The superhero genre continues to be a powerful force in the entertainment world, thanks to a number of shared universes in play. The DCEU (which is streaming with a Max subscription) ended with Aquaman 2, and fans are still reeling from the way that franchise went down... including how Warner Bros. scrapped the Batgirl movie. And a Batgirl assistant actually commented on a TikTok about "lost" art, saying "it's insane." Let's break it all down.

While moviegoers are hyped about upcoming DC movies and the new DCU being formed by co-CEO James Gunn, many still want to get their eyes on the Batgirl flick starring Leslie Grace. A recent TikTok mourned the project's fate, and Annie Mitchell, who said she worked in the art department, dropped her two cents about the situation. She said:

Is any one else's FOMO through the roof? From this account, it seems like the Batgirl movie was literally completed before the studio pulls the plug. Add in the inclusion of J.K. Simmons' Gordon, Michael Keaton's Batman, and Brendan Fraser's Firefly, and smart money says that fans are going to be talking about this project for years to come. Although whether or not we ever actually get to see it remains unclear.

Those of us who have been watching the DC movies in order will remember the hype around Batgirl, which would be the first time that a member of the Bat-family got the spotlight in the DCEU. Despite Batgirl being wrapped and in the post-production process, it got dropped in favor of a tax write off for the studio. You can see the TikTok about the project below:

While Michael Keaton got to play Batman again in The Flash, fans never got to see Leslie Grace's take on Barbara Gordon. Once more, J.K. Simmons' tenure as Commissioner Gordon was relegated to a rather small appearance in Justice League.

Right now there's no indication that the Batgirl movie will ever see the light of day. But fans are interested to see what's going to go down in the new DCU, with James Gunn crafting a shared universe that's much more interconnected. The first slate of projects called Gods and Monsters includes opportunities for Batman's sidekicks to take center stage, specifically Robin. Hopefully he's got plans for Batgirl as well.

The new DC Universe will debut on the big screen with James Gunn's Superman movie, which arrives July 11th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.

The superhero genre continues to be a powerful force in the entertainment industry, with various cinematic universes duking it out for box office supremacy– especially DC and Marvel. The next highly anticipated upcoming DC movies hitting theaters is Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which looks like a wild story through the multiverse. Early screenings have happened, with folks like Stephen King praising the movie. Batgirl actress Leslie Grace got to catch a showing, and she had a lot of thoughts about Sasha Calle as Supergirl.

Part of why folks are so excited for Ezra Miller’s forthcoming flick is because it’ll feature the return of a number of beloved characters. But The Flash cast also includes some newcomers like Sasha Calle’s Supergirl. Fans are eager to see how she functions in the larger story, and according to Leslie Grace she absolutely kills it in the role. As the In The Heights actress told EW:

Suddenly the final days of waiting for The Flash’s release feel very long. Because if Leslie Grace’s words are to be believed, Supergirl is going to pack a serious punch when the DC blockbuster hits theaters. And Grace feels particularly proud as Calle is a Latin actress portraying such a beloved character.

Over the past few years there’s been a great deal of conversation about the importance of representation in the media. That certainly includes the superhero genre, especially since these projects are seen by such a wide audience. During that same interview, Grace spoke more about the power that comes with Sasha Calle’s role in The Flash. As she put it:

Unfortunately for Leslie Grace, the Batgirl movie was scrapped by Warner Bros., despite being nearly completed. And as such, it’s unclear if we’ll ever get to see Grace as her own Latina superhero. The public certainly seems invested, and there’s been a ton of chatter online since it was announced that the movie wouldn’t see the light of day.

As for Saha Calle, I’m eager to see exactly how The Flash utilizes Supergirl, and if she might have legs in the greater DC Universe. Since James Gunn was named co-CEO of the studio, he’s been making sweeping changes to the shared universe. And with his movie Superman: Legacy in the works, there might not be room for another Krytponian.

The Flash will hit theaters on June 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

It was a shocker to many DC fans when Warner Bros. issued a statement about Batgirl’s cancellation four months away from release. So, you can only imagine the disappointment the superhero film's star Leslie Grace felt when she received the news. As Grace begins to share how she’s been feeling lately about the canceled DC film, she also opens up about her hopes for the future.

It’s a shame that Batgirl was one of the properties negatively impacted by the HBO Max and Discovery+ merge. It meant that we would never get to see all of the hard work Leslie Grace and her co-star Brendan Fraser put into their roles as Batgirl and her nemesis Firefly. In an interview with Collider, the In the Heights actress spoke about the cancellation, and how she wished people could have seen the dynamic she had with Fraser as she was beating him up (but hugging him in between takes).

Leslie Grace surely considers herself lucky to be the actress who scored the role of Barbara Gordon, and she was able to act out kick-ass moments in the DC superhero costume. When the actress reacted to being cast as Gotham City’s vigilante, she said she was “beyond excited” and “ready to give her all I’ve got.” After she heard about Batgirl getting scrapped, she responded to Warner Bros. saying how proud she was of all of the hard work she put into the role and the lasting relationships she made on set. This makes you wish there was a documentary about the whole filmmaking experience of the upcoming superhero movie that never came.  

Batgirl may not be able to fly its way into streaming and theaters, so we’ll just have to cherish the behind-the-scenes snippets Leslie Grace shared. Not only do we see this talented actress in a full cape and mask in photos, but we also got a glimpse of a fight scene and her posing with Fraser, revealing his Firefly costume. Hopefully, footage of Batgirl will not be destroyed so that way there’s proof of the hard work the cast and crew put into this superhero action flick. 

Out of all of the movies Warner Bros. Discovery canceled, Batgirl will always keep DC fans wondering what could have been. We would have seen big things like seeing J.K. Simmons play Commissioner Gordon, and the father-daughter duo scenes he would have had with Grace. This movie also would have featured the debut of Barbara Gordon’s roommate, Alysia Yeoh, who would have made history as the first transgender character to appear in a DC movie. And of course, we can’t forget that Brendan Fraser was set to play the DC villain Firefly which would have been one of the many films on his comeback list that got the Brenaissance train rolling. 

It was clear that Batgirl was not the movie Warner Bros. Discovery needed on their upcoming releases list. But, it didn’t mean this movie wasn’t wanted by DC fans. Maybe years from now, audiences will finally get the Batgirl movie they’ve always wanted. While that might be a long shot, one thing is for sure, we’ll always remember Leslie Grace as Batgirl.

It’s no secret that comic book movies are everywhere, with the genre being a powerful force in TV and film for well over a decade. Warner Bros.’ DC universe is known for keeping fans on their toes, with twists happening on and off camera. Case in point: the Batgirl movie being scrapped despite it being fairly close to completion. And the project's star Leslie Grace recently refuted the claim that the movie’s quality was “unreleasable.”

News of Batgirl getting dropped by Warner Bros. broke the internet, especially since the project was going to include the likes of Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, and Brendan Fraser. Most recently new DC co-ceo Peter Safran claimed that Batgirl would have hurt the universe due to its quality, which he claimed was “unreleasable.” Barbara Gordon herself Leslie Grace recently spoke to Variety about the movie, where she addressed those claims. While revealing she didn’t get to see the latest cut of Batgirl before it was dropped, she said:

Well, there you have it. While Leslie Grace was careful to clarify that she didn’t get to see the state of Batgirl before it was dropped by the studio, the footage she saw didn’t seem like it was unreleasable. Instead, she thought scenes that she was shown were incredible. Show us the footage, Warner Bros.!

Leslie Grace’s comments help to peel back the curtain on what it was like working on the ill-fated Batgirl movie for HBO Max. It turns out that she learned about the movie being scrapped just like the general public, despite playing the title character for months of production. And just like fans, she’s hoping that some of the footage will be released to the public. But it’s currently unclear if that’ll ever happen.

Later in that same conversation, Leslie Grace further explained what it was like learning that Batgirl would seemingly never be released, despite principal photography already being completed. She was expecting to return for reshoots and pickups, which is why the news that the movie was cancelled was so shocking– especially since it was seemingly motivated by a tax write-off for the studio. As she put it,

I mean, can you blame her? The cast and crew filmed Batgirl for months, which no doubt included some grueling hours and night shoots. So to have those efforts be ignored in hopes of clearing Warner Bros.’ financial debts was likely quite upsetting for Leslie Grace and company. While the DCEU has new leadership and a cohesive vision for the future, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to include Batgirl.

The next DC movie hitting theaters is Shazam! Fury of the Gods on March 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. After that is Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, which recently treated fans to the first wild trailer.

During a presentation on the Warner Bros. lot this week, DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran mapped out the future of upcoming DC movies, revealing the title of the new Superman movie that Gunn is writing, dropping news on a new Batman and Robin movie, and teasing a new superhero team in The Authority. However, Gunn and Safran weren’t allowed to solely focus on the future during the presentation. As they fielded questions from gathered journalists, the duo clarified what actually happened to Henry Cavill at the end of his tenure as Superman, and spoke more about why Leslie Grace’s Batgirl movie was shelved.

The shakeup at DC Studios started before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over, and one of the first major shoes to drop was the cancellation of the Batgirl movie that co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were about to steer into post-production. No major reasons were given for the cancellation, though rumors swirled that the finished footage had problems. During the recent DC presentation, however, Safran doubled down on the opinion that Batgirl was bad, telling Indiewire:

Well, that just makes us all the more curious about what might have gone wrong during production. Like, didn’t the studio know what Bilall and Adil were doing on the movie? Was nobody at the executive level tracking the progress of Batgirl? Former DC President Walter Hamada allegedly almost quit over how the movie was unceremoniously shelved. But Safran emphasized that it wasn’t a “talent” issue, clarifying:

That begs the easy question: Why not just release it to HBO Max? That was the solution for the Snyder Cut of Justice League, which virtually everyone will tell you was superior to the theatrical cut that had Joss Whedon’s fingerprints all over it. I mean, just watch this trailer and tell me that a DC movie still can’t be compelling on the small screen:

Alas, Batgirl wasn’t meant to be. And now it seems like Barbara Gordon can show up in the newly revealed The Brave and the Bold, which Safran and Gunn say will put a larger focus on the live-action members of the Bat Family, starting with Damian Wayne. Big things are afoot at DC. Let’s see how it all shakes out.

For those unaware, we’re currently in the midst of the Brenaissance aka Brendan Fraser’s wildly successful Hollywood comeback. This is largely thanks to his acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance in The Whale, but he’s also got a few other projects in the works. Chief among them was as the villainous Firefly in the Batgirl movie, but that movie was scrapped by Warner Bros. despite already being filmed. And actress Leslie Grace recently recalled beating up Fraser while filming the project… as well as hugging between takes. Talk about balance.

