Michael Keaton, the legendary actor best known for playing the Caped Crusader in Batman (1989) & Batman Returns (1992), may have to delay his long-awaited return as Bruce Wayne. This comes as news after Warner Bros Discovery announced the shock cancellation of the new and (was) coming bat girl film based on the DC character of Barbara Gordon, much to the surprise of fans. This heartbreaking news came as a stunning announcement, and fans have already heralded the return of Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman after over twenty years of waiting. However, all hope is not lost for Keaton’s return.
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Why Warner Bros. canceled Batgirl?
It may seem surprising and almost confusing that Warner Bros Discovery is canceling bat girl, given that around a whopping $90 million was invested to bring the project to life. Development began in 2016 with a stellar cast of Leslie Grace, Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, and Brendan Fraser, among others, also confirmed and completed. To add to that, filming for the movie was also wrapped and finished in March this year! So why was the project suddenly abandoned and shelved?
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Well, Warner Bros. Discovery gave a reason with the announcement, just to clear things up. The statement regarding the sudden decision reads:
“The decision not to release Batgirl reflects the strategic shift in our leadership as it relates to the DC Universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actress and this decision does not reflect her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers from Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective cast members and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future”
For clarity, insiders reported that studio officials, after much discussion and debate, said the movie “just won’t work.” On top of that, newly appointed owners and new Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav have their own plans with the DC titles, which is to make them “big theatrical event movies”, and that bat girldespite fan approval, was simply not one of them.
Will Michael Keaton really return as Batman?
Despite the cancellation of bat girlall hope is not lost for fans who are dying to see Michael Keaton in action again.
Seasoned DC fans would know that the next DC movie titled the flashbased on the character of the same name, and the 14th movie in the DC Extended Universe, is set for release on June 23, 2023. A familiar face will appear in the flash, and yes, you guessed it right, Michael Keaton will be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne in the next film! His involvement was officially confirmed last year when production on the flash finally started. However, given that new CEO David Zaslav is on a warpath to put the DCEU on a successful trajectory, the future of the flash also seems doubtful. Nevertheless, fans are still hoping that Michael Keaton will return to the big screen as the Dark Knight sooner or later.
Source: Live
