We're not exactly surprised by this news, but Batgirl star Leslie Grace has confirmed that we won't be seeing Batman in the upcoming HBO Max movie. This actually contradicts reports that Michael Keaton will be sticking around the DC Extended Universe as a mentor to heroes like Babara Gordon, but Warner Bros. never really has much of a plan, so that may be subject to change.
During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Grace revealed the one character she's particularly excited to cross paths with in the movie (if it were up to her, of course).
"I was freaking out!" the actress said of receiving Margot Robbie's support. "I'm such a fan. I can't even. She's one of the biggest badasses in the superhero world. I haven't had a chance to meet her, but it would be awesome if at any point Batgirl comes through and Miss Harley Quinn drops by Gotham and have some business to handle, it might be cool!"
"Batman's out -- he's doing a whole bunch of stuff -- so I'm going to need some of my ladies to help me out on this next run, you know what I'm saying?"
What "stuff" Batman is doing remains to be seen, but nobody should be too shocked to learn that the Dark Knight won't be showing up, especially as this movie doesn't take place in the same world as The Batman (Ben Affleck, meanwhile, is almost certainly moving on from Bruce Wayne after The Flash).
Birds of Prey took place in Gotham City, and Batman was a non-factor there, so we're not expecting much more than just a vague nod to his whereabouts in this movie. So far, the only other confirmed cast member is J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, while Firefly is the rumoured villain.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing Batgirl (written by Christina Hodson) for a 2022 release.