In the Heights actress Leslie Grace got the job of a lifetime playing the title character in Batgirl. While it was cancelled after nearly being completed, she worked with legendary actors like J.K. Simmons, Michael Keaton, and (of course) Brendan Fraser. She recently spoke to Variety about the scrapped DC movie, and some memories working with the Mummy actor. As she put it,

How sweet is that? While it’s unclear if the general public will ever be able to see any footage from the Batgirl movie, the memories for the cast and crew who worked on the superhero flick aren’t going anywhere. And Leslie Grace seems to cherish the time she spent doing the movie’s fight scenes opposite Brendan Fraser. Is anyone else’s FOMO going through the roof right now?

Leslie Grace’s latest comments about Batgirl are likely only going to increase fans calling for Warner Bros. to reverse its decision and release Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s DC blockbuster. In addition to those who want to see Barbara Gordon and Firefly come to blows on HBO Max, the inclusion of Michael Keaton as Batman presumably connects it to Andy Muschietti’s Flash movie, which will feature both he and Ben Affleck as the Dark Knight. 

Of course, Batgirl fans hoping to see the movie released might not want to hold their collective breath. Warner Bros. reportedly got a huge writeoff for dropping the project, as the studio focused entirely on theatrical releases instead of streaming movies. Still, it seems like a waste that the project was dropped so close to its completion. This is especially true given the months of work by the cast and crew.

Sweeping changes are currently happening to the DC movie universe, thanks to the new leadership by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Like the Batgirl movie being scrapped, decisions like dropping Henry Cavill as Superman has resulted in some backlash. Regardless, it’s clear that a very specific vision is being crafted for the DC Universe for the next ten years. And that includes TV and video games.

The next installment in the DCEU hitting theaters is Shazam! Fury of the Gods on March 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Leslie Grace’s cancelled Batgirl movie is going to remain one of DC Films’ greatest mysteries. The project was well on its way into post-production when the studio pulled its plug, leaving a gaping hole in the place where Barbara Gordon’s first live-action feature film was supposed to land. Even by the standards of the less-than-stable DC Films label, this was a shock. And while we might never get the chance to see the final film (even though secret screenings reportedly were held in the wake of the cancellation, so cast and crew could see what might have been), updates and reveals regarding the production likely will continue to dribble out… like these photos that were shared of Grace in her final Batgirl suit. And damn, does it look amazing. 

Leslie Grace started her 2023 with a look back on her 2022, and the video montage posted to her IG reel included several awesome looks at the Batgirl movie that will never be. We don’t know what phase of the movie would have featured Grace in this costume, but it looks awfully close to what the final version of her Batgirl suit should look like. Could this have been the suit she ended up with by the end of the film?

As the IG reel continued, and mixed in with candid photos of the life Leslie Grace lived both on and off of the Batgirl set, we got this photo of the actress with what appears to be the villain Firefly, played by The Whale actor Brendan Fraser. He’s currently in the awards conversation in the Best Actor category, and the continuation of the Bren-naissance would have continued in Batgirl. Just add it to the growing list of things we wanted to see in Batgirl, but won’t get the chance to. 

We don’t want to assume that every film photo included in the reel is from Batgirl, though Leslie Grace did appear to group them in some form of chronological order, and this fight scene was part of a handful of Batgirl images. 

And finally, it only seemed appropriate to feature Leslie Grace in her full Batgirl costume, waving goodbye. It’s a subtle message to the fans, and a sad nod to the movie, as it works its to the Warner Bros. and HBO Max shelf.

Even as we post this story, we are having a hard time accepting the fact that Batgirl was unceremoniously dumped. Given the fact that WB has a streaming service in HBO Max, with a DC hub, it doesn’t make sense that the studio didn’t allow the co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to at least finish post-production and share the movie as a curiosity. For while Batgirl never reached the level of, say, a Snyder Cut of Justice League, it did have fans who eagerly were anticipating Barbara Gordon’s big-screen debut. Thank you, Leslie Grace, for busting all sorts of embargoes (we assume), and giving us a peek into the process.

As a young Latina myself, there was a time in my life where I felt I wasn’t seeing myself represented in the movies/shows I would watch constantly. It felt like the people who were getting lots of recognition weren’t of Latin or Hispanic origin, and those who were usually found themselves reduced to side characters. 

Thankfully, we've started to enter an age where Hispanic and Latina actresses are becoming the stars they were always meant to be and are given the time to shine, with big names like Sofia Vergara of the Modern Family cast, Eva Longoria, and Salma Hayek helping to pave the way for a new generation. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s take a look at ten amazing up-and-coming actresses of Latina or Hispanic origin and why you should keep an eye on them. 

Ariana DeBose

First, we have Ariana DeBose, an actress who has truly been making strides in Hollywood for some time now. While she started her career on Broadway, including being a part of the original Hamilton cast, she has since moved over to television and movies. She is a part of the Schmigadoon! cast on Apple TV+, which is going to have a second season, and had starring roles in movies like the Ryan Murphy-created, The Prom, and West Side Story. 

What’s even better is that she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story. She was truly amazing in that part. Coming up, she is going to be in several new films, including Kraven the Hunter, I.S.S., Argylle, and many more, so for sure keep an eye out for her. 

Melissa Barrera

Next up, we have Melissa Barrera, another star who has popped up in Hollywood a lot recently. Originally from Mexico, she began her career in telenovelas and later moved into American television with roles in shows such as Vida on Starz. 

Her real big-break came in 2021 when she was a part of the In the Heights cast, and even more so in 2022 when she starred in the horror film, Scream. She also had her own show on Netflix recently, called Keep Breathing, so she is not slowing down. Coming up, she is going to be in the untitled Scream 6 as part of the main cast, so if you like horror, this is your girl. 

Rachel Zegler 

While Rachel Zegler is still young, she has so much ahead of her. Her first role was portraying Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story (alongside Ariana DeBose), and she’s only going to continue to grow as a star. 

Coming up, she is set to appear in several films, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the live-action remake of Snow White as the titular character, and the prequel film, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. She is going to be everywhere in a few years. I can’t wait to see where it. 

Jenna Ortega 

Another horror movie star here, we have Jenna Ortega. While Ortega has had plenty of roles in the past as a child actress, including playing young Jane on Jane the Virgin and Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel show, Stuck in the Middle, it was later on in her life where she really started to get noticed. 

She had a supporting role on the bingeable Netflix series, You, in Season 2, as well as roles in the Netflix films, The Babysitter: Killer Queen and Yes Day. In 2022, she starred in three horror films, Studio 666, the gory A24 flick, X and Scream (she is also set to come back for the sequel). The Hollywood Reporter even dubbed her as the “next big thing.” She’s that girl. 

Xochitl Gomez

Xochitl Gomez is a Mexican-American actress who’s first major role was in the Netflix series, The Baby-Sitters Club, but she is already popping up more and more across the world of movies, as she played America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Coming up, she’s going to be in a film called Ursa Major, so keep an eye out for her.

Camila Mendes 

Arguably, Camila Mendes is one of the only names on this list that has been on the radar of many people for several years – at the very least, since 2016. She took on the role of Veronica Lodge in the hit CW series, Riverdale, and continues to portray her to this day, leading up to its final season. 

Besides that, Mendes has done a variety of films, including The Perfect Date, Dangerous Lies, Palm Springs, and most recently was part of the 2022 movie schedule, in Do Revenge alongside Maya Hawke. With Riverdale coming to an end soon, I’m eager to see where she goes from here. 

Sasha Calle 

Next up, we have Sasha Calle, who played Lola Rosales on the CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless, a part that actually earned her a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award. 

However, it’s what Calle has coming up that will make you want to look out for her, because she’s going to be the DC Extended Universe's new Supergirl. That’s right, the Supergirl. She’s set to make her debut in The Flash, which is expected to come out in 2023.

Leslie Grace

Leslie Grace is originally a singer and songwriter, receiving three Latin Grammy Award nominations,  but as of recently, she’s been making strides in the movie industry. While she hasn’t been in any television shows, she was in the 2021 film, In the Heights, where she played Nina Rosario. 

In even bigger news, Grace was the new Batgirl in the cancelled Batgirl film, but unfortunately, that movie will never see the light of day. However, I have faith that with a woman this talented, we’re most certainly going to be seeing a heck of a lot more of her in the future. 

Tess Romero 

Next up, we have Tess Romero, who is the youngest on this list, but wow does she have a future set out for her. She’s appeared in TV shows like Blindspot and Alternatino with Arturo Castro, but her main role has been playing Elena Canero-Reed in the Disney+ original series, Diary of a Future President. 

She is so cute in her role, and I can most certainly see her going far in the future, despite the show unfortunately getting cancelled. Coming up, she is set to appear in Such is Life, a new miniseries.

Isabella Gomez 

Last but not least, we have Isabella Gomez, who was the star of the rebooted (and cancelled far too soon) One Day At A Time, which is totally worth your time to watch. Elena Alvarez was the perfect example of a modern-day feminist Latina woman and wow, I wish I could have been her as a teenager. And, it’s all in thanks to her amazing performance on the show. 

In 2021, she was also a part of the TV series, Head of the Class, and is going to be in a new film called Pledge Trip, so it won’t be long before we see her on the big screen. 

With so many amazing young actresses, the future looks bright for Latina and Hispanic representation in movies and television. I, for one, am so excited.  

Early this month, DC fans were dropped a huge bombshell in the form of Batgirl getting cancelled by Warner Bros. despite roughly $90 million being spent on the project and the movie already being filmed. Not only is this a huge and unprecedented surprise for the studio, the decision hurts a few major strides in the representation of a number of minority groups for a movie that certainly would have been seen by many, whether it was released theatrically or directly to HBO Max subscribers. 

Let’s talk about the fallout in diversity the cancellation of Batgirl took a hit with. It’s something that Kevin Smith recently ranted about, calling it “an incredibly bad look” for the studio. And this goes not only for the creatives involved, but the many fans who could have seen themselves with Batgirl’s release.  

Batgirl And Afro-Latina Representation 

Leslie Grace was cast as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, becoming the first Afro-Latina to lead not only a DC film, but any major superhero film. The actress, who had just come off a breakout role in In The Heights, could have become a hero for young and old Latina, Black and mixed race people to look up to within the DC universe. It’s a tough blow and rather disrespectful to the actress’ work on it alongside her cast and crew. One Variety report claimed that Warner Bros is still hoping Grace will play Batgirl in a future DC film, but we wouldn’t blame her if she’s a bit sour about her initial film getting scrapped. 

