The Killing Off of ‘Batgirl’ Was a Senseless Blow to Diverse DC Comics Fans

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When it was announced last summer that an actor of color was going to play Batgirl in a live action film, racist trolls came for star Leslie Grace in the same way they came for Halle Bailey after she was chosen to star as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.” In the comics, Batgirl is white. Grace is Dominican. Some fanboys couldn’t deal with the fact that they weren’t getting the Batgirl they wanted.

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The sexism and racism show a dark underside of comic book fandom that can only be combated by proud indifference in which the participation of women and minorities in these cultural touchstones becomes so routine it is part of the DNA of the productions.

That’s why the recent cancellation of “Batgirl” by Warner Bros. after the roughly $90 million production had already wrapped isn’t just shocking but appalling. A film that would have been pathbreaking for DC Comics in terms of its representation (in addition to Grace, there is a trans actor playing a trans character and the directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, are Muslim) will probably never see the light of day.

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The decision seems to be a result of financial considerations, with Warner Bros. explaining that it was shifting gears as part of a merger with Discovery Inc., combined with questions about the movie’s quality. Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav responded to criticism during a company earnings call on Thursday by saying, “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.”

Rolling Stone reported that the movie began testing with audiences in July, and while Grace’s performance was praised, the overall feedback was negative. But on social media, fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation that the film just wasn’t good enough. {snip}

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Whether or not it gets resurrected, the killing off of “Batgirl” doesn’t inspire confidence in the direction Warner Bros. Discovery is headed. {snip}

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Additionally, Bloomberg reported that “Given six seats on the new company’s board, Zaslav and Discovery appointed a roster of all White male directors,” and that the majority of the chief executive officer’s 13 direct reports are also white men — some of them recently hired under Zaslav.

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