Brendan Fraser Reflects on Shelved ‘Batgirl’ Film’s Impact

LOS ANGELES, CA — Brendan Fraser expressed his disappointment over Warner Bros.’s decision to shelve “Batgirl,” a completed DC superhero movie that featured him as the villain Firefly and Leslie Grace as the title character. In an interview on Nov. 19, Fraser shared his thoughts about the cancellation and its implications for both creators and audiences.

Fraser criticized the film industry, stating, “The product—I’m sorry ‘content’—is being commodified to the extent that it’s more valuable to burn it down and get the insurance on it than to give it a shot in the marketplace.” He emphasized how this approach could negatively impact the creative landscape.

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, “Batgirl” was anticipated to be a significant addition to the DC Extended Universe. Alongside Fraser and Grace, the film also introduced Jacob Scipio as Anthony Bressi and Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh. Veteran actors J.K. Simmons and Michael Keaton were set to reprise their roles as Jim Gordon and Batman, respectively.

The film’s production took place in Glasgow, Scotland, from November 2021 to March 2022. However, in August 2022, Warner Bros. announced that the film would not be released as a cost-cutting measure, leaving the project unseen by audiences. Fraser remarked, “A whole movie—there were four floors of production in Glasgow. I was sneaking into the art department just to geek out.”

Fraser highlighted the cultural significance of the film, noting, “The tragedy of that is that there’s a generation of little girls who don’t have a heroine to look up to and go, ‘She looks like me.'” Grace’s Batgirl would have been a key figure for young female viewers in a genre often dominated by male heroes.

Fraser acknowledged that older fans were also looking forward to seeing Keaton return as Batman, saying, “Michael Keaton came back as Batman. The Batman!” Keaton first portrayed the character in Tim Burton’s 1989 film and returned in the 1992 sequel.

With Warner Bros. currently for sale and the DC franchise undergoing a revamp under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, the likelihood of “Batgirl” ever being released appears slim. Fraser, who recently won an Academy Award for his role in “The Whale,” continues to work in the industry, currently starring in “Rental Family” and set to appear in the series’ upcoming fourth installment.