Is the ‘Batgirl’ Movie Release Delayed or Canceled?

Batgirl is an upcoming DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film that will see Leslie Grace take on the role of the titular hero. The heroine hasn’t appeared on the big screen in a live-action film since Alicia Silverstone portrayed the character in Batman & Robin back in 1997. Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl) almost made her DCEU debut in 2020 in Birds of Prey. However, her scenes were cut to preserve her introduction for a standalone film.

As Batgirl returns to the big screen for the first time in 25 years, a familiar face in the cast will be making her entrance even more special. Michael Keaton will star in the film, reprising his role as Batman for the first time 30 years. He last portrayed the character in 1992 in Batman Returns. He is also slated to star as Batman in The Flash. However, with Batgirl expected to release before The Flash (if that movie is ever released, which is looking increasingly unlikely), the film will mark his very first return as the character.

Not a lot of details about the plot have been released. The script is in capable hands, though, with Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson penning the screenplay. Additionally, the film will see the return of J. K. Simmons as Detective Gordon. Meanwhile, Brendan Fraser will be starring as Firefly and Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh, Barbara’s best friend. The star-studded cast and images of Grace in a comic book-accurate suit have fans anxiously awaiting Batgirl‘s release.

Is the Batgirl film delayed?

Initially, the plan was for Batgirl to release exclusively on HBO Max in the United States before the end of 2022. However, because the UK doesn’t have access to HBO Max, they were going to get a theatrical release for Batgirl. On July 14th, 2022, is was reported Warner Bros. had a listing indicating Batgirl would release in the UK in 2023. However, they didn’t officially push back the release date of Batgirl in the United States. With that being said, though, one would expect that the United States’ and UK’s release dates wouldn’t be too far apart.

So there seemed to be a likelihood that Batgirl was being delayed until 2023. The news came after reports suggested Warner Bros. wanted a theatrical release for Batgirl in the United States, too. After all, the initial news that Batgirl would be released exclusively on HBO Max was quite strange. If it does go straight to HBO Max, it will be the first DCEU movie to do so. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has never really provided a reason for Batgirl’s straight-to-streaming plan.

Is Batgirl canceled?

Now, new reports published on August 2, 2022, state that Batgirl has actually been canceled. The news was first reported by The Wrap, and says that Warner Bros. is shelving Batgirl altogether. Insiders claim that, despite reshoots and a $90 million budget, the film simply wasn’t being received well enough to move forward on it. Part of this decision could be Warner Bros. recent merger with Discovery, which has led to management wanting DC films to be big theatrical releases. Batgirl apparently wasn’t this and now, it seems Warner Bros. has no intention to release the film at all, either theatrically or on HBO Max.

(featured image: Warner Bros.)