Batgirl Featured A Key LGBTQ+ Comic Character

Additionally, Batgirl was set to feature the first trans character in a DC film with transgender actor Ivory Aquino playing Alysia Yeoh in the movie. Alysia is a character from the Batgirl comics who goes from being Barbara’s roommate to a close friend of hers. With LGBTQ+ representation still thin, Alysia's inclusion would not only have been a major step in the right direction, but one perhaps focused on allyship within the queer community rather than a romance angle. 

Two Rising Directorial Talents Lose Out Too 

Then there’s the fact that two rising directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah now have a cancelled movie on their resume. The pair of directors who originally hail from Morocco previously helmed Bad Boys For Life and episodes of Ms. Marvel, and with these projects, they’ve really shown they have a unique eye to bring to Hollywood films. And yet, while they were in the middle of post-production (not even finished with their cut, mind you), Warner Bros pulled the rug out from under them. 

The Future Of Representation In DC

In general, Warner Bros’ DC movies have been primarily about white male heroes. Among the upcoming DC movies, the studio does have Blue Beetle, which will feature Latino representation, and Static Shock is reportedly in the works, but a little extra love for diversity never hurts, and Batgirl being cancelled definitely sends DC in the opposite direction here. All that is on top of the many other reasons fans deserve Batgirl, such as Michael Keaton’s return as Batman, Brenden Fraser’s Firefly and the title hero getting a solo moment for the first time in a cinematic setting ever. 

There are big things happening over at Warner Bros. Discovery and amidst a number of big decisions the company has made, shelving the nearly-completed Batgirl movie has confused many. Fans were eager to see the Leslie Grace-led movie released, but after the latest news, it doesn’t seem likely that will happen. 

If there is any hope of it happening though, it should be said that fans (and anyone with an HBO Max subscription) deserve to see the movie. Here’s why even the casually invested should be interested in the DC movie, and why it’s a shame we may never get to see this project in theaters, on streaming, or any other medium. 

Batgirl Hasn't Appeared In A Live-Action Movie Since 1997

Despite the fact she’s a well-known member of the Bat family with several prominent storylines in DC lore, we haven’t seen a lot of Batgirl in the movies. In fact, the last time we saw an iteration of Batgirl in live-action was in the 1997 movie Batman and Robin. And, while Alicia Silverstone is forever an icon for that role, it’s worth noting that her “Barbara Wilson” was not a character who was accurate to the actual Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. 

The now-canceled Batgirl was going to give us Barbara Gordon, and allegedly explore more of the character’s domestic life with her father and Gotham police chief Jim Gordon. Additionally, we’d get to see Barbara Gordon, a character that’s existed in DC Comics since 1967, in Gotham. Now, we don’t know if or when we’ll even get another opportunity for that, and that’s a real shame. 

Batgirl Was A Big Opportunity To Further Diversify The DC Film Universe

Hollywood made great strides in recent years in further diversifying roles for actors and actresses in Hollywood, and Batgirl was going to be another big step in that direction. Leslie Grace was coming in as the first Latina lead in a DC Universe movie, which felt like a pretty big deal. It felt like a big step in shaking up the landscape of what the Bat Family looks like, and a chance to maybe take some chances on switching things up with other characters like Robin (who also needs more live-action appearances, but that’s another story). 

DC has done a lot better in diversifying its big-screen hero roster in recent years, but there’s always room for improvement. Cutting roles like this doesn’t send a great message, and hopefully isn’t indicative of a trend to come with DC movies. The upcoming ten-year plan needs to include other opportunities for more diversity in the DC film universe. 

DC Doesn't Have Many Female-Led Hero Movies

DC made great strides compared to decades past by bringing characters like Wonder Woman to the big screen and even made Harley Quinn a household name and star of her own movie (basically). These are great things for sure, but with the future of DC movies currently in flux, there are questions about what will come next. 

We already know that Batgirl is unfinished, and may never see the light of day. There’s also a rumor floating around that the Supergirl spinoff project is dead, which would take another female-led feature off the board. Wonder Woman 3 feels like it’s safe from any purge of projects, but what about Zatanna? There’s also a Black Canary movie in development, and we’re not sure what’s happening with that, either. We’ll see what happens, but even if every other project survives outside of Batgirl, there’s still room for improvement.

The Movie Was Cancelled In Post-Production

THR’s report on Batgirl stated the film was “deep” into post-production when it was canceled, meaning it was much closer to being finished than not. It’s a decision that many people are confused about, especially given the alleged excuse to shelve the movie for a tax write-down. Fans can’t watch a tax write-down. Tax write-downs don’t get the fans roaring in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. 

Batgirl was a project that people are excited about. Hell, even Kevin Feige, who has curated the MCU, was trying to pry secrets from directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah about this movie (via Game Rant). When someone like Feige is prying and curious on details for an upcoming DC movie, that gets me really excited about that movie. Hearing that movie was shelved, and apparently not viewed as quality, does not instill my confidence in the future of DC even if it’s illogical to connect the two. 

We're Missing Out On A Key Piece Of The 'Brenaissance'

Brendan Fraser’s Hollywood comeback, or “The Brenaissance,” is in full swing. Batgirl was poised to be another exciting role for the actor, and not a role that we’re used to seeing him in. Fraser was set to play the villain Firefly, and his costume looked pretty damn cool. It’s not often we get to see Fraser play a villain in a movie, let alone a superhero movie. 

While there are plenty more things to be upset about when it comes to the cancellation of the Batgirl movie, but I think we’re all within our rights to also be bummed about missing what could’ve been an iconic performance by Brendan Fraser (especially given as nuanced as Firefly sounded). Luckily he has other exciting movies on the way, which helps lessen the sting a little. 

We’re Also Missing Out On Michael Keaton’s Batman

Michael Keaton’s Batman is a symbol of the peak DC movie-going experience. He helped put Batman on the map, and he’s gotten a cool new role in the latest era of DC Movies. Keaton was poised to return as his Batman not just in The Flash movie, but in Batgirl and Aquaman 2 as well. 

Well, that was the case up until the Aquaman 2 test screening repotedly had audiences confused why he was there, and of course, the Batgirl movie is no longer happening. As such, it seems whatever big plans there were for Keaton’s return got drastically reduced, and there’s no telling if that’ll be rectified in the future. 

DC Is No Stranger To Poorly Received Movies

DC pulled Batgirl due to an alleged quality issue, but as any comic book movie fan might ask hearing that statement, when has that stopped Warner Bros. before? The studio has given us iconic DC films over the years, but it’s also delivered a good deal of critically panned hero movies. We’re all familiar with Catwoman and Batman & Robin, but let’s be honest there’s far more than that. 

Hell, even Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice is sitting at a 29% approval rating and only 63% audience score. We don’t really talk enough about how the first live-action Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman team-up movie should’ve been a home run, and let’s not even get into the Justice League debacle. I bring up all that to say, could Batgirl have been that bad? 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like any of these reasons are going to change Warner Bros. Discovery’s thinking on whether Batgirl warrants release. At least for now, anyway, but if the Snyder Cut fandom taught us anything, it’s that persistence pays off. 

What the hell is currently happening at DC Films? News out of the subdivision of Warner Bros. has been nothing short of bombastic this week, with the studio pulling the plug on a planned Batgirl feature to a hint towards a 10-year plan for the DC universe that may or may not mirror what Kevin Feiuge helped to build at Marvel Studios. Because yeah, every studio wants that. Delivering it is a whole ‘nother matter. As questions surround the state of leadership at WB in the wake of the arrival of new company CEO David Zaslav, we’re now learning that one of his “generals” at DC Films wanted to jump ship, and still might walk away.

The shakeup at Warner Bros. has been ongoing, with former Motion Picture Group Chair Toby Emmerich sliding into a more advisory role, opening the door to the combined team of Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. Now, The Hollywood Reporter is saying that in the wake of the Batgirl cancellation, current DC Films president Walter Hamada threatened to quit his position, and allegedly has agreed to remain at the head of the DC Films table until Black Adam is released on October 21. A source close to the ongoing negotiations tells THR about Hamada:

The trade paper says that Walter Hamada learned about David Zaslav’s decision to shelve the Leslie Grace-led Batgirl at a test screening for Black Adam, and was upset with regards to the fact that he wasn’t consulted on the decision, or the impact it might have on the film division. The story regarding the Batgirl cancellation broke before the studio had alerted the movie’s talent, making this incredibly awkward situation all the more painful.

What does this mean about the Upcoming Slate of DC Films? It seems to indicate that Walter Hamada has agreed to stay on as a figurehead for the time being, but doesn’t have much power when it comes to the decisions being made for DC Films. That could be overstating his position, but the source telling THR that Hamada is contemplating making this “adversarial” means that this likely will get messier before the picture clears up.

For the moment, we know for certain that Black Adam is coming, and that The Rock is making changes to the character’s origins so that he can become a significant part of the DC Universe moving forward. Everything else appears to be on the table, as there have been rumors about Zachary Levi’s Shazam sequel getting pushed back into 2023. And don’t even get us started on the state of The Flash. The Muschietti’s can assure DC fans that everything is going smoothly with their already delayed film, but star Ezra Miller routinely finds himself associated with controversial accusations, and some are wondering if the presence of Michael Keaton and the introduction of Sasha Calle’s Supergirl might not be enough to keep the production on track. 

The dust is still settling, and the smoke continues to clear around DC Films after this week. Where everything stands moving forward remains a mystery that’s worth exploring for months to come. 

In some seriously shocking news regarding one of the upcoming DC movies, Batgirl, it was revealed this week that the $90 million film, which had already been filmed, is not going to be released at all – not on HBO Max nor in theaters. When rumors were initially swirling about Batgirl’s cancellation ahead of Warner Bros confirming the bombshell, there was some talk about the live-action superhero movie not turning out well in test screenings. As we learn more about what went down behind the scenes, more information has come to light about how the movie played to its only audience. 

According to a couple reports, Batgirl only test screened to one audience, and the cut that was shown was a very early version without finished visual effects or a score. Per The Hollywood Reporter, this cut tested to a score in the low 60s, which is actually comparable to hit movies like 2017’s IT: Chapter One and Warner Bros’ upcoming holiday season DC offering Shazam! Fury of the Gods. In other words, the test screening itself did not deem Batgirl unreleasable. 

It was also clarified that while test screenings are helpful for filmmakers to understand where audiences are engaged throughout the runtime of films, they are not used to outright decide the quality of a film, or more importantly whether it will be released. The decision to kill off Batgirl is an unprecedented decision that is very uncommon, especially with movies to the scale of the DC project. 

Deadline also reported that the movie was tested once, along with claiming that the cancellation of Batgirl was a decision based on the recent changes in leadership at Warner Bros. Batgirl was greenlit under WarnerMedia’s previous CEO Jason Kilar, who wanted to make a $70 million live-action and animated films for the company’s booming streaming service, HBOMax. 

