Batgirl Movie Reportedly Not A Priority At Warner Bros.
Director Joss Whedon’s sudden departure from the Batgirl film has reportedly changed Warner Bros’ priorities regarding spinoff movies. This shift in plans directly impacts the movie that was supposed to star Barbara Gordon.
Sources close to the situation told The Wrap “there are no imminent plans to attach a new filmmaker to the Batman spinoff after Whedon exited last week.”
Warner Bros. first announced the Batgirl movie was announced in March 2017 with Whedon, who directed Marvel Studios’ first two Avengers films, slated to direct. Whedon took the reins from Zack Snyder after the Batman vs Superman director stepped down from Justice League following a family tragedy, and many in the industry believed his time working on DC’s superhero crossover wasn’t the best.
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In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter , Whedon explained that he had to step away from the Batgirl movie after failing to create a story worthy of the character. “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story,” Whedon told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. Referring to DC president Geoff Johns and Warners Picture Group president Toby Emmerich, Whedon added, “I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”
THR speculated that Whedon may have faced scrutiny for tackling a female-led movie. The critical and financial success of Wonder Woman, largely due to director Patty Jenkins, may turn fans off from a Whedon-led Batgirl film.
Warner Bros. is having trouble duplicating the success of Marvel Studios in creating a shared comic book universe using the DC Comics characters. The aforementioned Wonder Woman being the lone bright spot for the company as films like Batman vs Superman, Suicide Squad and Justice League underperformed both critically and financially.
What do you think of Warner Bros. reportedly putting Batgirl on the backburner? Would you rather see Batgirl in the next Batman movie first? Let us know in the comments section below.