DC accused of double standards over Ezra Miller’s The Flash as Batgirl cancelled
Batgirl being cancelled while Ezra Miller’s The Flash remains on track for release isn’t sitting well with fans.
Batgirl – which was to feature DC Films’ first transgender character – was cancelled on Tuesday (2 August) despite being in post-production, after budgeting issues and poorly-received test screenings.
According to source who spoke to The New York Post, the film was reportedly “irredeemable,” with the source saying that an “unspeakable Batgirl” would have done too much damage to the wider DC franchise.
But DC fans aren’t having it, especially considering the studio’s commitment to continuing production on 2023’s The Flash.
The film has suffered multiple delays due to the COVID pandemic. In that time, lead actor spectacular fall from grace has had a spectacular fall from grace, with allegations of grooming and violence, as well as multiple arrests.
Even before Batgirl was cancelled, fans had urged Warner Bros to shelve The Flash – and now, those calls are growing louder.
“WB not cancelling The Flash after all the Ezra Miller bulls**t but they cancel Batgirl????? HUH?????” tweeted one fan.
WB not cancelling The Flash after all the Ezra Miller bullshit but they cancel Batgirl????? HUH?????
— yehu (@comicyehu) August 2, 2022
warner is so unserious bc they say this shit yet they STILL won’t pull the plug on the flash when their lead actor is on the run from the police https://t.co/Y2lmt7eeQJ
— 𝓥 (@heymomdeadmom) August 3, 2022
Miller’s behaviour has been under scrutiny since April 2020, when a video of them grabbing a female fan by the throat and pushing her to the ground emerged online.
Since then, a number of allegations have been made against the non-binary actor for alleged incidents including assaulting a woman with a chair, threatening to “bury” a couple, brandishing a gun in front of a 12-year-old, and housing children on a farm with “guns and bullets.”
Warner Bros’ reluctance to cancel Miller’s standalone film has left fans frustrated and angry at the studio.
Some have claimed it is the difference in funding that is causing executives to second-guess postponing or even cancelling The Flash, with over $200 million reportedly spent on the film so far.
Already, the Batgirl cancellation is one of the most expensive in cinematic history. The film was originally budgeted at $70 million but costs grew substantially to over $100 million.
But as one fan argued: “If they’re willing to set $130 million on fire to not release Batgirl or Scoob! Holiday Haunt [another cancelled title], then WB have absolutely zero excuses not to scrap The Flash given the circumstances surrounding Ezra Miller. The amount of money spent on it cannot function as an excuse anymore.”
if they’re willing to set $130 million on fire to not release Batgirl or Scoob! Holiday Haunt, then WB have absolutely zero excuses not to scrap The Flash given the circumstances surrounding Ezra Miller. the amount of money spent on it cannot function as an excuse anymore
— Logan🏳️🌈 (@LoganKenny1) August 2, 2022
Some believe the Batgirl cancellation is part of a plan by David Zaslav, CEO of the newly-merged Warner Bros Discovery, to retool DC Films.
Zaslav’s plans so far have included plans to “un-cancel” JK Rowling by producing new Harry Potter shows, as well as claiming that gender and racial diversity would not be his top priority.
Sources also said that the highly-anticipated Supergirl film may likely not be moving forward.