The Batgirl filmmakers were reportedly told the decision had to do with a “purchase accounting” maneuver available to the company due to its recent merger. This opportunity that expires for Warner Bros Discovery in mid-August gives the company the ability to not carry losses during a time when Warner Bros had $3 billion in debt. 

WarnerMedia merged with Discovery this past spring, which led to Discovery CEO David Zaslav taking over and in turn switching up the strategy for DC projects, including Batgirl. Following the cancellation, Warner Bros issued a statement and confirmed the decision “reflects our leadership’s strategic shift.” The statement also said that Batgirl’s lead Leslie Grace had nothing to do with the decision and they had hopes to work with her and its filmmakers, Bad Boys For Life and Ms. Marvel’s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, in the near future. 

Upon hearing the news, Batgirl's directors hared they were “saddened and shocked” by the news, and while the movie had not finished the post-production phase, they still have hopes fans will get to see what they worked on one day. The movie would have also feature Michael Keaton’s Batman, J.K. Simmons’ James Gordon and Brendan Fraser as a new take on Firefly. It’s especially sad to hear Batgirl was testing up to par of 2017’s IT, which was a global hit and a critically acclaimed film. And remember, all this before the movie was given a chance to be fully edited and come all together. 

Over the past few years, Warner Bros. has been on a roll with its comic book content, set both outside and within the main DCEU. While the studio also started focusing on streaming releases, HBO Max shocked the public by removing some of its exclusive content and also scrapping both Scoob 2 and the Batgirl movie. Now Batgirl star Leslie Grace and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have responded to the WB pulling the movie before its release.

There was a fair amount of anticipation behind Batgirl before this surprise announcement, thanks to cast members like Brendan Fraser, Michael Keaton and JK Simmons. While it looks like this would be an exciting installment in the DCEU, it’s unclear if fans will ever get to see its contents. Leslie Grace was set to play the title character in the streaming blockbuster, and posted about the news on Instagram. She said:

What a class act. One can only imagine how disappointed Leslie Grace must be that her DCEU debut and months of hard work was seemingly in vain. Still, she went out on a high note. Along with pictures of her in costume and videos from the set, Grace thanked the cast and crew for their work, which will seemingly go unseen by moviegoers.

Leslie Grace’s comments are definitely a glass half-full take on the shocking news that Warner Bros. was scrapping Batgirl. The news broke the internet, especially considering that the streaming blockbuster had a reported budget of $70 million. As Grace mentioned, the cast and crew spent seven months filming in Scotland, where Gotham City was brought to life.

While the Batgirl movie was a potentially star-making moment for Leslie Grace, it was also a thrilling opportunity for its pair of directors: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The pair of filmmakers were coming off the success of Bad Boys for Life when they started work on Batgirl, and they’ve been sharing their excitement throughout the process. The directors shared their thoughts on the movie’s cancellation, posting:

This is another reaction that’s filled with class and grace. While it might have been easier to throw shade at Warner Bros. for their controversial decision, instead Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah used their public platform to thank their collaboration and express gratitude for their brief time working with the DC Extended Universe. We’ll just have to wait and see if we’re ever treated to any of the footage from Batgirl.

Considering Batgirl was supposed to be in the main DCEU (and possibly explain Michael Keaton’s return as Batman?), it should be interesting to see what changes future movies have to make to work around the scrapped flick. What’s more, fans are wondering if the Blue Beetle and Black Canary projects are still going to happen on HBO Max. We’ll just have to see, but clearly Warner Bros. is going to keep the public on our toes.

The next DC movie hitting theaters is Black Adam on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

After years of anticipation from DC fans, Warner Bros finally found a way to introduce Barbara Gordon to live-action, announcing a solo movie for the hero with the developing Leslie Grace-led film. Batgirl, which finished filming earlier this year, has been scheduled to hit HBO Max sometime this year, however according to a number of new reports, Warner Bros doesn’t want Batgirl to see the light of day. Outlets are reporting that $70 million project is being scrapped after test screenings scared off the studio on the movie. 

Batgirl has been called “irredeemable” by a reported “top Hollywood source” found by The NY Post. Per the report, the movie will be “shelved,” but it has yet to be confirmed by the studio if it's purely a rumor or a bombshell piece of news for one of Warner Bros’ upcoming DC movies.  

The Wrap backed up this report, sharing it had additionally heard via insiders that the movie "did not work" for studio executives – made by Bad Boys For Life and Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah for a reported budget of over $70 million (though it may have ultimately cost the studio $90 million by the time cameras finished rolling). 

The news could perhaps be the product of the recent change in Warner Bros’ leadership, with CEO David Zaslav becoming the new big boss since WB merged with Discovery. There was some rumored talk of the previous WB chair Toby Emmerich considering Batgirl for a theatrical release rather than a HBO Max exclusive, however, but the new reports suggest the film isn't testing to the level of a big-screen project and may be removed from getting any kind of release. 

Batgirl would not only introduce Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon, but is features a stacked cast including the return of Michael Keaton as Batman and J.K. Simmons as James Gordon. Brendan Fraser plays the film's villain, Ted Carson a.k.a. Firefly. It’s arguably unheard of for a project as high-profile as this one to lose any form of avenue for distribution. 

Apparently, a move like this is not uncharacteristic for Warner Bros’ new CEO, however, who previously shut down the failed streaming service CNN+ weeks after it launched (it reportedly cost $300 million to put together). There is some restructuring of DC projects currently underway behind the scenes, with David Zaslav on the search for a someone to fill a role much like Marvel boss Kevin Feige has at Marvel Studios. 

Coming off San Diego Comic-Con late last month, Marvel Studios announced and showcased a lineup of projects planned until 2025 including two more Avengers films, whilst DC did not bring anything from Batgirl to its panel. Instead, Warner Bros chose to only focus on Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam, both of which have set release dates later this year. Warner Bros. Discovery is set to report its earnings for this past business quarter on Thursday; it’s possible we’ll learn more then. 

The DC Extended Universe is always growing, with Warner Bros. recently moving forward with project on the silver and small screens. The upcoming DC movie Batgirl is in the latter category, with the project being shot for a release on HBO Max. Actress Leslie Grace is playing the title character, and recently debunked some rumors about Nightwing’s inclusion.

Batgirl will mark the first time that one of Batman’s protégées appear in the DCEU, and fans can’t wait. There are a number of rumors about the mysterious movie, with some claiming that actor Jacob Scipio’s role would turn out to be Dick Grayson/ Nightwing. But Leslie Grace has dunked this after recently revealing to E! News that the Bad Boys For Life actor is atually playing mob boss Anthony Bressi in the movie.

Actor Jacob Scipio’s name has been attached to Batgirl’s cast for some time, but his role remained a mystery to the public throughout filming. And since the Bat-family was finally appearing in live-action, some moviegoers thought he might be playing the beloved vigilante Nightwing. But it looks like Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon will be the only sidekick taking center stage in the upcoming streaming release.

In DC comics, Anthony Bressie is a mid-tier mob boss in Gotham City. Far from an iconic supervillain or a recognizable name like Carmine Falcone or Black Mask, it should be interesting to see how this lesser known foe factors into Batgirl. Assuming Barbara Gordon is new to her vigilante work, it might be wise for her to start with smaller crime lords in Gotham City.

Of course, Jacob Scipio’s recently revealed villain isn’t expected to be the main antagonist of the Batgirl movie. That honor will go to Brendan Fraser’s Firefly (in an awesome costume), which happens as the Mummy actor is have a renaissance and being celebrated by fans. Luckily Leslie Grace’s title character will have some help in the form of J.K. Simmons’ Commissioner Gordon and Michael Keaton’s Batman.

Nightwing is a fan favorite character from DC lore, one that fans have been hoping to see join the DCEU’s official timeline. Chris McKay was attached to a Nightwing movie, but that project has been sitting in development hell. Recently some hoped he might appear in Batgirl, with fans offering names including Dylan O’Brien for actors to possibly play the role.

Regardless, it’s thrilling that a Batman protégée is finally going to appear in the DCEU in Batgirl. Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice did reference a Robin who was killed by The Joker. But that backstory and which version of the sidekick were never named. 

Batgirl doesn’t currently have a release date, but is expected to arrive on HBO Max sometime in 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

At this point we’ve officially entered the Brenaissance, and I’m totally here for it. Fans of Brendan Fraser have rooted for his comeback, and Fraser has landed another gig in the DC universe, after his role of Robotman in Doom Patrol, as a member of the cast of Batgirl. Fraser plays the villain Firefly in the HBO Max film, but his co-star Leslie Grace explains how delightful he himself is to work with on set. 

The In the Heights star plays the titular role of Batgirl in the HBO film, which will mark the character's second live-action film appearance. and the actress' second feature film. In an interview with Variety, she spoke about how much she was able to learn from her co-stars, specifically action star Brendan Fraser. Leslie Grace explained that even though Fraser is the villain in her film, he was incredibly likable and an all-around joy on set. Here it is in her own words:

We’ve already seen sneak peeks of Brendan Fraser in Batgirl, and he looks absolutely amazing in his Firefly costume. It sounds like we can expect some major fireworks from his dangerous character, as Leslie Grace hints at some “crazy” things happening for the villain, whose actual name is Garfield Lynns. Needless to say, I’m getting seriously excited to see what Fraser brings to the film. 

The School Ties star has had had some truly great roles, a lot of which were stunt-heavy. While fans have seen some impressive feats from via Doom Patrol, it has been a while since we’ve otherwise seen Fraser in a stunt heavy role, and I’ve got to say that I’m beyond ready for Fraser to get back to his Mummy franchise roots. 

It's honestly not too surprising to hear that Leslie Grace found the actor to be a real sweetheart. Fraser’s good-hearted nature is one of the reasons fans have been calling for the Brenaissance in the first place, and it appears as though he has not lost the shine of his personality after experiencing his share of obstacles in Hollywood. I'm hoping to see more of his warm spirit and, on the other hand, I'm curious to see just how much chaos he causes in Batgirl. 

At the helm of the Brenaissance seems to be HBO Max, as the streaming platform holds some major films and series that Brendan Fraser has been cast in over the last couple years. With an HBO subscription, you’ll be able to catch Batgirl, one of the many 2022 film releases, and you can currently check out Doom Patrol and No Sudden Move on the streamer.

The DC Extended Universe is always growing, and Warner Bros. is moving forward with more DC movies for both the silver and small screens. The upcoming Batgirl flick is in the latter category, with the superhero project being produced for a release on HBO Max. And Batgirl’s Leslie Grace recently recalled her first time seeing the legendary Michael Keaton walk onto the DC movie’s set.

