Leslie Grace's Batgirl Dons Battle Suit In Cancelled DC Movie Fan Art
ScreenRant
1/27/2023
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New Batgirl fan art imagines Leslie Grace wearing a battle-worn version of her Batgirl costume, which could have featured in the cancelled DC film. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Batgirl was expected to be released on HBO Max in 2022, but the film was unceremoniously cancelled as a tax write-off after principal photography had already been completed. The film was set to star Grace as Batgirl, with Brendan Fraser playing Firefly, the villain. In addition to those two stars, the DC movie also was expected to feature J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and the return of Michael Keaton's Batman. While footage from the film hasn't been officially released, Grace has shared several behind-the-scenes photos and videos revealing her character's Batsuit.
In an impressive piece of fan art by @youssef_defenshi on Instagram, Grace's Batgirl is imagined in a battle-scarred Batsuit, seemingly not long after a fight.
The second slide as part of the artist's carousel reveals that he used one of Grace's behind-the-scenes pictures as inspiration, extending the look of the Batsuit to include her legs and knee/ shin guards. The Batgirl art also features Grace with blood dribbling from her mouth, an injury potentially sustained during a fight with Firefly.
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Batgirl Still Deserves Her Own Solo Movie
It's impossible to judge Batgirl's quality since the film was never released, but the female DC hero still undeniably deserves her own film. The character has featured in a number of animated Batman movies and even appears as a supporting character in 1997's Batman & Robin, but she has yet to actually star in her very own solo adventure. It's unclear if Grace will ever get another shot at playing Batgirl but, even if another were to take on the role, there are too many epic storylines featured in the DC comics to leave the character dormant again for so long.
Although the showdown between Batgirl and Firefly was shaping up to be an intense affair judging from set photos and videos that have been released, perhaps the biggest DC character that the heroine should face off against is Harley Quinn. Margot Robbie first played the villain 2016's Suicide Squad, eventually reprising the role in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey in 2020 and The Suicide Squad in 2021. It's unknown whether Robbie will appear as Quinn in any additional DC movies, but a showdown between her version of Quinn and Batgirl could make for an interesting mash-up. There are also a number of other villains Batgirl could face off against, including James Gordon Jr., and iconic Batman villains like the Joker or the Penguin.
With James Gunn and Peter Safran now in charge of the creative direction of DC Studios, it remains to be seen what new characters will be introduced in the years ahead. While Matt Reeves's Batman franchise seems safe under Gunn and Safran's leadership, Batgirl could be an interesting character to explore not only on her own but also as part of potential team-up movies down the line. There may not be much hope for El Arbi and Fallah's Batgirl movie at this point, but it's certainly possible that Grace will get another shot at playing the character. Even if Grace doesn't don the cowl again, the character is too exciting not to feature in the DCU down the line.
More: Batgirl Isn't The Only Canceled Brendan Fraser Movie We Wish Had Happened
Source: @youssef_defenshi
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