It’s been over two years since the news broke that Warner Bros. Discovery was canceling the superhero film, “Batgirl.” At the time, people were outraged that the film wasn’t going to see the light of day. But apparently there was one actor who worked on the film who wasn’t bothered by the news—Michael Keaton.
Speaking to GQ, Michael Keaton talked about his reaction to the news that “Batgirl” wasn’t being released. For those who don’t know the whole story, Keaton was brought on to play Batman in “Batgirl” from directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The film was eventually canceled as a cost-saving move for WBD. However, Keaton doesn’t seem to care that his performance will never be seen.
“No, I didn’t care one way or another. Big, fun, nice check,” Keaton said.
“I like [Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah],” added the actor. “They’re nice guys. I pull for them. I want them to succeed, and I think they felt very badly, and that made me feel bad. Me? I’m good.”
Keaton has never minced words about his relationship towards superhero films. Though he’s starred in films in both the DC and Marvel universes, it’s always been abundantly clear that he’s not begging to do either. In fact, he doesn’t even really know what’s going on in either of them. He just shows up when he is offered a project and does his work. It’s admirable, really.
The “Batgirl” film was set to star Leslie Grace as the title character alongside J.K. Simmons, Jacob Scipio, Brendan Fraser, and Keaton. At the time, when it was announced that the film was permanently shelved, Grace spoke out about her disappointment with the news. Fraser went so far as to call it “tragic.” But Michael Keaton? Well, it’s clear he had other thoughts.
You can see Michael Keaton in his next film, “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” when it arrives in theaters on September 6.