Anticipation for Batgirl has been steadily building since the project was first announced, partly thanks to the killer cast that directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah assembled to occupy Gotham City. That includes Michael Keaton, who is back in the cowl and cape as Batman. Leslie Grace recently opened up to Variety about what it was like to see Keaton back in the role on set, saying:

Honestly, same. Michael Keaton is the OG movie Batman for many people out there, and it’s thrilling that he’s returning to the role in both Flash and Batgirl. And for Leslie Grace and the directors of her upcoming DC debut, they had a serious “pinch me” moment in seeing the Birdman actor back as the Dark Knight. Now the question is: what exactly will the recently wrapped streaming movie contain?

While moviegoers are thrilled to see Michael Keaton in Batgirl, there are a number of lingering questions about exactly how he joins the DCEU proper. After all, Ben Affleck is Gotham’s Protector in-universe, after appearing in Batman v Superman and Justice League. But both Affleck and Keaton have a role in Ezra Miller’s Flash movie, which might provide a much-needed answer about the future of the DCEU.

For his part, Michael Keaton seems thrilled about his two upcoming appearances as Batman in the DC Extended Universe. He’s been offering vague teases about his return to Bruce Wayne, and the public can’t get enough. It’s been decades since he last played the role in Batman Returns, as he departed the franchise after Tim Burton’s pair of beloved movies.

While Michael Keaton already has plenty of experience as Batman, the Batgirl movie offers the 70 year-old actor the opportunity to bring something new to his character. Namely it’ll be the first time that we’ve seen Keaton’s hero with one of Batman’s protegees. This is also the first time a member of the Bat-family will appear in the DC Extended Universe as a whole. And it looks like Leslie Grace’s title character is definitely picking up some of the Dark Knight’s signature moves.

Batgirl doesn’t currently have a released date, but is expected to arrive on HBO Max sometime this year. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience

Among the many upcoming DC movies we have to look forward to sometime down the line after Robert Pattinson-led The Batman is the Leslie Grace-led Batgirl. The actress broke out last summer with her In The Heights role, and next she’ll be suiting up as Barbara Gordon. The movie has been filming in the U.K. for the past four months and has finally wrapped thanks to a mouthy update from its star. 

Leslie Grace shared that she has finished up the production with the cast and crew in Glasgow with an Instagram video that shows some sweet and funny rapport she has with her collaborators. Check it out: 

Clearly Leslie Grace just had the time of her life playing a superhero in Batgirl under the helm of Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. She shared some personal videos of her capping off her journey with some of the crew on Instagram, including her driver. In the video, you can see her joking around with them, doing secret handshakes and playing with a fire department hose, no less. 

While Leslie Grace’s latest post keeps things cryptic regarding what to expect from Batgirl, the actress looks to have made a positive impression on set and really brought a good energy to those around her. She took the time to say ”thank you to every person on this crew” as she said goodbye to the production. Batgirl will soon go into post-production, and perhaps we’ll get to finally see some footage in the near future. 

Batgirl will reportedly come straight to HBO Max, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot in store for the DC installment. For one thing, the movie will feature the return of Michael Keaton as Batman. Keaton is also going to be in the upcoming The Flash alongside Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen and Ben Affleck’s Batman. Back to Batgirl, J.K. Simmons will play Barbara Gordon’s father Commissioner James Gordon after the actor played the role in Justice League briefly. 

Also, Brenden Fraser will be playing the Batgirl movie’s villain Firefly. Per the set photos we’ve seen, the Firefly costume is looking incredible. Back in January, we also got the first look at Batgirl’s suit. Rounding out the Batgirl cast list is Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh, along with Jacob Scipio, Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson and Ethan Kai as undisclosed characters. 

It's still unknown when exactly we'll see Leslie Grace’s Batgirl, but chances are it will not be until after the release of The Flash, which comes out on June 23, 2023. While we wait for the release date, we can confirm the next live-action DC movie on the way is Black Adam, hitting theaters on October 22, followed by Shazam! Fury of the Gods in December. We’ll have to wait until 2023 for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Blue Beetle. Here at CinemaBlend, we'll keep you posted with more superhero news as it comes in. 

After decades of being an integral character in Batman’s corner of DC Comics lore, not to mention one of pop culture’s most famous superheroines, the time has come for Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, to lead her own movie. Batgirl has been in development for the DC Extended Universe since 2017, but 2021 is when the project really started chugging along. Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were tapped helm the movie that Birds of Prey’s Christina Dodson, and that was followed months later by casting announcements.

Batgirl is now filming, and while a release date hasn’t been set yet, it will be an HBO Max exclusive rather than play in theaters like the past DC movies. While we wait for official plot details, it’s worth going over who will make up Batgirl’s main cast, starring with the actress playing the title superheroine. 

Leslie Grace

Having already made a name for herself as a singer and songwriter, Leslie Grace made her film debut in 2021 playing Nina Rosario in the John Chu-directed film adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda-created musical In the Heights. Just a month after that movie came out, Grace was cast as Barbara Gordon in Batgirl, and by January 2022, we got our first look at the actress in her superhero costume. Grace’s version of Barbara spends her days working at the Gotham City Police Department, and while it’s unclear right now if Batgirl will depict how she becomes a crimefighter or if she’s already been at the crimefighting game for a bit, at least we she’s skilled at using one of Batman’s most popular intimidation tactics: dangling a criminal out of a window.

J.K. Simmons

J.K. Simmons briefly appeared in Justice League (both versions) as Commissioner James Gordon, but he didn’t share that much screen time with Ben Affleck’s Batman, and since The Flash is serving as the swan song for that version of the Caped Crusader (unless Ezra Miller knows something that we don’t), evidently we won’t see those two together again. Fortunately for those who liked Simmons’ Gordon performance, he’s back for Batgirl. Like his comic book counterpart, this version of Gordon is Barbara Gordon’s father, and while nothing is confirmed just yet, it stands to reason he’s not aware his daughter is a vigilante. It also looks like Batgirl will deliver a flashback featuring Gordon taking place when Barbara was still little.

Michael Keaton

Just because Ben Affleck is done playing Batman doesn’t mean the DCEU will be without that particular superhero going forward. Michael Keaton is donning the cape and cowl again for The Flash, and evidently the events of the Scarlet Speedster’s solo movie will result in Keaton’s version of Bruce Wayne being inserted into the DCEU, since it’s been confirmed he’ll appear in Batgirl. That being said, there’s no word yet on how much we’ll see of Keaton in this DC movie and if he’ll even appear in costume. It’s previously been reported that Keaton’s Bruce will serve “in a mentor capacity” in this superhero franchise, so instead of seeing Batman and Batgirl fight side by side, maybe we’ll just see the former give the latter some crimefighting pointers.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser’s been on one hell of a run lately, from starring in Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move to getting to work with Martin Scorsese in Killers of the Flower Moon. Fraser also has DC experience under his belt playing Cliff Steele/Robotman in the HBO Max series Doom Patrol, but he’s not done leaving his mark on their corner of the superhero landscape. The actor will star in Batgirl as Garfield Lynns, a.k.a. Firefly, a longtime member of Batman’s rogues gallery who is obsessed with fire. We’ll have to wait and see if Firefly is causing trouble on his own during Batgirl or will be partnered with someone else (like perhaps Killer Moth, as those two teamed up in Batgirl: Year One), but either way, Fraser’s character will be turning the heat up on Barbara Gordon.

Ivory Aquino

Batgirl is taking a huge step with LGBTQ+ representation, as transgender actress Ivory Aquino, best known for the docudrama When We Rise, has been cast as Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon’s best friend. Alysia was introduced during Gail Simone’s run on the Batgirl book during the New 52 era, becoming Barbara’s roommate when Barbara decided to move out of James Gordon’s home. After they became close, Alysia revealed to Barbara that she’s transgender, and now the character will get to shine in a film setting. As with J.K. Simmons’ Gordon, though, we don’t know yet if Aquino’s Alysia will know Barbara is Batgirl or is being kept in the dark.

Jacob Scipio

Batgirl marks Jaco Scipio’s second outing with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, having previously worked with the directors on Bad Boys for Life. Scipio’s credits also starred as Hatchet in 2019’s Without Remorse, and he’s starring alongside Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham in The Expendables 4. Unfortunately, as with everyone else on this list going forward, no official details about Scipio’s Batgirl character were included when his casting was reported. Is he a good guy or bad guy? Established character or someone original? For now, that’s a mystery.

Rebecca Front

Rebecca Front has appeared in a lot of British productions, most notably playing Nicola Murray in The Thick of It, and those who saw Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will recognize her as the therapist. As for guesses on who she could be playing in Batgirl, Front is around the right age to potentially be playing Barbara Gordon’s mother, who, in some stories, is depicted as having either divorced James Gordon or just walked out on her family. Maybe the Batgirl movie will show Leslie Grace’s Barbara reuniting with her mother, but let’s also not discount the decent chance that Front is simply playing a different older woman in the heroine’s life, like a neighbor or a fellow officer at the GCPD.

Corey Johnson

Corey Johnson is no stranger to comic book movies; in addition to having starred in 2004’s Hellboy, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and Kingsman: The Secret Service, he’s also appearing in the Jared Leto-led Morbius. Now he’s lending his talents to Batgirl, and given how many authority figures he’s played in the past, it’s easy enough to imagine him as a policeman in the DC movie. That said, I’m also not willing to rule out Johnson playing a criminal connected to Firefly.

Ethan Kai

If Ethan Kai looks familiar, you’ve likely seen him playing Kasim Sebet in the British soap opera Emmerdale. Regarding his role in Batgirl, a set photo was taken of Kai and Leslie Grace holding hands. Now, when it comes to love interests, Barbara is most famous for being paired with Dick Grayson, a.k.a. the first Robin/Nightwing. So it makes sense why some people might think Kai is appearing as Dick in Batgirl, especially considering that a photo was taken of a mural for the movie showing Batman and Robin together. However, Murphy’s Multiverse shared a photo of a trailer belong to an actor playing someone only identified as “Jason.” This could mean Kai is actually playing Jason Bard, a GCPD police officer who was romantically involved with Barbara in the comics.

Now you’re caught up on who’s appearing in Batgirl, but make sure to keep your eyes peeled here for any additions to the main cast. We’ll also be sure pass along when Batgirl’s official release date is announced as part of our coverage on upcoming DC movies.  

Earlier this month, we got our first look at In the Heights’ Leslie Grace as the costumed Barbara Gordon for Batgirl. It marks the superheroine’s return to the live-action film scene after more than two decades, when Clueless star Alicia Silverstone played a tweaked version of the character named Barbara Wilson for 1997’s Batman & Robin. Now Silverstone has shared her thoughts about Grace’s Batgirl suit.

