Batgirl director Adil El Arbi has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the deleted film. The film, canceled by Warner Bros. while it was in post-production, would feature the return of Michael Keaton as Batman for the first time since 1992.
While we won’t be able to see the movie, Arbi has given a glimpse of what it could have been like. Posting on her personal Instagram. (opens in a new tab), shared a photo (which you can see below) of Keaton’s Batgirl and Leslie Grace in costume. The low-light shot shows Arbi leading the pair in what could have been her first meeting on the streets of Gotham.
Adil El Arbi has shared an image of Leslie Grace’s Batgirl and Michael Keaton’s Batman from the set of the canceled movie ‘BATGIRL’. pic.twitter.com/HAosZ01SgiAugust 5, 2022
Batgirl was to feature Keaton’s first return as Batman before his appearance in The Flash. Reports have also surfaced that she filmed a cameo for the upcoming Aquaman 2, but this is thought to be unlikely to make it to the final cut.
Alongside Grace as Barbara Gordon and Keaton as Bruce Wayne, Batgirl was to star JK Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Jacob Scipio as mob boss Anthony Bressi, and Brendan Fraser as the villainous Firefly. The film would have followed Barbara’s origin story as she became the vigilante Batgirl.
Warner Bros. confirmed that the film would not be released on HBO Max or in theaters in a cost-cutting move. He also scrapped Scoob! Holiday Haunt at the same time, which was also in the post-production stages. Following the news, Arbi and her Batgirl co-director Bilall Fallah released a joint statement, saying they were “saddened and shocked” by the decision.
“We still can’t believe it,” they wrote on Instagram. “As directors, it’s critical that our work is shown to the public, and while the film was far from finished, we wish fans around the world had had the chance to see and embrace the final film for themselves. Maybe one day.” will be Insha’Allah.”
While we may not get Batgirl, there are plenty of other new superhero movies on the way.
