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The highly anticipated Batgirl film seems to now be in cinematic purgatory, much to the disappointment of DC Comics fans. But perhaps no one is more disappointed to see the film axed than actor Brendan Fraser, who was slated to play Batgirl's fiery arch nemesis Firefly.
Fraser has openly expressed his disappointment after the announcement that Batgirl is to be shelved indefinitely. However, in a recent interview he hinted that Gunnar Wiedenfels, the Chief Financial Officer of WB Discovery, would like him to stop talking about it.
You can watch the video below:
\u201cBrendan Fraser says Warner Bros. decision to axe #Batgirl was "disappointing": "The fans really wanted to see this film made. Leslie Grace is a dynamo." https://t.co/hZNVdqyonR #TIFF\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1663011504
In the video, Fraser facetiously takes aim at Wiedenfels' alleged disapproval of the media coverage surrounding Batgirl.
"Well stop talking about this because Gunnar Wiedenfels does not want people thinking about this. That's what I read."
While the comment seems to have been made in good fun, Frasier was likely hinting at another context: that the decision to axe Batgirl was made so that WB Discovery could use it as a tax write off. Due to these allegations, Wiedenfels has lately been fielding a lot of heat as the purported mastermind behind the decision.
In response to his potential role in using Batgirl as a tax scheme, Wiedenfels has taken to gaslighting.
"Media, likes to talk about media, I guess."
WB Discovery has offered no comment, other than to assure viewers that they are investing more money than ever before in future content, and these investments will include a continued heavy emphasis on their DC comic collection.
However, not all fans are pleased.
\u201cI will never forgive the WB for denying me the chance to see Brendan Fraser as a villain in Batgirl.\u201d— Scott Vancil (@Scott Vancil) 1662319314
\u201cI\u2019m actually so annoyed we\u2019re never going to see Brendan Fraser\u2019s Firefly from Batgirl. We\u2019re in the middle of his comeback and we miss out on him playing a comic book villain????\u201d— Ollie \ud83c\udff9 (@Ollie \ud83c\udff9) 1662333422
\u201cYou know, at first, I wasn't TOO cut up about Batgirl being cancelled\nBut THEN, it was brought to my attention that that means we don't get Brendan Fraser's Firefly, and now I'm PISSED\u201d— Matt Raichous (@Matt Raichous) 1662947592
Cue criticism's of the studio.
\u201cWarner Bros. scraps Batgirl and immediately has to watch Brendan Fraser get festival hype while Michael Keaton wins an Emmy. YA FUCKED UP.\u201d— Jamie Jirak (@Jamie Jirak) 1663028079
\u201cWarner Bros shooting themselves in the foot by shelving Batgirl and missing out on the big Brendan Fraser comeback, very amusing\u201d— Chris Evangelista @ TIFF (@Chris Evangelista @ TIFF) 1662342259
\u201cGiven Brendan Fraser's comeback could Warner not rework Batgirl, call it something else so the tax write off they used it for still holds? Spell check suggests Bagel. Tell you what, I will give them $1 for the rights.\u201d— Elise Harris (@Elise Harris) 1662451425
\u201cMichael Keaton won an Emmy tonight and Brendan Fraser is currently a top contender for an Oscar. \n\nAnd yet, Warner Bros. Discovery thinks not releasing Batgirl is a good decision.\u201d— Romina J (@Romina J) 1663040376
\u201cYa know, if WB had put on a brave face and announced that they wanted to move Batgirl to theatrical, they probably could have made a decent buck off the Brendan Fraser comeback alone.\u201d— Jonathan is @ TIFF 2022 (@Jonathan is @ TIFF 2022) 1663036929
Fans seem to be most disappointed over the cancellation of Brendan Fraser's highly anticipated comeback.
After having wild success in the first half of his career, Fraser seemed to fall off the radar after going through a messy divorce and a long hiatus from acting. In that time frame, it is rumored that Fraser underwent financial troubles as well as mental health issues. He tried to return to Hollywood, but it seemed hopeless when he could not find any new roles.
Fans were eventually surprised to see that Fraser had undergone a noticeable transformation.
\u201cInsider Brendan Fraser's jaw-dropping transformation for comeback film The Whale https://t.co/3UhcMbS3XH\u201d— THFC Fan 2022 (@THFC Fan 2022) 1662478873
At this point people started to rally behind the former star.
Calls rang out for Fraser to return to the silver screen, and studios began to answer them. Fraser was cast in two new films: The Whale and Batgirl. Since then, fans have been itching to see the old star back in action. The latter production, unfortunately, will no longer happen. Hence, the harsh backlash.
Despite the film's cancellation, Fraser was quick to commend Batgirl costar Leslie Grace.
"The fans really wanted to see this film made. Leslie Grace is a dynamo."
Fraser has a reputation among fans and colleagues as a class act, and this continues to endear him to audiences. We hope WB Discovery soon realizes what that's worth.