Woke Scandal Blows Up After Warner Bros. Shelves $70 Million ‘Batgirl’: ‘Minority Talent Are Not Pawns’

A backlash is spreading like wildfire on social media after Warner Bros. announced it would be shelving the nearly-completed Batgirl movie — a production that would have featured DC’s first trans character — reportedly refusing to release it in theaters or on HBO Max.

As part of its recent merger with Discovery, Warner Bros. announced on Tuesday that the $90 million Batgirl will not be flying into theaters anytime soon and will not be sold to a streaming service. According to Warner Bros. Picture Spokesperson, the shocking and unprecedented decision stems from the company’s “strategic shift” in the DC Universe. The studio also shelved a Scooby-Doo movie.

“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” said the spokesperson. “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.”

Batgirl had originally been designed for an HBO Max release, but the budget reportedly swelled past $90 million due to coronavirus restrictions during the pandemic. Though it had entered post-production, Warner Bros. decided it was not worthy of a theatrical run. Insiders told TheWrap that the studio heads ultimately believed the film “did not work.”

“The new owners and management, led by CEO David Zaslav, are committed to making DC titles big theatrical event films, and Batgirl isn’t that. Insiders added that studio brass loves the film’s directors and star, and are actively planning to work with them soon,” noted the outlet.

Similar to the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut phenomenon that led to the re-release of Justice League, a steady backlash has been brewing online, which has been even more amplified by the fact that Batgirl star Leslie Grace checks a big representation box as a Latina American.