-minute CW pilot. With a pretty good action set piece at the end from what I'm told. And again, not the worst superhero film I've ever seen."

Gonzalez would go on to explain that Batgirl was shot for television, hence why it didn't feel cinematic. Comparisons to a CW pilot may seem harsh, but as many fans pointed out when that first look photo was revealed, the hero's costume would not have looked out of place alongside characters like The Flash and Batwoman in the Arrowverse. 

The chances of us seeing Batgirl are somewhere between slim and none, meaning we'll never get to judge the movie for ourselves. It doesn't sound like we've missed much, but it's hard to believe it couldn't have been something special with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah at the helm based on their work in Ms. Marvel and Bad Boys for Life.

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MuadDib
MuadDib - 8/29/2022, 6:36 AM
Ouch
Blergh
Blergh - 8/29/2022, 6:39 AM
Y'know...still would have liked to see this over Black Adam or The Flash.
Origame
Origame - 8/29/2022, 6:42 AM
@Blergh - ironically you'd need the context of the flash to understand it.
Origame
Origame - 8/29/2022, 6:41 AM
...when can we just let this film die?
Blergh
Blergh - 8/29/2022, 6:44 AM
@Origame - probably until WB releases it. It worked with the Snyder Cut, didn't it? ;)
Origame
Origame - 8/29/2022, 7:13 AM
@Blergh - that was a completely different circumstance that benefitted from Snyder being smart and having the footage on film. Batgirl footage is a digital file, which will be deleted after the funeral screening to avoid a repeat of that.
Blergh
Blergh - 8/29/2022, 7:21 AM
@Origame - fair but who's to say that the deletion will be a definite one? I can't imagine footage really being destroyed
Origame
Origame - 8/29/2022, 8:13 AM
@Blergh - ...why wouldn't it be? Why would they say they're deleting the footage if they're just storing it somewhere? And considering they aren't planning on using the footage ever, why would they keep it?
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 8/29/2022, 8:27 AM
@Blergh - They got insurance money for it being cancelled. If they ever release the movie now it would be insurance fraud so they can’t do what they did with the Snyder Cut. That was different bc Justice League was released and they didn’t put an insurance claim on it so releasing the Snyder cut was just extra footage from a completed and released production.
Drewwright816
Drewwright816 - 8/29/2022, 6:51 AM
I LOVE Keaton as Batman, he is my childhood Batman, but him playing Batman at 70 years old(even tho he doesn’t look 70) is not a good move. I would love him in a Batman beyond/kingdom come type of role in a different/alternative universe but him being the Batman is something That I’m happy that it looks like that they’re not moving forward with
nonserviam
nonserviam - 8/29/2022, 6:52 AM
I mean, this WAS originally supposed to be filmed specifically for relase on HBOMAX. It wasn't really meant to be a "Big Budget Movie." I figured it was going to be something more akin to Titans, so the CW Pilot kind of doesn't fall far from that.
WakandanQueen
WakandanQueen - 8/29/2022, 6:55 AM
"Oh no, the mid budget TV movie we're making looks too much like a TV movie!"

This should have gotten the Blue Beetle treatment.
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/29/2022, 7:01 AM
You know what would have been cool? Creating a good cinematic universe with an age appropriate Batman (about the same age as the other heroes) who could of a) introduced a Batgirl in his movies that was spun off into her own movie and b) eventually had some kind of awesome scene in a Flashpoint movie where he met a Michael Keaton Batman and a Thomas Wayne Batman (or Batman Beyond or Bale or whatever). Instead we get the half assed version of everything out of DC.
IcePyke
IcePyke - 8/29/2022, 7:18 AM
Umberto Gonzales? Don't belive him!
He's a lying idiot.
KWilly
KWilly - 8/29/2022, 7:21 AM
Yeah, I really don't understand why this couldn't have just been an HBO MAX exclusive.

Well, I take that back, I understand why (because Discovery is cheap), but I hate the fact they had to cancel the whole thing.
Toblakai
Toblakai - 8/29/2022, 9:15 AM
@KWilly - if WB cancels it, it has to be a massive pile of shit. The fact that they'd rather just trash it then release it is very telling, especially for that company.

99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 8/29/2022, 7:29 AM
Film quality is subjective, especially when it comes to adaptated properties, that are already well-known, and have an established fanbase. Not everything has to be critically acclaimed.
Toblakai
Toblakai - 8/29/2022, 9:15 AM
@99OPTIMISTPRIME - you are right, but even if it isn't critically acclaimed it should be you know.....good. which this obviously wasn't.
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