While promoting her new movie Last Survivors with costars Stephen Moyer and Drew Van Acker, Alicia Silverstone was asked by ComicBookMovie what she thinks about Leslie Grace’s upcoming take on Batgirl for the DC Extended Universe. She responded:

While superhero movie costumes still take a lot of time and effort to put together, the art of such wardrobe creation has certainly advanced since the 1990s. Comparing the two Batgirl costumes above, I agree with Alicia Silverstone’s assessment that Leslie Grace’s suit looks more comfortable, whereas Silverstone’s suit was… well, like George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell’s Batman and Robin suits, it was just bizarre, especially in the chest area. In any case, Silverstone sounds supportive of Grace taking over as the new live-action Batgirl, and hopefully she’ll share her thoughts about the movie after it comes out.

Alicia Silverstone has talked before about how working on Batman & Robin wasn’t a pleasant experience for her, and the Batgirl costume being uncomfortable factored into that. Even after she was done shooting the fifth of the Batman movies, the actress was labeled “Fatgirl” in the media, although even at that younger age, Silverstone knew it was wrong to make fun of someone’s body shape. Last October, Silverstone shared a reaction on TikTok to a video someone put on the platform declaring how the media needs to apologize to the actress for how it treated her back in the late ‘90s.

The Joel Schumacher-directed Batman & Robin ended up being a critical and commercial dud, resulting in Warner Bros. and DC rebooting the Batman film series with Batman Begins in 2005. Fast-forward to now, the superhero movie genre is in a much better place compared to 1997, and the time has come for Batgirl to shine in her own movie. Leslie Grace’s costars include J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Michael Keaton as Batman, Brendan Fraser as Firefly and Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh, the latter of whom is the first transgender character to be depicted in a live-action DC Comics movie. Bad Boys for Life duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing off a script written by Birds of Prey’s Christina Hodson.

Batgirl doesn’t have a set release date yet, but it will be released exclusively on HBO Max rather than play in theaters. It is one of many DC movies slated for the coming years, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates about them.

Warner Bros. has been greatly expanding the DCEU as of late, and that’ll continue with a number of TV and film projects being produced specifically for streaming. Chief among them is the Batgirl movie, which stars In the Heights actress Leslie Grace in the title role. And a new video from the mysterious set shows her using one of Bruce Wayne’s favorite intimidation tactics.

Moviegoers are invested in the Batgirl movie, especially since it marks the first time a Batman protégée will appear in the DCEU. She’ll presumably be mentored by the Dark Knight played by Michael Keaton, and it seems that she picked up some choice moves. Like when you’re trying to get the truth out of a bad guy, it helps if you dangle them out of a window.

This latest update comes to us from Twitter, and shows a scene from the upcoming Batgirl movie coming together. In it we see Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon in her recently revealed costume, trying to get some information out of an unknown villain. She dangles them out of a window, which is something she might have picked up from her superhero mentor. Although Batman is also known for taking this to new heights (literally) on the roof of buildings.

But Batgirl intimidating a thug isn’t the only thing to note from this set video– which will likely go viral shortly. The dialogue that Leslie Grace is saying also hints at some plot points for the streaming blockbuster. She says:

Well, I’m interested. It looks like there’s going to be some good old fashioned murder in Batgirl, which makes sense for Gotham City. She’s presumably referencing the villainous Firefly, who will be played by Brendan Fraser. We’ll just have to be patient and wait for some official footage from the upcoming project.

Every update from the set of Batgirl has set the internet ablaze, especially once Leslie Grace’s superhero suit was first revealed. Comic book fans are super passionate, and Batman is arguably one of the most popular heroes of all time. As such, all eyes are on what Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will do with their DCEU debut.

While the plot of Batgirl is being largely kept under wraps, moviegoers are eager to see how intimately it’s connected to the action of the main DCEU. Barbara Gordon is a beloved character in the comics, and fans are already hoping to see her crossover with other characters like Harley Quinn or Black Canary.

Batgirl is expected to arrive on HBO Max sometime in 2021, but there hasn’t been an official release date set. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The anticipation for Leslie Grace’s Batgirl continues to grow as more footage and photos come from the set. The internet was set ablaze after the Batgirl star unleashed an image of herself in the full costume. Like many online unveilings, the post had its cheerleaders as well as detractors. Batgirl co-director Adil El Arbi became aware of DC fans’ opinions on the full Batgirl suit. Unlike some filmmakers, the Batgirl director decided to take on the criticism head on.

The Bad Boys for Life director couldn’t hold his tongue as some fans voiced their dissatisfaction over Grace in the full, comics-accurate suit. Of course, he didn’t go on a lengthy rant. But El Arbi did take to his Instagram page to let the naysayers know his thoughts on the matter. He kept it simple with a single Instagram Story featuring a nice throwback to an iconic Batman panel. See how the Dark Knight answered the criticism for Adil El Arbi by checking out the image below.

Adil El Arbi let Batman’s takedown of Robin do the talking for him. He seemed taken aback by fans’ critique of the costume before the film was released. As with any director, El Arbi wanted the viewers to see his full vision for the film and Grace’s suit before judging it from a film still. At least the director had fun with his response, and managed to get a point across without tearing into the fandom.

When Leslie Grace unveiled her Batgirl costume, it was the most comic-accurate costume fans have seen in a live-action interpretation of the beloved character. The suit appeared to draw from two reliable DC Comics sources. The look was influenced by Barbara Gordon’s costume in the “Batgirl of Burnside” arc while connecting her look to 2003’s Batgirl: Year One. Some fans were aware of the references while others viewed everything from the zipped-up top to the yellow boot as cosplay rather than a detailed-oriented design.

Of course, this isn’t the first a DCEU suit has come under fire. When Gal Gadot first debuted as Wonder Woman, her outfit drew some criticisms for being “too sexy,” which Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins shot down the criticisms as “sexist.” Even Henry Cavill’s Superman costume has been talked about ever since his debut in Man of Steel. So, El Arbi might be in store for more critiques when Batgirl is finally unleashed on the masses.

Not much is known about the film outside of the robust cast, including Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser, and its current filming schedule. Currently, Batgirl doesn’t have an official release date besides it will premiere on HBO Max in 2022. You can check back with CinemaBlend for more updates on the film as well as other DC releases.

Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, has been one of the most important characters in Bat-Family since she simultaneously debuted in the Batman TV series and in the pages of Detective Comics #359. More than five decades later, now she’s getting her own movie, with Hamilton actress Leslie Grace bringing the character to life. While we got a quick tease of this version of Batgirl at DC FanDome last October, Grace has now shown off her full supehero costume.

Taking to her Instagram page, Leslie Grace showed a picture of herself suited up as Batgirl for the upcoming DC Extended Universe production. Check it out below!

This Batgirl costume definitely looks like it’s modeled after the one Barbara Gordon wore in the “Batgirl of Burnside” arc in the New 52 era, between the indigo and yellow color scheme and the zipper on the front. Leslie Grace’s picture was accompanied by some dialogue from Batgirl: Year One, the 2003 miniseries written by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon, and illustrated by Marcos Martin. So right there, we know two main sources of inspiration for the Batgirl movie, which began filming at the end of last November.

Although a Batgirl movie has been in development for the DCEU since 2017, the movie in its current form started coming together when Birds of Prey’s Christina Hodson was hired in 2018 to write the script. 2021, however, was when things really started chugging along. Bad Boys for Life duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were hired to direct Batgirl in May 2021, and Leslie Grace was selected to play Barbara Gordon the following July, just a month after moviegoers saw her play Nina Rosario in the musical drama In the Heights. Grace reportedly beat out actresses like Haley Lu Richardson, Isabela Merced and Zoey Deutch for the role.

No specific plot details for Batgirl have been disclosed to the public yet, but we do know some of the people who will be joining Leslie Grace in the main cast. J.K. Simmons is back as James Gordon, Barbara’s father and the Gotham City Police Department commissioner who previously appeared in Justice League (both versions). Michael Keaton will also reprise Bruce Wayne/Batman following his return to the role in The Flash after previously playing the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns. Doom Patrol’s Brendan Fraser will appear as the pyromaniac Firefly, while Jacob Scipio (who worked with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah on Bad Boys for Life), Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson and Ethan Kai in unidentified roles.

Rather than get a theatrical release, Batgirl will be an HBO Max exclusive offering. As soon as more details about the upcoming DCEU movie are revealed, including when it will premiere on the streaming service, we’ll let you know. For now, just remember that CinemaBlend will keep you apprised of all major updates concerning upcoming DC movies.

The DC Extended Universe is known for keeping fans on their collective toes, and the most recent updates coming from Warner Bros. definitely prove this. It was just revealed that following his role in The Flash, Michael Keaton will once again play Batman in the upcoming Batgirl movie for HBO Max. Now Barbara Gordon actress Leslie Grace has responded to Keaton joining her DC movie.

News that Michael Keaton will be playing Batman for another time within the DCEU essentially broke the internet. It also started a number of fan theories about the multiverse, as technically Ben Affleck should be the Bruce Wayne of the timeline. Leslie Grace seemingly had fun reacting to news of Keaton’s role in Batgirl, posting:

I see your pun, Leslie Grace. While the In the Heights actress was thrilled to learn that J.K. Simmons would be playing her father James Gordon in Batgirl, Warner Bros. has even more tricks up the sleeve. Add in Michael Keaton, and anticipation for the streaming blockbuster is sure to remain buoyed as filming continues.

The above post comes to us from the official Twitter of actor-singer Leslie Grace. She made a serious splash playing Nina in In the Heights, but playing the protagonist in Batgirl is sure to greatly increase her starpower. Especially since she’s staring the screen with established names like Brendan Fraser.

The overall plot of Batgirl remains a mystery, but it certainly seems like Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will have their hands full for the DC flick. Production is underway now, which is likely why news of Michael Keaton’s involvement was confirmed. After all, they don’t want to worry about leaks or paparazzi capturing the iconic Batman Returns actor on set. 

The mysterious Batgirl movie will mark a few DC Extended Universe firsts. Obviously the most unique aspect about the project is that it’s being developed specifically for HBO Max, rather than a full theatrical release. Although given the all-star cast, perhaps Warner Bros. will change its mind and bring it to the movies.

Additionally, Batgirl will be the first time that a Batman protegee was adapted in the DCEU. While Batfleck’s Batcave featured the costume from a Robin that had previously died, none of the members of the Bat-family have been in the franchise so far. And with Michael Keaton involved as Bruce Wayne, we should be able to see him actually mentoring Barbara Gordon in the upcoming project. And she’s seemingly going to need the help battling against Brendan Fraser’s Firefly.

