Michael Keaton was going to make his triumphant return to the DC universe in Batgirl until the film got canceled. However, thanks to production staff and industry insiders, we know his role and how it would have played out in the movie. Aside from divulging those details, we’ll tell you why Batgirl was canceled and what the future holds for Keaton in the DCEU.
Why was Batgirl canceled?
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” is how Warner Bros. explained away the cancelation. That strategic shift, according to insiders, is toward theatrically-released blockbusters. Batgirl was a small-budget film meant for HBO Max. However, it went $15 million over budget, which is another suspected reason for the cancelation. Insiders also believe that Batgirl will be a tax right-off.
The film was in post-production when it got the axe, which, understandably, disappointed its directors. “We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it,” reads a statement from Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. “As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will Insha’Allah [God willing].” Despite canceling their project, Warner Bros. wants “to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
Michael Keaton’s aborted role
We hope Warner Bros. will still want to collaborate with Keaton, since he was supposed to reprise his iconic role of Batman from the late-80s and early-90s. Deadline broke this news in Dec. 2021, and earlier this month, El Arbi posted a photo of Keaton in the Batman suit. Most recently, an insider who had seen a preliminary cut of Batgirl revealed that Keaton’s Batman was an “age-appropriate” retiree with white hair. “But he obviously pops in to help and advise Barbara Gordon [Batgirl],” The Wrap‘s Umberto Gonzalez related from the source. Keaton wasn’t to have a large role, but, as Gonzalez continued, “he has a presence when he’s in it, and it’s sort of a pivotal cameo when he pops in and out.”
The future of Keaton in the DCEU
Thankfully, Batgirl wasn’t the only DC film to host a Keaton comeback. The Flash will feature him as Batman unless it too is canceled. The movie has already been delayed by years, and star Ezra Miller’s recent criminal escapades have Warner Bros. considering abandoning ship. Not only that, Keaton’s Batman was supposed to appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom but his presence reportedly confused test audiences, so Affleck’s Batman replaced him.
If The Flash combusts as well, Keaton might be the unluckiest Batman actor of all time.