A new look at Batgirl has been released, not that we'll ever get to see the finished film. Featuring Leslie Grace as Barbara "Babs" Gordon, the film would have brought Batgirl into the DCEU as the star of her own movie on HBO Max. Filming had been completed with the film in post-production when the film was abruptly canceled by the new brass at Warner Bros. Discovery. On TikTok, Grace shared a video featuring some behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of Batgirl. The video features some footage of Grace in makeup as Batgirl along with some footage of her training for some of the fight sequences. Some of the other stunts are also teased along with a brief clip of the actual film with Grace getting attacked by an unknown assailant (Firefly?). Grace also includes a shot of herself having some fun on a spring rider in her Batgirl costume.
Grace had previously addressed the cancelation of Batgirl with a separate post on Instagram. That post also included some behind-the-scenes photos and footage from the shoot along with a message addressing the fans about the sad news.
"Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie Batgirl,” Grace wrote. "I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan - THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, 'my own damn hero!'”
Batgirl Getting Canceled Was Hard On Its Cast and Crew
"It's disappointing," Grace's co-star Brendan Fraser, who played the villain Firefly in the canceled film, has also said of the decision, per Variety. "The fans really wanted to see this film made. I was there. Leslie Grace is a dynamo... She just goes for it. She looks great in the outfit."
He added, "The movie itself was shot and conceived for a smaller screen, in this age it would have come out of now between streaming service vs. theatrical release. It wound up being the canary in the coal mine. So, what did we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers. Like Darren."
Ivory Aquino, who played Barbara's best friend Alysia Yeoh, has also pleaded for Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslov to save the film. In a lengthy Twitter thread, Aquino said how important this film was and that it was heartbreaking to see it get canceled.
"As much as I’ve tried my best to be strong these past few weeks, I’d find myself crying, for lack of a better term, from grief, and tonight was one of those nights," Aquino said in part. "As much as Batgirl has been labeled a woke film, it simply came together that way because of writing that reflects the world we live in. For me, more than anything, it is a father-daughter story which hits close to home as my Dad passed a year ago, shortly before I booked this project, and I was hoping it would resonate with other children around the world, grown and not-so-grown, who hold their fathers in the highest esteem and who could see Batgirl as a story of that special bond."
Aquino added, "My heart goes out to Leslie Grace and our beloved directors and entire crew & cast who spent months dedicating their all to this endeavor. Leslie checked in on me the day we found out of the shelving and only had words of comfort and support. I’ve dared not ask since if she’s spent nights holding back tears like I have because she has had to be the face of our Batgirl family and has had to put on a brave face as a way of taking care of us the way she gracefully steered our film."