Batgirl is currently expected to arrive on HBO Max sometime in 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, is set to come back to a live-action movie for the first time since 1997’s Batman & Robin with an upcoming project that has been in early development for HBO Max. The movie will star In The Heights’ Leslie Grace as the fan-favorite hero. During DC Fandome’s pack of exciting announcements, we have an early look at Batgirl! 

Leslie Grace, screenwriter Christina Hodson and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah surprised those watching DC Fandome with a tease for Batgirl. While discussing their plans for the film, which is still in pre-production, they also revealed some awesome concept art. Take a look: 

Batgirl will in fact don a classic-looking suit many have come to know from her in the DC Comics. The concept art from the movie features Barbara Gordon donning a long cape and cowl that looks to be a blend of black and purple in color. The most striking element may be the fact that Leslie Grace’s Batgirl will in fact be wearing the red hair for the role. 

While chatting about the upcoming movie, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who broke out into the blockbuster scene last year with Bad Boys For Life, did a massive search for the next Batgirl, auditioning actresses from a range of ages and races. But it was Leslie Grace who gave them the “goosebump moment” that made them decide to make her the first actress to bring Batgirl to life in a standalone film. 

Leslie Grace said one of her first questions was whether Barbara Gordon would have her iconic red hair during the DC Fandome announcement. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah confirmed that she will in fact be a redhead. Along with that, Grace said she’s training hard to take on many of the action scenes of the movie. Grace spoke about her DC character with these words: 

Christina Hodson, who previously wrote Birds of Prey along with the upcoming The Flash movie, teased that Barbara Gordon will be “discovering Batgirl for the first time” and explore the duality of her personality with the storyline. Hodson described it as “fun” and the directors said they envision a “raw” and “relatable” Batgirl through the fight sequences. 

Batgirl is expected to begin shooting soon ahead of a 2022 release date and the movie reportedly will be made exclusively for HBO Max, where it will premiere. You can check out the full lineup of upcoming DC movies here on CinemaBlend. 

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The DC Extended Universe is constantly growing, with the latest release being James Gunn’s R-Rated The Suicide Squad. But Warner Bros. is expanding the universe both on the silver and small screens, with a few projects developing as HBO Max exclusives. That includes Batgirl which will star In the Heights singer-actress Leslie Grace. And Grace recently reacted to Margot Robbie’s comments about a potential crossover with Harley Quinn.

Leslie Grace was cast as the title character of Batgirl while The Suicide Squad was in the midst of its promotional tour. Margot Robbie was told the news of her casting mid-interview, and expressed excitement about potentially having a crossover happen with Harley. Grace responded to these comments, saying:

Gotham City continues to be an important location in the DC Extended Universe, so this type of crossover doesn’t seem exactly out of the question. We’ll just have to see how Leslie Grace’s Batgirl movie performs for streaming audiences, and if Warner Bros. moves forward with a potential crossover. One thing is clear: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is here to stay.

Leslie Grace’s comments to ET Online show just how excited the singer-actress is about her upcoming role as Batgirl. While that project is still in the development process, it definitely has the potential to be a career-changing gig for Grace. This is especially true if her Batman protegee gets to interact with other characters from the greater MCU.

Batgirl is currently expected to be a HBO Max exclusive. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

In the comics there’s been countless times that Batgirl and Harley Quinn have interacted, both as foes and allies. So a crossover could be fairly easy to pull off, as long as Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon is in the main DCEU timeline. Perhaps Batgirl could be the “antagonist” of a Gotham City Sirens movie, as she tries to track down the likes of Harley, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman.

Unfortunately the DC Extended Universe hasn't exactly been focused on crossovers as of late. Following the disappointing performance of Justice League, WB shifted to more capsulated, director-driven projects. Still, it would be awesome to see the various denizens of Gotham City interact on the big screen.

Batgirl is currently expected to arrive sometime in 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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The DC Extended Universe is always expanding, and there are some highly anticipated projects coming to both theaters and straight to streaming on HBO Max. This includes the developing Batgirl movie, which is set to star In the Heights actress Leslie Grace. And the new Batgirl has responded to rumors about J.K. Simmons possibly playing James Gordon.

Warner Bros. has been crafting DC projects set both within and outside of the main DCEU canon. It’s currently unclear how Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s Batgirl movie will factor into the timeline, but fans are hoping to see J.K. Simmons returns as Gotham City Police Department Commissioner Gordon. Leslie Grace recently responded to those rumors, saying:

Well, there you have it. It seems J.K. Simmons’ return to the DCEU isn’t exactly a sure thing. But Leslie Grace is hoping those rumors come true, just like the rest of us. After all, who wouldn't want to star in a movie opposite Simmons?

Leslie Grace’s comments to ET Online shows how excited the actress-singer is to be playing Barbara Gordon in the DC Extended Universe. Batgirl is a beloved hero, and fans are excited to see her finally get a starring vehicle. We’ll just have to wait and see if the movie ends up going to theaters or maintains plans for a streaming release on HBO Max.

The DCEU has found its streaming home on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Narratively it would make a great deal of sense for J.K. Simmons to appear as James Gordon in the Batgirl movie. Considering how limited his role in Justice League, this would also allow Simmons to finally sink his teeth into the iconic character. Hopefully this happens, as long as he’s not too busy playing J. Jonah Jameson in the MCU.

The Batgirl movie marks the first time a DCEU project will put the spotlight on one of Batman’s protegees. While we saw the costume of a fallen Robin in the Batcave during Batman v Superman, there’s been no mention of characters like Batgirl or Nightwing. We’ll just have to see how Leslie Grace’s character is given an origin story, and if it connects to Ben Affleck’s version of the Dark Knight.

It’s currently unclear when Batgirl will be released, but it’s currently expected to be a HBO Max original. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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The last time we saw Batgirl in a live-action film, it was Batman & Robin, which is widely considered to be one of the weakest Batman movies ever made and the portrayal of Barbara Gordon (rewritten as Alfred Pennyworth’s niece, Barbara Wilson) is a key reason why.

More than 20 years later, a new film is currently being developed for HBO Max that could potentially help rewrite the history of the DC movies and ensure that one of the most important and beloved members of the Bat Family receives a cinematic legacy to be proud of. While the Batgirl movie is still in its early stages, there are enough facts that we know about it already to get the biggest fans of superhero movies excited, but when to expect the flick is not one of them.

The Batgirl Movie Does Not Have A Confirmed HBO Max Release Date

It was in March 2017 when Ben Affleck was still Batman and a new movie about Gotham City’s young, female vigilante, Batgirl, was greenlit by Warner Bros. The announcement came not long after The LEGO Batman Movie’s Chris McKay was hired to direct a Nightwing movie that would follow Dick Grayson’s post-Robin alter ego. However, just like that film, behind-the-scenes complications involving the DCEU’s future and the loss of its writer and director (which we will get to soon) stunted production on the Batgirl movie.

Luckily, with a new home at HBO Max, it appears that the movie is closer to becoming a reality than ever. Unfortunately, we still have yet to confirm when we can expect to stream it. A date among the 2022 movies schedule sounds likely, though, especially since the movie has already found its star.

Leslie Grace Stars In The Title Role Of The Batgirl Movie

Batgirl has been portrayed on screen by various women since she debuted in the mid-1960s, from the late Yvonne Craig on the classic Batman TV show opposite Adam West and Burt Ward, to musician Savannah Welch, who is slated to appear as an adult Barbara Gordon on Titans Season 3. Coincidentally, Leslie Grace - the actress leading the upcoming Batgirl movie cast - is also a musician.

The 26-year-old Latina made her feature-film debut as Nina Rosario in In the Heights, an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical that put her many talents on full display. Rarely is someone so fresh in the acting game offered a follow-up of this magnitude. Of course, she will not be alone, as Batgirl has also already cast the titular superhero’s famous father.

J.K. Simmons Is Reprising Jim Gordon In The Batgirl Movie

Before his Oscar-winning role in Whiplash made him a household name, J.K. Simmons was best known from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies as Peter Parker’s overbearing boss J. Jonah Jameson. In 2019, he returned to the role for the mid-credits scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home to a host of delightfully shocked fans. The Marvel movies star is pulling another unexpected comic book movie character reprisal.

J.K. Simmons was cast as James Gordon in 2017’s Justice League and will be returning to bring another side of the trusted police commissioner to live-action cinema for the first time: Barbara Gordon’s father. This also means that Simmons will be one of two actors playing Bruce Wayne’s GCPD confidante in a movie in 2022 since Jeffrey Wright joined The Batman cast as a different Jim of the DC Multiverse. Speaking of, Simmons’ involvement is the only evidence we have so far that the Batgirl movie is canon to the DCEU, along with the previous credits of its screenwriter.

Christina Hodson Is Writing The Batgirl Movie

Quickly becoming one of the most prominent screenwriters of her generation is Christina Hodson, especially for the work she has done with the DCEU. She followed up the 2018 Transformers prequel, Bumblebee, with another acclaimed spin-off to a hit film, Birds of Prey (which actually featured Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain - a character who becomes Batgirl in the comics) before penning The Flash, which is currently filming with both Ezra Miller and Ben Affleck reprising their Justice League roles.

For her next contribution to the superhero movie genre, Christina Hodson is writing the Batgirl movie, which was essentially saved from development hell when she was hired in 2018. What initially seemed to doom the film was when Joss Whedon exited the project earlier that year, leaving the film without a writer and director. Fortunately, that position has also been filled, and doubly so.

Adil & Bilall Are Directing The Batgirl Movie

Belgian filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah exploded onto the American mainstream by directing Bad Boys For Life - the third installment of the action-comedy franchise starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. It earned the duo (collectively credited as Adil and Bilall) several more exciting gigs, including Beverly Hills Cop 4 and the pilot for one of the most anticipated upcoming Marvel TV shows, Ms. Marvel. That series will only be the first time they help bring a notable female superhero to the spotlight.

In May 2021, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will direct the Batgirl movie around the same time that the film was confirmed as an HBO Max exclusive. Producer Kristin Burr, who has recently been involved with movies like Dora and the Lost City of Gold and Disney’s Cruella, commented on how the duo’s “excited and joyous energy” will lend to Christina Hodson’s script, which she described as “crackling with spirit.” It sounds like this “Batproject” really is in good hands.

