DC's Unexpected Promotion Mishap: Reviving a Notoriously Canceled Movie

Highlights

Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to scrap the Batgirl project is indicative of a heavy-handed approach to content management under CEO David Zaslav.

Despite the cancellation of the project, DC Studios unintentionally sparked controversy and discussion by promoting the Batgirl film on social media. The company's significant mistake of featuring the Batgirl branding alongside other DC properties being advertised has resulted in a negative response and backlash from both industry figures and fans.

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav's new administration recently axed the Batgirl project, accidentally generating promotion for it. This cancellation has raised concerns about the management style implemented by the new leadership.

Emerging from the iconic pages of DC Comics' Batman, Batgirl has long served as a loyal companion to the Caped Crusader, including occasional absences. As one of Batman's trusted sidekicks, Batgirl holds a cherished place in the hearts of fans. Therefore, the announcement that Warner Bros. intended to pursue a non-theatrical release of a live-action Batgirl project was met with great enthusiasm.

Warner Bros. Discovery unexpectedly scrapped the Batgirl film despite it already being in post-production, making it unlikely to ever reach streaming platforms. However, the studio inadvertently promoted the movie through a social media post. The post featured a picture of Twitter user Croc_Block posing next to a promotional cutout for the upcoming Blue Beetle live-action adaptation, which also showcased other DCU projects, including the canceled Batgirl movie. This oversight may be attributed to the limited advertising budget for the Blue Beetle film, influenced by the costly failure of The Flash and the utilization of outdated cutouts.

Regardless of advertising budget concerns, including the Batgirl branding was a major mistake on the company's part. Peter Safran's statement that the Batgirl film would have been remarkably bad and harmful to DC implies that the branding should have been removed more carefully to prevent further discussion about the controversial cancellation. Many industry figures expressed support for the cast and crew, and the sentiment towards Warner Bros. Discovery was unfavorable at the time, making any mention of the project a mistake.

It's worth considering how much damage Batgirl could have caused to the DCU when other projects that seemingly passed the Safran test have significantly harmed fan interest and financial performance. Despite the studio's confidence in the face of the controversy surrounding the film's lead and other concerns, The Flash appears to be heading towards earning less than a previous DC flop. The failures of numerous subsequent projects lend credibility to the possibility that the cancellation of Batgirl was a tax write-off and that the negative comments about its quality were a cover-up.

Source: @Croc_Block/Twitter