David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, recently got himself into a pickle when he claimed that removing Batgirl from the upcoming DC films was a brave decision. DC fans, predictably, expressed their confusion on social media very quickly, which led to a barrage of online jokes. One of the biggest news stories of the previous year was the decision by the head of Warner Bros. Discovery to scrap the HBO Max Batgirl movie when it was well into post-production. The decision was met with strong criticism from all sides of the industry.
It was intended to be a part of the DC Extended Universe, which was created for the HBO Max streaming service by DC Films and Burr! Productions. Alongside J. K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, and Michael Keaton, Leslie Grace was cast as Batgirl in the movie.
David Zaslav: It Took ‘Courage’ to Scrap All Those Completed Film Projects
David Zaslav responded to the twin SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes by arguing that it took “courage” to make the company’s budget cuts, which included shelving the completed films Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme. Speaking on Wednesday at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Zaslav, 63, reaffirmed to moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin his goal of finding a quick solution to the strikes.
“I think the idea of going on strike was bad for all of us. My focus was on, we need to settle the strike, every day that we were on strike and people weren’t working was a bad day for us.”
He faced intense criticism from all facets of the industry for his decision to abandon the HBO Max Batgirl film, which was one of the year’s biggest news stories. Reports at the time suggested that the film was not very good, and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran later speculated that Batgirl might have been even more of a disaster. As a result, the project was abandoned as a tax write-off. To quote Safran (via Variety):
“I saw the movie, and there are a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera on that film. But that film was not releasable, and it happens sometimes… I actually think that [David] Zaslav and the team made a very bold and courageous decision to cancel it because it would have hurt DC..”
Since then, similar things have happened to other projects like Coyote vs. Acme and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. Zaslav, however, maintained that these steps were only required as a “strategic decision” to strengthen the media conglomerate’s financial standing. He shared during the DealBook Summit:
“What content is going to help us win? The content that wasn’t, we made a strategic decision on. It was difficult and it was painful. But I think it was the right decision for the company and it was necessary..When I look at the health of our company today, we needed to make those decisions. And it took real courage.”
Thus, it is unlikely that we will ever see Batgirl. As per Deadline, many people connected to the project called the action “unprecedented” for big-budget film production in Hollywood history.
How Did DC Fans React To David Zaslav’s Statements?
David Zaslav’s remark regarding Batgirl was just one more example of how DC fans have never been afraid to express their opinions. The internet erupted with shock, sarcasm, and biting humor. We have compiled some of the most clever and hilarious Twitter reactions. Check them out. One fan asked:
COURAGE? That wasn’t courage. It was cowardice.
— Matt Jarbo (@mjarbo) November 29, 2023
Another believed:
Courage? All David zaslav cared about was the money. He didn’t care about the creatives or the actors that were involved with batgirl. And people were genuinely excited about this film. This could’ve made WB money.
— Ayman (@GuyWhoConquers) November 29, 2023
One confidently added:
Films are not “Content,” they are art. You’re not making Mr Beast videos
— Frankenkoopa (@frankenkoopa) November 29, 2023
Another stated:
“It took a lot of courage to overcome our innate human desire to not be evil.”
— Kcin. (@Kcin_Point) November 29, 2023
One noted:
Perhaps he can find the courage to sell Warner to another studio.
— David Sharp (@punk_fiction70) November 29, 2023
Joss Whedon started working on a feature film adaptation of Batgirl in March 2017, but he left the project a year later. In August 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced that, despite the film having entered post-production, the studio no longer planned to release it due to cost-cutting measures.
Consequently, Batgirl has a deep history in the DC universe. Despite the setback caused by the cancellation of the film, her fan base is still full of hope for her triumphant return.
