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Credit: Warner Bros.The world was shocked after the sudden announcement that the recently-merged Warner Bros. Discovery would be canceling the nearly complete Batgirl film directed by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Ms. Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, and starring Leslie Grace as the titular Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. Amid the studio, Warner Bros. Discovery coming under fire from now ex-cast and crew alike, the Batgirl lead actress has decided to speak out about the cancelation — and convey her emotions through the power of song.
Fans would have been treated to a fun new DC superhero film with Grace at the helm alongside J.K. Simmons as father and Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) Commissioner Gordon, AKA James Gordon AKA Jim Gordon, as well as Michael Keaton properly returning to his iconic role as Batman/Bruce Wayne for the first time in years.
Unfortunately, we’ve split from that particular timeline, and the Warner Bros. Discovery Batgirl film will likely never be seen by the public.
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It still remained a positive experience for the Barbara Gordon actress Leslie Grace, however, despite how saddening the news must have been. Taking to Twitter, the Batgirl star first posted a picture of herself in the Batgirl outfit and accompanied it with a message speaking about the pride and love and feels for the “incredible cast and tireless crew”.
“Querida familia!” (Dear family!) the actress with Dominican roots tweeted:
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.
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. pic.twitter.com/jGACQHoMjm
— Leslie Grace (@lesliegrace) August 4, 2022
Grace then posted a heartbreaking video in that same thread, which shows footage of her singing a quiet, acapella rendition of the Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston hit “I Will Always Love You”, as she zipped herself up into the Batgirl suit:
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! 🦇
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! 🦇 pic.twitter.com/4D9ZM87Ytu
— Leslie Grace (@lesliegrace) August 4, 2022
In the tweet accompanying the video, she graciously thanks the fans for all the “love and belief”, and iterates how “blessed” she feels to have “worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process”. Grace then quotes Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl, affectionately known as “Babs”, and says that taking on the cape allowed her to become “my own damn hero!”.
The lyrics of the song definitely hit home too, as the talented Grace sings:
Bittersweet memories
That is all I’m taking with me
So goodbye, please don’t cry
We both know I’m not what you need
And I will always love you
Leslie Grace is definitely an actor with pipes, who is known for having starred in Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights (2021), a movie musical inspired by the 2008 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name.
Related: Warner Bros. Likely to Cancel ‘Superman’ Spin-Off, Ezra Miller’s ‘Flash’ Still On
Some upset fans replied to Grace’s post, expressing their support and love for the once-Barbara Gordon.
Twitter user @amurkymuc said (and almost 300 other fans agreed):
WE LOVE YOU LESLIE! YOU WILL FOREVER BE OUR BATGIRL!
WE LOVE YOU LESLIE! YOU WILL FOREVER BE OUR BATGIRL! pic.twitter.com/vUp6611tnk
— aMucc (@amurkymuc) August 4, 2022
And some others took the chance to remind fans of the #ReleaseBatgirl movement which gained some traction over the anti-Warner Bros. Discovery furor, @TheBrennaissance quote tweeting a link to the petition:
A petition to #ReleaseBatgirl is available
A petition to #ReleaseBatgirl is available https://t.co/Z0RG57N4rz
— The Brenaissance (@TheBrenaissance) August 4, 2022
It’s a definite shame that Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to so unceremoniously shelve what could have been a great addition to the DC canon of superhero films.
But perhaps one day the stars will align and we will see Leslie Grace in the role of Batgirl once again.
How do you feel about this Batgirl cancelation? Would you have watched the movie? Comment down below!
Warner Bros. Discovery owns the wildly popular DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and the DC superhero film Justice League, which consists of Superman/Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), The Flash/ (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher).
The unreleased Batgirl is a DC film directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah would have followed the exploits of Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD), in a more domestic role as James “Jim” Gordon (J. K. Simmons).
Jacob Scipio would have played Anthony Bressi, mob boss in Gotham City, and Brendan Fraser would have been Ted Carson / Firefly, a pyromaniac and sociopathic veteran.
An alternate-DC universe Batman AKA Gotham City elite and wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne is played by Michael Keaton, returning to his iconic role.