MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / MOVIES

DC fans irked after Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav REVEALS reason behind shelving 'Batgirl'

'We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,' Zaslav said in a recent interview

On August 4, 2022, Warner Bros shocked the world when they announced that the live-action movie 'Batgirl' had been shelved. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently revealed that the movie was shelved due to a number of reasons, including "economic value". 

In a recent interview with Variety, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav stated, “This idea of expensive films going direct to streaming — we can’t find an economic case for it, we can’t find an economic value to it, so we’re making a strategic shift.” Zaslav said, "We’re not going to launch a movie until it’s ready. We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,” he further added. “And as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality. DC is something that we think we could make better and we’re focused on it now,” he said.

RELATED ARTICLES

Leslie Grace fans worry about her career as 'Batgirl' axing comes after 'In the Heights' flop

Is 'Supergirl' next on chopping block? Insiders claim Sasha Calle movie to meet same fate as 'Batgirl'

Talking about DC characters, Zaslav said, “These are brands that are known everywhere in the world," adding, "And as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality. DC is something that we think we could make better and we’re focused on it now."

Zaslav highlighted the word “quality” repeatedly when talking about DC, implying that 'Batgirl' was not up to the mark. “The objective is to grow the DC brand, to grow the DC characters,” he said, adding, “But also, our job is to protect the DC brand. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

Zaslav also mentioned the projects like 'Black Adam', 'Shazam! 2' and 'The Flash' that he is “very excited about.” He said, “We’ve seen them, we think they’re terrific, and we think we can make them even better.”

After the interview surfaced online fans were left utterly confused. They took to social media and questioned the studio. Some fans are enraged with the studio's decision to go ahead with 'The Flash' starring Ezra Miller who has been accused of several misconducts and is facing multiple accusations of assault, although neither the actor nor the studio has spoken about it publicly. While some fans are confused and angry, others assumed it's racist.

One of the fans wrote, "Isn’t this why scripts/storyboards are made BEFORE film production? The talent should not be punished for leaderships mistakes." While another fan said, "No I have a friend who has a screener, he works in the industry, it was toasted as a tax write off. It was a perfectly fine movie. Certainly better than Morbius."

Another fan mentioned, "Warner Bros. Discovery under CEO David Zaslav: shut down CNN+ days after it launches, don't release Batgirl on any platform, even though the entire film is finished, continue plans to release The Flash despite its star constantly assaulting strangers."

A fan shared, "They're only saving $15-20B by canceling #Batgirl, which means they're likely to lose money doing so. And what they have is massive debts to pay off still. This probably explains why the stock market dipped 11.6% after closing today. How is this not negligence?"

One fan compared MCU and DC saying, "Except Marvel's being lately focusing on introducing and releasing shows with diverse characters and DC's been lately focusing on introducing... but then backtracking... and now shelving multiple movies with Latina, Black and Female leads."

'Batgirl' directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah expressed their shock at the news and said they did not know about the studio's decision. They said that they "can't believe" that the movie was shelved which has "saddened" them to no extent and that it was "far from finished".

The directorial duo's statement on Instagram read, "We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can't believe it. As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha'Allah. Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication and humanity. In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life."

Along with the directors, 'Batgirl' actress Leslie Grace, whose casting was announced in 2021, released an official statement on Instagram saying, "Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie "Batgirl," I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan - THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!” #Batgirl for life! 🦇." 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.