Batgirl had to be canceled because it "would have hurt DC," says DC Studios head Peter Safran.
In an interview with Variety, Safran explained why the decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to shelve its standalone Batgirl movie was the right call. Since it's been some time since news of its cancelation spread, it's worth reminding that the movie had already been filmed when it was shelved, leading to "funeral screenings" for its cast and crew before ultimately being locked away for good.
"Batgirl's a character that inevitably we will include in our story," Safran said. "On the Batgirl front, it's not about late in the process of the film getting canceled. I saw the movie, and there are a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera on that film.
Despite these unflattering words, Safran said Batgirl had some top-tier talent behind the scenes and that "some people are already back in business with us." In particular, he noted that he'd recently been in contact with Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, but didn't specify what they were talking about. He also mentioned Batgirl screenwriter Christina Hodson, but didn't go further into detail.
"As I said, a lot of talented people were involved, but the film just was not releasable. It would not have been able to compete in the theatrical marketplace; it was built for the small screen. So, again, I think it was not an easy decision, but they made the right decision by shelving it."
