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Brendan Fraser Condemns Warner Bros.’ Batgirl Shelving as Profit-Driven “Burn It Down” Tactic

He casts the 2022 decision as an example of studios favoring write-offs over audiences.

Overview

  • In a new Associated Press interview promoting Rental Family, Fraser says content is being commodified to the point it is “more valuable to burn it down and get the insurance on it” than release it.
  • He calls the cancellation a cultural loss, saying young girls were denied a heroine who looked like them in Leslie Grace’s portrayal of Barbara Gordon.
  • Batgirl was completed for an HBO Max debut with Grace starring, Michael Keaton returning as Batman, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Fraser as the villain Firefly.
  • Warner Bros. said the choice reflected a strategic shift for DC and HBO Max, while DC StudiosPeter Safran labeled the film “not releasable,” a rationale disputed by talent and reports pointing to tax write-down benefits.
  • The movie remains unreleased as DC pursues a rebooted slate, even as another once-shelved title, Coyote vs. Acme, secured a planned theatrical release through Ketchup Entertainment.