DC’s Batgirl movie is now all but a certainty with a piece of concept art and some casting announcements being made in recent weeks. One of those casting announcements was the unexpected update that Brendan Fraser will be playing the movie’s main villain.
We’re now getting insights via ComicBook that the villain role almost might have gone to none other than Sylvester Stallone.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit tweeted the development Monday, saying after the actor was initially offered the part, “things just didn’t work out.”
Stallone has certainly dipped his toes into the superhero genre in movies, portraying both Starhawk in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and King Shark in DC’s The Suicide Squad — both of which were helmed by James Gunn.
With so many fans ecstatic about the news that Fraser will play the villain in Batgirl, perhaps it was for the best that Stallone was not ultimately chosen. At this point, fans of Fraser would probably participate in some kind of sit-in to make sure his career renaissance continues.
Fraser will co-star alongside In The Heights‘ Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon / Batgirl, with J.K. Simmons expectedly returning from his Snyderverse turn as Commissioner James Gordon. In addition, Jacob Scipio is also starring in an as-of-yet unannounced role.
Similar to Gunn and Stallone, directors Adil El Arbi and Billal Fallah have their toes in both Marvel and DC as they are slated to helm both the upcoming Ms. Marvel Disney Plus show and Batgirl.