Warner Bros. Discovery shocked the entertainment world when it decided to cancel the upcoming film Batgirl despite production having already wrapped. Now, Leslie Grace, who was set to portray the titular Caped Crusader, has shared an image of Batgirl's final costume for the shelved film.
In a video on Instagram, Grace reminisced about her 2022 with a video of memories, and while many of these included moments with family and friends, a number of behind-the-scenes looks at what appears to be the filming of Batgirl were also included. Among these was an image of Grace in her full Batgirl attire, sitting in what appears to be her trailer. While Warner Bros. Discovery has released an image of Grace on-set as Batgirl, the snippet provided by the actress herself provides an even closer look at the costume that would have been.
Unlike the all-black motifs seen in newer films, such as The Batman starring Robert Pattinson and The Dark Knight trilogy by Christopher Nolan, it appears that Grace's costume would have harkened back to the more classic Batman looks. The heavy use of yellow in the costume, including on the Bat symbol and the interior of the cape, evokes memories of the suit in the 1989 Batman film and its sequel, Batman Returns, worn by Michael Keaton, who was set to reprise his role in Batgirl. The costume also appeared to have a purple hue, perhaps in a nod to the similar Batgirl outfit from the original 1960s television show.
In addition to the shot of the costume, Grace's Instagram post showed some behind-the-scenes camera work on Batgirl. This includes Grace taking some promotional photos in costume, as well as some wire and stunt work that appeared to be connected to the film. At one point, she shared a photo of herself in full costume with what was likely one of the film's enemies. These snippets provided a brand-new look into the creation of Batgirl. "Thank u for teachin’ me, 2022. You were singular in many ways that will stay with me," Grace captioned the post. "My gratitude and love for life is much deeper thanks to the experiences you brought me. I take your lessons with me as we part."
The decision to shelve Batgirl came as a suprise not only to industry insiders, but seemingly to all of the cast and crew as well. Co-directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film was originally billed as one of the upcoming tentpoles for Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Films, and was intended to be released on HBO Max. However, following reported poor test screenings and a shift toward theatrical releases among DC Films, the decision was made by the studio not to release the film, despite the $90 million project already having entered post-production, with filming having wrapped in the months prior. Sources who saw the unfinished project told Collider that Batgirl "was a huge disappointment and looked cheap in comparison to other films."
However, this likely came as no reprieve toward the production team that had spent months helming the film. While Warner Bros. Discovery did hold a screening for the cast and crew following the announcement, it seems more and more likely that Grace's video will be the only time that fans get to see Batgirl take flight.
Grace's full Instagram post can be seen below: