Following Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to cancel HBO Max's Batgirl film, Brendan Fraser pokes fun at the movie getting axed. After the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery was completed earlier this year, shake-ups have been happening inside the new company. With David Zaslav as the new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, the company is quickly moving away from the previous regime's strategies for producing and delivering content to its consumers.
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One of their biggest decisions that sent a shock through Hollywood was the sudden cancellation of HBO Max's Batgirl movie, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon. Batgirl had finished principal photography in late March and was in the midst of post-production when the studio decided to scrap the film. There were several factors that played into Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to shelve the DC picture, including getting a tax write-off. Batgirl was going to focus on Barbara becoming Gotham City's newest protector while facing Fraser as the Batman villain Firefly.
It's been over a month since Batgirl's cancellation, but the world hasn't stopped talking about it, as this rarely happens with a movie that has already wrapped filming. Fraser, along with several cast members, has expressed his disappointment with Warner Bros. Discovery pulling the film. In a recent interview with City News while promoting The Whale, Fraser and the film's screenwriter, Samuel D. Hunter, had a moment of laughter when they were asked what projects were coming up for them. When it was Fraser's turn to respond, he jokingly said, "Batgirl…oh!," before staring hilariously into the camera. Check out the full clip (via @DCU_CORE) below:
For clarity, Fraser wasn't making fun of Batgirl as an actual movie, but rather Warner Bros. Discovery deciding to give up on a project the studio had already spent $90 million by the time the decision was revealed to the public. In the end, it was a light joke that wasn't meant to offend any of his Batgirl directors, cast, or crew members, as Fraser has shared nothing but respect for his colleagues. This project would have marked his second DC project, as he currently plays Cliff Steele, a.k.a. Robotman, on HBO Max's critically-acclaimed series Doom Patrol. The show is expected to return for season 4 sometime this fall on the HBO-branded streaming service.
Even though Batgirl will, unfortunately, never be released on any platform, it's not impossible for Fraser's Firefly to show up in a different DCEU project. According to reports from August, despite the controversial decision, Warner Bros. Discovery is allegedly considering having Grace's Batgirl in a future movie. If they want to, there is always the chance the studio will find a way to use Fraser's DC villain for another DCEU movie, or even a TV show that is tied to the franchise. Assuming Fraser is still interested in playing Firefly, the Batgirl star may still have a future in the DCEU.