James Gunn and Edgar Wright Offer Kind Words to Batgirl Directors
Warner Brothers Discovery is taking DC in a different direction, and that pivot does not include Batgirl. Reports circulated earlier this week that Billal Fallah and Adil El Arbi's Batgirl would be scrapped, despite the film having completed production. Reasons for this included WB Discovery looking to save tax dollars as well as the movie not fitting into parameters set for either a theatrical or streaming release. Apparently, Batgirl is too small for theaters, but too big for HBO Max. On top of that, WB Discovery is eyeing a course correction for DC, which includes a "10 year plan" akin to what Marvel President Kevin Feige has accomplished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While unconfirmed, that next decade looks like a hard reset, and with Batgirl including Michael Keaton's Batman (The Flash) and JK Simmons' Commissioner Gordon (Justice League), it appears that the Leslie Grace-led film's story would get in the way of that.
Regardless of the reasoning, the move to cancel an all-but-finished film devastated both fans and talent alike. The aforementioned Feige, who worked with Fallah and El Arbi on Ms. Marvel, hit up the directing duo to offer his best wishes.
"My friends, I had to reach out and let you know we are all thinking about you both," Feige wrote to the duo in an email. "Because of the wonderful news about the wedding (congrats!) and the disappointing news about Batgirl. Very proud of you guys for all the amazing work you do and particularly Ms. Marvel of course! Can't wait to see what is next for you. Hope to see you soon."
Feige isn't the only creator to extend his support. While their messages were not publicly shared, both James Gunn (The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker) and Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Last Night in Soho) helped ease Fallah and El Arbi during this time.
"Thanks for all the messages of support all over the world," El Arbi wrote on Instagram. "Shoutout directors Edgar Wright and James Gunn, your kind words and experience mean a lot and help us through this difficult period."
Gunn has seen unprecedented success over his years on comic book movies, delivering critically-acclaimed ensemble pieces within both the Marvel and DC Universes, not unlike how Fallah and El Arbi were set to have projects in both worlds. Wright has his fingerprints on a comic book movie, 2015's Ant-Man, but cannot lay claim to the film being entirely his. That's because despite developing an Ant-Man feature film at Marvel Studios for years, Wright ultimately departed the project before filming kicked off due to creative differences.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for ongoing updates regarding Batgirl.