Michael Keaton Shares Surprising Opinion on Warner Bros.’ Canceled ‘Batgirl’ Movie: “I didn’t care one way or another”

Several recent DC adaptations have been major disappointments, and some planned projects were never even released because they were deemed too poor in quality. One of the most notable examples is the planned “Batgirl” movie. While the controversy surrounding it has calmed down now, it sparked a significant uproar in the community at the time.

If you weren’t aware that a Batgirl-centric movie was once in the works, don’t worry—we’re here to fill you in!

In May 2016, Batgirl was considered for a role in the female-centric “Birds of Prey” (2020) but was ultimately excluded to focus on a solo film. Joss Whedon was hired to write, direct, and produce the solo project but left in 2018 due to a lack of story ideas and concerns over a male director handling a female-focused film.

Christina Hodson was brought on in April 2018 to create a new script, and it was later decided the film would be released exclusively on HBO Max as part of DC Films’ revised strategy. By April 2021, it was confirmed as an HBO Max original with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah directing, and Kristin Burr producing, aiming to present a fresh take on Gotham City.

The movie was nearly complete in post-production when it was abruptly canceled and slated never to be released. The film didn’t fit CEO David Zaslav’s vision for “big theatrical event films” and ended up being one of the most expensive canceled projects, with a reported budget of $90M. Initially, it was thought the film was too poor to release, but later it was widely viewed as a tax write-off. DC Studios’ new co-CEO Peter Safran later stated that the film was so flawed it would have harmed the DC brand if released.

So, where does Michael Keaton fit into this? Keaton was set to reprise his role as Batman in the movie. When asked by GQ about his reaction to the film’s cancellation, Keaton gave an unexpectedly candid response.

No, I didn’t care one way or another. Big, fun, nice check. […] I like those boys. They’re nice guys. [Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah] I pull for them. I want them to succeed, and I think they felt very badly, and that made me feel bad. Me? I’m good.

Keaton later returned as Batman in the 2023 film “The Flash.” Although the movie was a commercial failure, fans were generally pleased to see Keaton back in the iconic role.

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