We live in an age in which Gal Gadot’s solo Wonder Woman movie in 2017 proved to be one of DC’s greatest critical and commercial successes and Scarlett Johansson was finally given her time in the MCU spotlight with Black Widow in 2021. Therefore, it's about damn time that a character as influential to young comic book readers (or audiences in general) as Batgirl is having her moment and with such wonderful talent involved. The future DCEU (if this film does exist in it, that is) has never looked brighter.

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The DC Extended Universe has been consistently expanding over the past few years, to the delight of the fandom. A number of future projects will incorporate characters from Batman lore, including the developing Batgirl movie. In The Heights star Leslie Grace was announced to be playing protagonist Barbara Gordon, and reacted to the potentially career-changing news.

Leslie Grace was an established recording artist before making her movie debut as Nina in the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights. Now Grace has beat out the competition to play the title character of Batgirl, and responded to the news on social media with:

And just like that, a new DC superhero was born. While there have been a few versions of Barbara Gordon over the years, this will mark the first time Batgirl is starring in her own live-action blockbuster. Leslie Grace has the responsibility of bringing that beloved Batman protegee to life, and she seems ready to put all of herself into the role.

The above message comes to us from Leslie Grace’s official Twitter account. It seems that the singer-actor’s career is skyrocketing at the moment, as her acclaimed performance in In the Heights arrived just a few months ago. And while she played an important role in that ensemble, Batgirl will find Grace at the top of the call sheet.

The DCEU has found its streaming home on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Information about Batgirl is limited, but it’s clear that Warner Bros. is moving forward with the movie’s development. The project will be helmed by Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. There were also reports that the project was being developed specifically for HBO Max, but we’ll have to wait and see if it ends up on the big screen.

With the DCEU’s official Barbara Gordon found, it should be interesting to see how the cast of Batgirl ultimately comes together. What’s more, fans are wondering if the developing movie will be part of DC’s main timeline, or set in an alternate one like Joker and Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

The Batgirl movie has already been a long time coming. The project was originally being developed by Joss Whedon, who eventually departed after struggling with its story. But now that new filmmakers and a cast are being brought together, the upcoming DC flick has never felt more real.

The next installment of the DCEU is The Suicide Squad on August 6th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

For three years now, Warner Bros and DC Comics have been trying to get a Batgirl movie off the ground, and now the project is finally taking some major steps forward. Just a few days ago, it was reported that three actresses were being looked at to bring Barbara Gordon to life. Now word’s come in that In the Heights star Leslie Grace has scored the role.

This casting update comes from Deadline, which reports that Leslie Grace has been cast to lead the Batgirl movie. Apparently Warner Bros was “already super high” on Grace from her performance in In the Heights, and her audition to play Barbara Gordon “sealed the deal as the choice.” Grace made her film debut in the cinematic adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes-created musical, where she played Nina Rosario. She’s also a professional singer who’s nominated for three Latin Grammys.

Transformers: The Last Knight’s Isabela Merced and Zombieland: Double Tap’s Zoey Deutch were also reportedly in contention for the role, and Unpregnant’s Haley Lu Richardson was in the mix during an earlier stage of the casting process. But as of today, Leslie Grace has been cast as the DC Extended Universe’s Batgirl, making her the second actress to play the character in a live-action feature film, following Alicia Silverstone’s turn as Barbara Gordon in 1997’s Batman & Robin. Barbara has also previously been played in live-action by Yvonne Craig in the 1960s Batman TV series and Dina Meyer in the short-lived Birds of Prey TV series, and Savannah Welch is playing her in Titans Season 3, which debuts on HBO Max next month.

The DCEU’s Batgirl movie was first announced back in March 2017, with Joss Whedon being hired to write, direct and produce the project. However, in early 2018, Whedon exited due to difficulty developing the story, and a few months later, Birds of Prey and The Flash writer Christina Hodson was hired to pen Batgirl’s script. Cut to May 2021, Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were hired to helm Batgirl, and Kristin Burr is producing.

Rather than being released in theaters like plenty of other DC Comics movies, Batgirl will be an HBO Max-exclusive offering, which is the same approach being taken with Blue Beetle. No plot details for Batgirl have been revealed yet, although since Barbara Gordon is the star, we can count on her father, Commissioner James Gordon, being involved. However, rather than J.K. Simmons reprising Gordon following his brief turn as the character in Justice League, rumor has it that the role will be recast.

As soon as more Batgirl details are unveiled to the public, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know about them. For now, scan through our upcoming DC movies guide to learn what else this corner of the superhero movie market has coming up.

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Warner Bros. and DC Films are truly starting to ramp up production on their wide-reaching slate of films. Many of these productions have been in development for quite some time, including the studios’ big-screen take on Batgirl. While the Bat Family heroine’s solo adventure has taken time, things are finally starting to move forward. As a matter of fact, it would seem that the production is finally seeking to cast the character, with stars from Transformers, In the Heights and more reportedly in the mix.

Four actresses have reportedly been eyed for the role of Batgirl. According to Deadline, the studio is preparing three of the four stars for screen tests. Said trio is made up of Transformers: The Last Knight actress Isabela Merced, In the Heights lead Leslie Grace and Zombieland: Double Tap’s Zoey Deutch. Per the trade, some of the test deals are already settled while others are still being finalized.

The fourth actress in that group was reportedly Haley Lu Richardson, whose credits include horror film Split and comedy Unpregnant. However, the trade reports that Richardson may have exited the casting process ahead of the screen test phase. As of this writing, the studio has not commented on the test process.

While the character has been played by a number of actresses on TV over the years, Batgirl was first brought to life on the big screen by Alicia Silverstone in 1997’s Batman & Robin. A solo Batgirl film first gained series momentum back in 2017 when Warner Bros. tapped Avengers alum Joss Whedon to write, direct and produce a Barbara Gordon-centric film set within the DC Extended Universe. However, the filmmaker would depart the project the following year, citing his difficulty with developing the story as a major reason for his exit.

Despite that setback, Batgirl would later gain a new writer in the form of Christina Hodson, who penned the screenplays for Bumblebee, Birds of Prey and the upcoming Flash movie. And just a few months ago, it was reported that Bad Boys For Life’s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah will be directing the film.

Batgirl will represent a new era for DC Films, as it one the cinematic comic book properties to debut on HBO Max -- a move that drew some interesting responses. Listed as a “mid-budget” production, Batgirl will join Blue Beetle and other movies on the streamer.

One aspect of the movie that’s still unclear is whether it will still be set in the existing DCEU. Warner Bros. and DC Films have been leaning heavily towards the multiverse approach, so there’s a firm chance it could take place in a new continuity. But ahead of its release, you can still stream the rest of the DCEU movies on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

The three actresses who will reportedly move forward are interesting picks for the role. And one thing that’s incredibly interesting and exciting is that Warner Bros. could indeed end up casting a POC to play Barbara Gordon. Still, based on their prior work, each actress should be able to bring something unique to the role. It'll be exciting to see how things pan out for Batgirl!

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Lin-Manuel Miranda became a worldwide sensation following his Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer winning Broadway musical Hamilton. But his first Broadway hit was In the Heights, which was recently adapted for film by Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. Said adaptation greatly altered the story, with a number of songs being cut in the process. And I had the chance to ask Chu and the In the Heights cast how they felt about those cuts.

Rather than taking place over one day like the stage musical, In the Heights spreads its story out, and the song list is altered in order to tell the new version of the story. Much of this re-working was done by screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes, who also penned the musical’s book. In the video above you can see how the cast reacted to these changes. Actress-singer Leslie Grace was one cast member I had the privilege of discussing this with, and I specifically asked about the Act II opening love song “Sunrise” which is normally sung by Nina and Benny. She said,

There you have it. Trying to turn a two-act stage musical into a film is no easy feat. While it’s been done well with award-winning movies like Rob Marshall’s Chicago, songs inevitably have to be cut in order to make a film-length presentation. For Leslie Grace, that included some absolutely bangers like “Sunrise” and “Everything I Know.”

In the Heights is available for a limited time on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

The In the Heights movie features a stellar group of vocalists, and moviegoers like myself were thrilled to see that actor Jimmy Smits was in the cast playing Kevin Rosario. And while the Star Wars icon sang in the movie’s opening number, Kevin’s two songs were also cut. Smits spoke about his perspective on this process, saying:

Well, there you have it. While some hardcore fans of In the Heights might have loved to see Jimmy Smits get the spotlight for Kevin’s big number “Inútil”, he was happy to play his role in the film adaptation. Indeed, the Rosarios were greatly changed. But that’s because this version of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical was telling a slightly different story. And we did get to see Smits bust a move during “Carnaval del Barrio.”

In the Heights is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience

As the musical event of the summer, In the Heights is set to be a watershed moment for everyone involved, especially the film’s lead, Anthony Ramos. But singer Leslie Grace is set to have a breakout moment as well. She was handpicked by In the Heights creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, so the musical film is a huge moment for the singer’s career. The Latin superstar revealed the sweet moment Miranda asked her to join the cast.

Don’t be mistaken if you think this is Leslie Grace’s first time at the rodeo, as the singer-actress is a superstar in Latin America and Spanish-speaking countries. So Grace’s appearance in the musical film has been beneficial to its impending success. Grace talked to Kelly Clarkson on the latter’s talk show about the life-changing moment. Check out the In the Heights star’s heartwarming moment with Lin-Manuel Miranda below:

After watching the clip, Leslie Grace’s full-circle moment with her friends and family spoke to the singer’s gratefulness for the opportunity. As Kelly Clarkson pointed out, the moment between Grace, Lin-Manuel Miranda and her loved ones was supposed to happen that way. The Latin superstar seems poised for her breakout moment, as In the Heights will arrive in time for summer.

As previously mentioned, Leslie Grace’s full-circle moment was very relatable to everyone going after their dreams. Grace getting her hair to straighten by her mother while friends and family were in the room is similar to the stories of so many creatives. The fact that it was the singer’s birthday made Lin-Manuel Miranda’s call even more of a beautiful moment. Everything made her addition to the In the Heights cast even more special.

But being one of In the Heights' leading ladies meant more to Leslie Grace than just scoring a role, as she was able to tap into her Afro-Latino identity. Having grown up in New York, the singer was used to seeing people who looked like her before moving to Florida. Grace’s story isn’t unusual as many Afro-Latinos have spoken on the colorism and “otherness” they have experienced within the Latino community. The same can be said about the Black American experience. So for her, participating in the musical film was the perfect opportunity to embrace being different while surrounded by love and acceptance.

Leslie Grace’s story about her casting was a true “star is born” moment. Maybe this role will bring her closer to international superstardom outside of Spanish-speaking countries. Despite her story, Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed the film's castings were met with some pushback. Thankfully, Miranda stuck to his guns, and Grace got the opportunity to star in her first movie. You can catch In the Heights when it arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11.