If you were expecting Warner Bros Discovery to apologize for scrapping Batgirl, despite vocal criticisms from the court of public opinion, you’d be wrong. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav is making it clear that it was a decision that needed to be made as they transition into their new business model.
Zaslav addressed the matter during the company’s Q2 earnings call via Variety, which also saw Scoob! Holiday Haunt getting the boot. When asked about Batgirl, Zaslav said, “We’re not going to launch a movie until it’s ready. We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter, and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it.” This seems to be a bit of a different response when discussing scrapping the film the other day. Warner Bros Discovery insisted it was a business move and not about the film’s quality, but Zaslav’s explanation seems to point to a movie that just wasn’t worthy of distribution under their new regime.
It would appear that Batgirl just wasn’t up to standard, according to Zaslav. During the call, the CEO frequently addressed the company’s superhero properties, including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. This trio is central to the company’s broader content strategy. “These are brands that are known everywhere in the world and as part of that, we’re going to focus on quality. DC is something that we think we could make better, and we’re focused on it now.”
He talks a sensible game, and much of what he wants makes sense, but I wish this were handled better. The Q2 earnings call wasn’t all doom and gloom like most of us assumed it would be, but it’s still a jarring piece of news to see a mostly completed $90 million film be thrown in the trash. It’s a slap in the face to those who worked so hard on getting it made, but I guess that’s simply business when there is a new boss in town.
Do YOU agree with Batgirl getting scrapped?