Batgirl's Leslie Grace confirmed sequel discussions following the first film's controversial cancellation.
Despite the DC film being swiftly and suddenly axed for tax purposes in August of 2022, and a reboot of the DC Universe (DCU) under new management, hopes for a Batgirl resurrection just won't go away.
While interest stems from the shock of the studio killing a film that was already in post-production, there's also the reality of Batgirl's talented cast and its heroine's hopes for justice.
Batgirl Star Gives Sequel Update
In talking with Variety, Leslie Grace revealed discussions about Batgirl's future, including the potential for a Batgirl 2.
When asked about her previous statements concerning discussions with the film's directors about a sequel, back before Batgirl's shocking cancellation, Grace confirmed that "We still are:"
"We still are. We were so excited about all the ideas that we had, because you can see long-term potential in the story that we were beginning to build."
While the decision to dispatch Batgirl was made prior to James Gunn and Peter Safran assuming the role of co-heads of DC Studios, Grace admitted that she hasn't "heard from them:"
"No, I haven’t heard from them. But I wish them the best on all the plans that they’ve got rolling out. They’ve got a lot of projects to handle, and it’s not an easy job."
As to whether Batgirl may have a future in the new DCU as part of Matt Reeves' The Batman universe or that of Gunn and Safran's The Brave and The Bold, she confessed, "I can't say one way or the other:"
"We’ve definitely had conversations about Batgirl's future and how 'Batgirl can make a resurgence. I think fans are looking forward to seeing that. We’ll just see where that takes us; I can’t say one way or the other if that is a reality at this point."
Grace also made it known that she has no control over what happens, likely referring to her film's cancellation in saying, "as we've learned:"
"I can’t speak too much about a future for Bat-girl or guarantee anything. The last thing that I would want to do is give folks any kind of inkling of something that I have not much control over — as we’ve learned."
Those who are in control - namely Gunn and Safran - have also kept the Batcave open for a Batgirl.
According to Deadline, Safran expressed that "Batgirl is inevitably a character we’ll include in our story.”
And, even though the DC Studios executive hasn't talked to Leslie Grace, he has spoken with Batgirl's directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, and claims "we'd love to be in business with all of them:"
“I spoke to ['Batgirl' directors] Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah last week — we’d love to be in business with all of them.”
While if and when that happens remains to be seen, Leslie Grace shared her own reactions to learning her DC film had been axed, as well as her unwavering confidence in the film's quality.
According to the actress, she was "so sure of the magic that happened;" and at the least, "nothing can take that experience away:"
"It was like deflating a balloon. On that day, I was very much just taking it all in, but also so sure of the magic that happened — in my experience and what I saw in my cast, in our team — that I was like, 'This must be some crazy thing that we have no control over.' I tend to be a very optimistic and positive person in these types of circumstances, and I just really leaned on the beauty of the idea that I got to have this experience in my life. Even though I would’ve loved to share that with the rest of the world, nothing can take that experience away from us."
Grace also responded to Peter Safran's claim that the film was "not releasable" and could've hurt DC, relaying how Warner Bros. Film Group CEOs told her "things were out of their hands:"
"I had my own meetings with Warner Bros. Film Group CEOs Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, and they explained to me, on a granular level, what they felt about the project, things that were out of their hands, plans and budgets that were set in place before they were even part of the team. There are a lot of things that I learned through the experience about moviemaking, that as an actress you have no control over."
However, she also noted that "they weren't really specific on anything creative" or how Batgirl "would've hurt DC creatively:"
"They weren’t really specific on anything creative in terms of what they felt about the film and how it would’ve hurt DC creatively. But I’m a human being, and people have perceptions and people read things. And when words are expressed very lightly about work that people really dedicated a lot of time to — not just myself but the whole crew — I can understand how it could be frustrating."
Leslie Grace also admitted that her film faced obstacles during filming. However, nothing "ever got in the way of us delivering what we knew wanted to:"
"I’m not going to lie to you. In every film, there are obstacles, and our film was nothing short of that. Half of the shoot was night shoots in Scotland, where it never stops raining. So there were obstacles, but at the end of the day, because of the incredible crew, nothing that ever got in the way of us delivering what we knew we wanted to deliver for this film. At least from what I was able to see."
Lastly, when asked whether she saw a final cut of the film, Grace confirmed she saw Batgirl "as far as it got to," while also expressing her recurring hope that others will "get to see clips of it later on:"
"That’s the one thing I asked for. I got to see the film as far as it got to; the film wasn’t complete by the time that it was tested. There were a bunch of scenes that weren’t even in there. They were at the beginning of the editing process, and they were cut off because of everything going on at the company. But the film that I got to see — the scenes that were there — was incredible. There was definitely potential for a good film, in my opinion. Maybe we’ll get to see clips of it later on."
Hope for Batgirl Remains Amidst Mixed Messages
While Leslie Grace has shown nothing but class in the wake of Batgirl's cancellation, she's also been persistent in her defense of the film and her hopes for some sort of release.
She also praised current Academy Award front-runner, Brendan Fraser, who played Batgirl antagonist Firefly, referring to him as "one of the kindest people in the world."
The fact audiences have been denied one of Fraser's comeback roles is one of the situation's many injustices, but his performance isn't the only one fans are missing out on.
Batgirl also starred J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl's father, as well as Michael Keaton's Batman whose return in The Flash is one of the upcoming film's biggest draws.
It's definitely intriguing and encouraging to learn that the Batgirl team is still optimistic about the film's future, especially in light of Peter Safran stating that a Batgirl in the DCU is "inevitable."
But on the other hand, he seems to have a different take on the Batgirl film's quality and its impact on DC which, curiously, he and Gunn intended to reboot anyway.
For now, the question of whether Leslie Grace will ever get to show the world her Caped Crusader is still up for debate.
But in the meantime, keeping the conversation going and feeding audience interest sure can't hurt.
