Michael Keaton, the legendary actor known for portraying the Caped Crusader in Batman (1989) & Batman Returns (1992), might have to delay his long-awaited return as Bruce Wayne. This comes as news after Warner Bros Discovery announced the shocking cancellation of the new and (was) upcoming Batgirl movie based on the DC character of Barbara Gordon, much to the surprise of fans. This upsetting news has come as a stunning announcement, and fans were already hyping up Michael Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne/Batman after more than twenty years of waiting. However, not all hope is lost for Keaton’s return.
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Why did Warner Bros. cancel Batgirl?
It may seem surprising and almost confusing that Warner Bros Discovery would cancel Batgirl, given that about a huge sum of $90 million was invested into getting the project to life. Development started way back in 2016 with a stellar cast consisting of Leslie Grace, Michael Keaton, J.K Simmons, and Brendan Fraser among others was also confirmed and done. To add to that, the filming of the movie was also done and wrapped up by March this year! So why was the project suddenly shelved and put aside?
Well, Warner Bros Discovery gave a reason along with the announcement, just to clarify things. The statement regarding the sudden decision reads-
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future”
To add more clarity, insiders reported that the higher-ups in charge of the studio, after much discussion and debate, said that the movie would “simply not work”. Adding to that, newly appointed owners and the new CEO of Warner Bros David Zaslav have their own plans with the DC titles, which is to make them “big theatrical event films”, and that Batgirl, despite the fan approval, was just not part of it.
Will Michael Keaton really return as Batman?
Despite the cancellation of Batgirl, not all hope is lost for fans dying to see Michael Keaton in action again.
Seasoned DC fans would know, that the upcoming DC movie called The Flash, based on the character of the same name, and the 14th movie in the DC Extended Universe, is set to release on June 23rd in 2023. There will be a familiar face appearing in The Flash, and yes, you guessed it right, it’s going to be Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne in the upcoming movie! His involvement was officially confirmed last year when the production on The Flash finally began. However, considering that new CEO David Zaslav is on a warpath to set DCEU on a successful trajectory, the future of The Flash also seems to be in doubt. Nevertheless, fans are still hopeful that Michael Keaton will return to the big screen as the Dark Knight, sooner or later.
Source: The Direct
