The news of Batgirl being shelved by Warner Bros. has upset the DC fans beyond comprehension. The movie, which was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, saw its completion and was finishing up its post-production process. Following the cancellation, several reports have surfaced online which reveal interesting Easter eggs about the film and where exactly it would’ve stood in the overarching DC Extended Universe narrative.
Batgirl Easter Eggs Revealed?
Singer, songwriter, and actress Leslie Grace, whose role the world appreciated in the musical drama In The Heights, was set to lead the premise of the now-canned HBO Max film. Joining her were other actors such as J.K. Simmons in the role of James Gordon, Michael Keaton who was to see his iconic, much-awaited return as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Brendan Fraser who was set to play Firefly, a notable DC supervillain.
The decision to shelve the film was apparently made keeping in mind the latest strategies laid down by President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav who wishes to move forward with a 10-Year plan for DC. Following the unfortunate cancellation, Matthew Belloni, the host of the The Ringer podcast on Spotify named The Town with Matthew Belloni, shed some light on potential Easter eggs that fans would’ve seen in Batgirl.
The ex-editor for THR mentioned how he talked to a person who was a witness to a test screening of the film and apparently, the stakes were quite small. Additional details also point to how the film would’ve been set in the DCEU after the events of The Flash, which would explain Michael Keaton’s involvement as the Batman in both projects.
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An Easter Egg Which Hinted At Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman
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Among the many disclosures that have come to the surface, one of them has hinted at a Catwoman easter egg in Batgirl, specifically the one played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the Tim Burton-directed Batman Returns. This is what Belloni said in The Ringer podcast:
“They do show Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman mask which I think is something that fans may …. [find to be] a nice little Easter egg, although Michelle Pfeiffer is not in the movie.”
Besides the Catwoman reference which may have been a great trip down the nostalgia lane, Batgirl was also allegedly set to have a Jason Todd reference, a highly distinguished character in the DC Universe who became the second Robin after Dick Grayson. However, the character itself was not supposed to make an actual appearance in the film.
A “Convoluted” Premise…?
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The plot points that the fans of DC would’ve been rewarded with, if it were not for the film’s cancellation, allegedly revolved around Barbara Gordon and her “multiple boyfriends” — one of them may have been the character who was set to be played by theater performer and actor Ethan Kai. The film also intended to focus on Batgirl’s multiple encounters with “mob bosses.”
One of the most important details that have been unearthed from Belloni’s podcast also hints at how Fraser’s Firefly as a villain was going to be. Apparently, the supervillain in the film was simply a guy donning a suit who “may or may not have killed Batgirl’s mother early on.” This set-up would’ve primarily allowed for a different origin story of the superheroine.
While such claims of a complex, convoluted plot are only speculative, these details do add to the list of woes of DC fans. Although the stakes may have been small, the Batgirl film, written by Christina Hodson, was a fairly anticipated endeavor and a relatively exciting project, which, alas, fans no longer have the chance to witness… at least for now.
Source: Screen Rant
