Leslie Grace Denies that The Cancelled “Batgirl” Movie Was “Unreleasable.”

By Deepak Grover Last updated Feb 15, 2023

There is no denying that many DC fans were eagerly awaiting the release of Batgirl. In addition to introducing Barbara Gordon, alias Batgirl, in her first solo movie, it also welcomed Michael Keaton back to the big screen as Batman.

Unfortunately, all of the anticipation and hope were dashed when the movie was scrapped as a result of budgetary restrictions and rearranged priorities guided by David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery at the time. When he took over DC, Peter Safran upheld the judgment and even stated that the film was “not releasable” (variety).

Leslie Grace, the primary actress in the film, has finally spoken out about her feelings on the cancellation of Batgirl, almost a year after it was canceled. The 28-year-old actress, in an interview with Variety, refuted Safran’s assertions and described the Batgirl movie she saw as “amazing.”

“I got to see the movie as far as it went; the movie wasn’t finished when it was tested. Many scenes were present but were not included. They were cut off due to everything going on at the company just as the editing process was getting started, said Grace. “But the movie that I watched and the scenes in it were amazing. I thought there was obvious potential for an excellent movie. Perhaps later on, we’ll get to see some snippets of it.

The actor admitted that she was shocked to learn about the cancellation. She later spoke with Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, the CEOs of the Warner Bros. Film Group, who later said that the cancellation was “out of their control.”

“I had my own meetings with Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, the CEOs of Warner Bros. Film Group, and they went into great detail about how they felt about the film, things that were out of their control, and plans and budgets that were established before they were even a member of the team. There are many aspects of filmmaking that actors have little control over, as I discovered through the experience, said Grace.

They weren’t really clear about how they felt about the movie or how it would have harmed DC’s creative output. I am a person, though, and people read things and have perceptions. And I can understand how it may be upsetting when remarks regarding the job that people actually put a lot of time into, not just for me but for the entire crew, are made in a very casual manner.

Grace added that since the termination of Batgirl, neither Safran nor co-CEO James Gunn had contacted her. Even though she is upset, Grace is still willing to reprise her role as Batgirl should the chance come.

“There is no doubt that we have discussed Batgirl’s future and her comeback. Fans, I believe, are eager to witness that. I can’t definitively tell whether or not it is a reality at this point; we’ll simply have to wait and see where that leads. I can’t promise anything or speak too much about Batgirl’s future. Giving people any type of idea about something that, as we’ve found, I don’t have much control over is the last thing I would want to do, said Leslie.

Instead, perhaps Grace or Batgirl will show up in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe. The unknown. In the interim, Gunn and Safran have unveiled the first chapter of the DC Universe, dubbed “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters.” The program includes a new Batman and Superman movie, the introduction of specialty supergroups, and many other things. There is much to anticipate, yet we ourselves still have some questions.