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Entertainment industry figures and comics fans alike have been decrying Warner Bros. decision to cancel the HBO Max film Batgirl, which was all but finished but reportedly had disastrous test screenings.
Among them is filmmaker Kevin Smith, whose films have always had a cult following that overlaps with comic-movie fandom and who has helmed a few superhero projects himself.
Smith lambasted Warner Bros. for canceling the DC Comics film, in particular because the actor who played the titular role, Leslie Grace, is Latina, something of a watershed for representation in comic-book films.
Smith addressed the issue on his podcast "Hollywood Babble On," calling it a "bad look." See his comments below.
Kevin Smith Gets Caught in this Week's Warner Bros. Discovery Movesyoutu.be
Speaking with co-host and actor Ralph Garman, Smith laid into Warner Bros. for their decision as the audience they recorded in front of applauded.
“It’s an incredibly bad look to cancel the Latina Batgirl movie."
"I don’t give a sh*t if the movie was absolutely fu*king dogsh*t, and I guarantee you it wasn’t.”
Sources closes to the project have said that test audiences hate the the film so much it was "irredeemable," hence the cancellation. But given the budget and the directing team, Smith doesn't buy it. He went on to say:
“The two directors who directed that movie did a couple of episodes of Ms. Marvel and it was a wonderful fu*king show. And they had more money to do Batgirl than Ms. Marvel.”
Smith also criticized Warner Bros. for canceling Batgirl while moving ahead with another DC Comics film, next year's The Flash, which has been repeatedly delayed due to the erratic criminal behavior of its star, Ezra Miller.
“That is the baffling thing. I don’t give a sh*t how bad the Batgirl movie is, nobody in that movie is complicated or has anything in their real life you have to market around."
"In The Flash movie, we all know there’s a big problem. Flash is the Reverse-Flash in real life.”
Miller has been repeatedly arrested for physical altercations and invading people's homes in recent months, and was charged with felony burglary over the weekend in Vermont.
On Twitter, many people shared Smith's take on things and applauded him for speaking out.
\u201cFinally someone with influence saying what the majority have been saying for months and years.\u201d— The General C (@The General C) 1659991558
\u201cIt really is impossible to overstate how much history was lost with the cancelation of BATGIRL. It\u2019s so, SO much more than \u201csome superhero movie that won\u2019t ever see the light of day.\u201d It would\u2019ve offered revolutionary representation to so many and paved the way for more progress.\u201d— Zo\u00eb Rose Bryant (@Zo\u00eb Rose Bryant) 1659921918
\u201cDavid Zaslav: We canceled 'Batgirl' because \u201cOur job is to protect the DC brand, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d\n\nThe DC brand:\u201d— Ross A. Lincoln (@Ross A. Lincoln) 1659823304
\u201cGiven the latest news, this is just really glaring.\u201d— J. Dianne Dotson (@J. Dianne Dotson) 1660005427
\u201cThe nerd is right\u201d— Izzy Hands Apologist (The Remix) (@Izzy Hands Apologist (The Remix)) 1660016335
\u201cI just wish they'd finally give these characters a proper film debut. Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, etc... none have been brought to the big screen properly. \n\nBut hell - let's see Batmans parents die one more time.. \n\nOr let's see how two-face got his face burned again..\u201d— Nick930 (@Nick930) 1659990909
\u201cthis is even worse for wb now ezra miller has been charged with felony burglary.\u201d— \u0586\u029f\u0585\u01df\u057c\u025b \ud83d\udd3b (@\u0586\u029f\u0585\u01df\u057c\u025b \ud83d\udd3b) 1659996406
\u201c@RollingStone Thank you @ThatKevinSmith! This is why you\u2019re the GOAT!\u201d— Rolling Stone (@Rolling Stone) 1659973636
\u201c@screenrant Replying to \n@screenrant\nExactly. As a Latino I\u2019m happy every time we get a Latino superhero on the screen. Because I know how hard that is. WB continues to disrespect and short charge diversity in Hollywood.\u201d— Screen Rant (@Screen Rant) 1659882982
\u201cKevin Smith once again hitting the mail spot on with it.\n\n#Batgirl\u201d— Tyler Freshcorn (@Tyler Freshcorn) 1659983899
The cancellation of Batgirl is just one of several controversial decisions Warner Bros. has made since its merger with Discovery, including rolling HBO Max into the Discovery+ streaming platform and canceling a raft of HBO Max series and films, including Smith's own highly anticipated adaptation of Strange Adventures.