It’s been a rocky road for DC fans as they try and stitch up the connective tethers of the DCEU. Ever since 2017’s Justice League, fans have been divided on the direction of the franchise that is supposed to rival Marvel Studios’ successful MCU. With no clear indication of iconic characters like Superman and Batman’s fates, Batgirl was going to bring audiences back to Gotham City and hopefully answer the question of where The Dark Knight is.
Sadly, after the merger of Discovery and Warner Bros. into Warner Bros. Discovery, the new CEO, David Zaslav decided to cancel Batgirl, a film in its post-production. Many people are wondering why exactly it got canceled and what the film would have entailed. Here are some of the things that could’ve been seen by audiences in DC’s Batgirl movie.
7 James Gordon Junior, Remorseless Killer
With Batgirl set to introduce audiences to the life of Barbara Gordon, it wouldn’t be surprising if a light was shed on her family. Her brother, James Gordon Jr., is a notable character in the comics for being the opposite of his father. Instead of following the route of a GCPD cop, James Gordon, Jr. became a remorseless killer. Depending on when Batgirl was set, audiences may have seen a tease of what Junior was capable of.
From a young age, James Gordon, Jr. would kill and dismember animals as a hobby and was even implicated in the disappearance of one of Barbara Gordon’s friends. Throughout the comics, James Jr. has had multiple run-ins with not only Batman but his police commissioner father and Batgirl herself, who, unbeknownst to James, is his sister, Barbara Gordon.
6 Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder
When set pictures first came out for the Batgirl movie, many were surprised to see wall art designed specifically for the movie. This art had Michael Keaton’s Batman alongside a Robin. Considering Batman’s first Robin was Dick Grayson, it would essentially confirm the existence of the Boy Wonder as part of the DCEU and thus confirm the existence of Dick Grayson.
Since Michael Keaton’s Batman would be far older, it’s to be expected that Dick Grayson would be too and perhaps enjoying a life of acrobatics under his name of Nightwing in Blüdhaven. Nightwing and Batgirl have a long-standing and complicated romance, and the Batgirl movie may have sparked such a romance between the two.
5 A New DC Extended Universe
After 2017’s Justice League, fans of DC Films had not seen Ben Affleck’s Batman or Henry Cavill’s Superman since. Some fans online still petition and clammer for the return of these actors to these iconic roles, but so far, there has been no word on the outcome of such a task. With Batgirl, DC was set to usher in a new era of DC and leave behind the icons of Batman and Superman in favor of Batgirl and Supergirl.
Audiences would have seen Michael Keaton’s Batman train Leslie Grace’s Batgirl as the new protector of Gotham City and potentially meet Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, as she is set to be introduced in 2023’s The Flash film. This duo has quite the friendship in the comics, and many would have loved to see it on the big screen.
4 Commissioner James Gordon
One thing that was common knowledge about the production of Batgirl was the fact that J.K. Simmons was set to return to the DCEU as Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon. Audiences first saw the police commissioner and long-time friend of the costumed vigilante Batman in 2017’s Justice League and then again for Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
There are many set pictures available that show Jim Gordon, with some appearing to be flashbacks, where Jim Gordon, for the first time on film, sports his comic look with red hair. Having Gordon back in Batgirl would have further cemented the film as a DCEU timeline movie.
3 Firefly’s Big Break
One of the internet’s favorite stars is Brendan Fraser, an actor who has found a recent resurgence with roles like Robotman in DC Comics’ Doom Patrol. Fraser was set to return as a DC villain as Firefly; a pyrotechnics expert turned arsonist. Firefly is a dangerous enemy of Batman and seeks the blaze of Gotham City.
Firefly was set to be the central antagonist to Batgirl, and it was expected to see Firefly and Batgirl go toe-to-toe in a great set of battles, to which details are sparse if any. All that is known is the actor who would have played Firefly and what was lost with the cancellation of Batgirl.
2 Batman Returns
After over 31 years since Tim Burton’s Batman, which hit theatres in a big way in 1989, fans have eagerly awaited the potential return of many fans’ very first cinematic Batman. Michael Keaton donned the cape and cowl in Batman, and then Batman Returns but hung it up to play The Vulture in Marvel Studios and Sony’s Spider-Man franchise. Michael Keaton was set to return in The Flash, a multiverse adventure in which he would have replaced Ben Affleck’s Batman as the mainline Batman.
With this replacement in mind, Batgirl filmed scenes with Michael Keaton as Batman and even interacting with Batgirl. It would have been a joy for many fans of Batman ’89 to see Michael Keaton again, especially ushering in a new age of youthful DC heroes.
1 The Beginning Of The Batfamily
Batman has been one of DC’s most popular characters since his creation. The character has seen many live-action appearances, but to the disappointment of many comic readers, has lacked an on-screen appearance with his iconic Bat Family. This group, known as the “Batfam,” consists of characters like Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, Batwoman, and other Batgirls like Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, and even more.
With the Batgirl film, fans were eager to see the beginning of a DC cinematic universe that would shine a light on Batman’s friends and family with the Bat Family and not leave them behind in favor of more Batman content. Alas, it seems as if fans will have to wait even longer for such an event.