Joss Whedon Exits Warner Bros.' Planned 'Batgirl' Movie

The DC Extended Universe is in for another shake-up. Warner Bros.’ superhero franchise fared well with diehard fans, but it’s no question that the DCEU isn’t exactly having the positive critical reception that it’s aiming. To date, the only critically-acclaimed entry is Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman.” Now, the latest movie to grind to a halt is Joss Whedon’s “Batgirl.” The Justice League, co-director/screenwriter, is officially leaving the project.
Whedon signed on for “Batgirl” back in March 2017, but details and developments about the movie were scarce.It was not until “Justice League” premiered that most fans so a potential change to Whedon’s upcoming film. “Justice League” went on to become the lowest-grossing DCEU film on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, and Whedon went under fire for “butchering” Zack Snyder’s original vision for the movie. On top of that, the studio-sanctioned two-hour runtime for the movie also contributed to the failure of “Justice League’s” story as a whole. This predicament led others to believe that he might not direct “Batgirl” following the “Justice League” controversy.

Batgirl #43 Artwork by David Lafuente/DC Comics

No coherent story for ‘Batgirl’

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Whedon admitted that he wasn’t able to create a worthy “Batgirl” story. “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story,” Whedon said. He also went on to thank DC president Geoff Johns and Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich for the opportunity to work on “Justice League” by saying, “I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I…uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed?'”
According to THR’s sources, Whedon had a hard time in crafting the perfect story for “Batgirl,” proving that the pressure for directing a female-led superhero film is indeed a massive one. Some industry sources also noted that a male director for a female superhero movie would lead to a problematic public outrage given the success of “Wonder Woman,” which is, after all, helmed by a female director.
Given all the recent shake-ups of DC’s full slate of superhero movies, the future of the “Batgirl” film remains to be seen.