Brendan Fraser hits out over scrapped Batgirl movie: "The product – I'm sorry, 'content' – is being commodified to the extent that it’s more valuable to burn it down"

1. Entertainment
2. Movies
3. Action Movies
4. DC Movies
5. Batgirl

Brendan Fraser hits out over scrapped Batgirl movie: "The product – I'm sorry, 'content' – is being commodified to the extent that it’s more valuable to burn it down" News By Emily Garbutt published 21 November 2025

Brendan Fraser speaks out on the "tragedy" of Batgirl's cancelation in 2022

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Leslie Grace/Warner Bros.)

Brendan Fraser has spoken out against his canceled Batgirl movie, which was scrapped by Warner Bros. over three years ago.

"A whole movie. I mean, there were four floors of production in Glasgow. I was sneaking into the art department just to geek out," Fraser told AP. He would have played Ted Carson, AKA pyromaniac villain Firefly, in the movie.

"The tragedy of that is that there’s a generation of little girls who don’t have a heroine to look up to and go, “She looks like me.” I mean, Michael Keaton came back as Batman. The Batman! The product – I’m sorry, 'content' – is being commodified to the extent that it’s more valuable to burn it down and get the insurance on it than to give it a shot in the marketplace."

You may like

• Batgirl star thinks the shelved DC movie could still be released one day: "If enough people want it, it can happen"
• Weapons director Zach Cregger gives a disappointing update on his potential DC project: "I don't think it really fits"
• Penguin star Colin Farrell says the cancelled DC Sgt Rock film had a "fantastic script" and "should be made"

The movie, which would have been released straight to HBO Max, was shelved in the summer of 2022, despite being completed. Leslie Grace would have played Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, alongside Keaton's Batman and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

"The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max," Warner Bros. said in a statement at the time. "Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance."

Reports attributed the cancelation in part to a tax write-down: the movie was commissioned before Warner Bros. merged with Discovery, and the company was able to receive tax benefits if it didn't use materials from pre-merger for profit.

Next up for Fraser is comedy-drama Rental Family, in which he plays a struggling actor living in Tokyo who joins a rental family agency to act out roles in other people's lives.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Rental Family is out now in US theaters and arrives in UK cinemas on January 16. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to the other best upcoming movies.

Emily GarbuttSocial Links NavigationEntertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. 

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Batgirl star thinks the shelved DC movie could still be released one day: "If enough people want it, it can happen"    Weapons director Zach Cregger gives a disappointing update on his potential DC project: "I don't think it really fits"    Penguin star Colin Farrell says the cancelled DC Sgt Rock film had a "fantastic script" and "should be made"    The Flash director Andy Muschietti promises updates on his DCU Batman movie The Brave and the Bold are coming soon    The Flash director Andy Muschietti says the film got a negative reception because "a lot of people did not see it" and "like to talk s***"    Weapons director Zach Cregger says his rumored DC movie is "getting blown out of proportion online": "It's not a Joker and Harley Quinn script"    Latest in DC Movies 74 years after their on-screen debut, the first Superman movie villains have finally been made canon in DC Comics    James Gunn shoots down Pierce Brosnan's suggestion that his Black Adam character could make a return in the DCU's Superman sequel    Pierce Brosnan says he's heard his Black Adam character is "going to have his own show, or his own movie" and is "going to be in the next Superman"    Clayface writer Mike Flanagan thinks there's a way to "harmonize" Robert Pattinson's Batman into the DCU, but says he "trusts" James Gunn: "He has not let me down as a fan"    Rick Flag Sr. is a "big part" of Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, according to star Frank Grillo    Harley Quinn star Lady Gaga says she wasn't "unfazed" by the Joker: Folie à Deux backlash: "When it takes a while for something to kind of dissipate, that can be a little bit more painful"    Latest in News Over a year after being canceled, The Acolyte creator speaks out over "completely valid" criticisms: "The first one through the wall is the bloodiest"    Brendan Fraser hits out over scrapped Batgirl movie: "The product – I'm sorry, 'content' – is being commodified to the extent that it’s more valuable to burn it down"    New card-based Vampire Survivors game is "hopefully the first in a series of spinoffs," but the roguelike's dev is also "working on something" related to a proper sequel    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead uses award win to say play Dispatch, a superhero comedy from ex-Telltale devs with The Boys vibes: "It's very very cool and has a very good story"    GTA 6 might be the "massive game with massive marketing," but The Witcher 3 director doesn't mind launching his next RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker at the same time: "I'm fine with it"    Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai was seemingly teasing his latest game Kirby Air Riders in plain sight for years, and I can't believe no one noticed until now    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1This enthralling team board game is perfect for playing with family this Thanksgiving
2. 2Kirby Air Riders review: "This racer is also equal parts fighting game, minigame collection, and roguelike – and I'm shocked at how well that works"
3. 3Demonschool review: "This Persona-inspired RPG is full of fun, flair, and ready to chomp away at your free time"
4. 4Morsels review: "The Binding of Isaac style roguelike shooting gets somehow grosser, but struggles to set itself apart"
5. 5Dispatch review: "Critical Role fans rejoice – episodic gaming has been superheroically saved by this incredibly charming band of misfits"

1. 1Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
2. 2The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
3. 3Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
4. 4Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
5. 5Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"

1. 1Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
2. 2The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
3. 3IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
4. 4Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
5. 5Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"