Despite the devastating cancellation of Leslie Grace’s Batgirl, the actress could still appear as the iconic character in future DCEU movies.
With all the recent cancellations and changes made by the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, fans have been put through the wringer in the last couple of weeks, starting with the announcement that they would be completely shelving Leslie Grace’s Batgirl. Even though the movie had already finished filming and was deep into post-production, the studio under the guidance of new CEO David Zaslav decided to cut its losses and move in a new direction that they deemed a better fit.
There were some additional details given about the situation when the decision to cancel the movie was made, including that it gave a disappointing screening of a “10-week Director’s cut” which resulted in questionable test scores.
Insiders at DC did try to point out that nearly all movies that early in post-production tend to be in rough shape. The movie was meant to be watched on a smaller screen as it was planned to only be released on HBO Max, and so lacked the larger blockbuster scale set pieces.
Instead of attempting to expand the movie into a better big-screen fit, the movie was deemed a waste of money.
What the Cancelation of the Movie Means
Besides the obvious, that no production coming out of the studio is really safe until it is released, the cancellation of Leslie Grace’s Batgirl means that the only people who will ever see the movie are those who were involved in the private test screening. The movie was cancelled as a tax write-off, meaning that legally the studio cannot release the film to the public or monetize the movie in any way, so the only way the public will ever see the film is if it were somehow illegally leaked online.
Variety recently reported that despite Warner Bros. Discovery having cut ties with Batgirl, it seems that Leslie Grace may still have a future in the DC Extended Universe. It seems the newly appointed Warner Bros. Picture Group chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Adby are both hoping to heal the connection with the spurned actress after the abrupt cancellation of her solo project.
They have said that they are “entertaining the possibility of having her continue to play Batgirl in a future DC film,” but have also suggested that if that does not work out, they may at the very least be wanting to invite the star back in another Warner Bros. production.
The final choice in this regard lies with whomever CEO David Zaslav chooses to head the DC branch.
Will The Character Return?
It makes sense to consider bringing the Latino actress back for the role in another project, as it was only the movie itself that was cancelled after all, not her character. However, given how her solo Batgirl project was sacrificed so unprecedently, it would also make sense that Leslie Grace may have no desire to work with WBD ever again. If they can so unflinchingly cancel a project so late in production, no project can truly call itself safe.
After all the recent cancellations it wouldn’t be surprising if the studio has a hard time finding talent that is willing to work with them going forward.