Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña, who is set to star in Blue Beetle, talks about HBO Max's Batgirl movie getting canceled by Warner Bros. Discovery. Since the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery was completed, there have been multiple shake-ups at the newly formed studio. HBO Max and Discovery+ are set to merge into one streaming service, which will debut summer of 2023, while multiple titles have started to get scrapped and/or pulled from the HBO-branded service. But it has also caused the DC IPs to get affected as well, as the studio is re-tooling its strategy for the iconic superheroes.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Despite having wrapped principal photography in late March, HBO Max's Batgirl film got the ax by Warner Bros. Discovery, a cancelation that sent waves through Hollywood. Set to feature Leslie Grace as Batgirl, the Barbara Gordon-led movie was going to focus on the young heroine's origin story in becoming one of Gotham City's new protectors, however, the studio didn't see Batgirl's financial demands as something that would fit their strategy and became a project that gave them a tax write-down. While this caused concern for upcoming DC movies like Blue Beetle and Black Canary, those projects are going forward, with the former having already finished filming and now set for a theatrical release.
A month has passed since Batgirl's controversial cancelation happened, and reactions are still coming in from fans and Hollywood figures alike. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Xolo Maridueña, who will bring Jamie Reyes, a.k.a. Blue Beetle to life in his own film, was asked about Warner Bros. Discovery choosing to cancel the Batgirl movie. Like a lot of previous reactions, Maridueña wasn't thrilled about Grace's DC picture getting scrapped, as he shared the following:
It obviously feels very close, right? Warner Brothers and Beetle. But I think everything that has to be said on the topic has been spoken from [those involved]. I think the creators and Leslie said everything that had to be said.
Grace's casting as Batgirl was a huge move for the DCEU, as well as superhero movies in general, when it came to inclusivity and representation. While Barbara is traditionally a Caucasian woman in the comics, the DCEU film was reimagining Batgirl as an Afro-Latina by tapping Grace as the lead. Unfortunately, Batgirl getting shelved came the same year as other DC projects with a lot of diversity got canceled, joining The CW's Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Naomi. As Jamie Reyes enters the cinematic universe, Maridueña's Blue Beetle movie, initially set to debut on HBO Max before it got reworked for theatrical, will be the first time a superhero film stars a canonical Latino character.
Even though Warner Bros. Discovery is seemingly moving on from the Batgirl cancelation, their decision will be discussed in the media for a significant time as this rarely ever happens, especially for the DC brand. With the news that various DC projects aren't going forward to the confirmation that DC FanDome is not happening this fall, 2022 has, understandably so, been an emotional rollercoaster of a year for fans of the franchise. Even with the assurance that the movie is scheduled for release, there will always be the concern that Blue Beetle could go from being safe to suddenly get pulled by the studio at the last minute, should its test scores prove disappointing for the studio. While Grace's Batgirl movie may never be shown to the public, perhaps her character will cross paths with Maridueña as Blue Beetle in the DCEU in a different project, given she is reportedly still in talks for a DCEU future.