Some people might be surprised to learn that Brendan Fraser (yes, The Mummy’s Brendan Fraser) was set to make his feature-length DC Universe debut in Batgirl. The actor, who is currently garnering Oscar buzz for his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, was set to take on the role of Firefly, a pyromaniac supervillain.
Of course, before we even got a look at the costume, Warner Bros. Discovery unceremoniously cancelled the release of the HBO Max film, deactivated the directors’ server access, and announced that it would be reporting the scrapped movie as tax loss. During a recent interview with Variety, Fraser said that he was “disappointed” by the decision to cancel the DC film. He reiterated that Leslie Grace’s performance as Batgirl was great, calling her a “dynamo.”
He also had this to say about the experience: “The movie was shot and conceived for a smaller screen. In this age that we’ve come out of now between streaming service versus theatrical release, it wound up being the canary in the coal mine,” expressing dismay that streaming services would wield such power regardless of the work put into the film. “What did we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers, like Darren.”
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.