J.K. Simmons Discusses ‘Batgirl’ Cancellation and Admits He Never Saw the Film

J.K. Simmons has finally opened up about the cancellation of the ‘Batgirl’ movie, revealing that he never actually viewed the finished product. The actor, who was set to reprise his role as Commissioner James Gordon, shared his thoughts on the project and admitted he still has no idea what the final version looked like.

The ‘Batgirl’ film became one of the most notable examples of an unfinished Hollywood project after Warner Bros. Discovery chose not to release it. Despite being fully shot and deep into post-production, the studio decided to cancel it, turning a reported budget of around $90 million into a tax write-off instead of releasing it in theaters or on streaming platforms.

Simmons discussed the situation during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. Horowitz inquired about Simmons’ experiences with DC projects, including ‘Justice League’ and ‘Batgirl’, and whether he felt he missed out on portraying such an iconic character.

Simmons first portrayed Commissioner Gordon in ‘Justice League’ and was expected to continue the role in ‘Batgirl’. The cancelled film featured Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the movie was intended to focus on the early days of Batgirl.

When asked if he had ever seen the movie, Simmons candidly admitted that he had not.

“No. No. Apparently, one test audience saw it, and, you know, it wasn’t like it was like a bad score from the test audience. It was, yeah, it was a whatever business decision obviously,” Simmons stated.

The actor expressed his excitement about the project and his enjoyment of working with the filmmakers. Although he never got to see the final cut, he believed the movie had the potential to be an entertaining superhero adventure.

“When ‘Batgirl’ came along with Adil and Bilall and, you know, it was an exciting prospect to be part of the origin story of Batgirl. For those who don’t know, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter,” Simmons added.

He mentioned that everyone involved had a positive experience making the film and believed audiences would enjoy it.

“It was, yeah, we really had a good time making it and thought it was going to be a fun superhero movie,” the actor explained.

The cancellation of ‘Batgirl’ occurred shortly after Warner Bros. and Discovery completed their merger. At that time, the studio was shifting its approach to DC projects and looking for cost-cutting measures. Since ‘Batgirl’ was originally intended as an HBO Max release rather than a theatrical film, the company deemed its cancellation a more financially sound decision.

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery later clarified that the decision was not related to the cast’s performances and commended Leslie Grace and the filmmakers for their contributions.

The cancellation also coincided with a significant transition period for DC. The previous DC Extended Universe was coming to an end, and James Gunn and Peter Safran later took charge of the franchise, initiating the development of a new DC Universe.

During the announcement of the new DC plans, Safran revealed that he had seen ‘Batgirl’ but believed it was not ready for release. He stated, “That film was not releasable,” while also praising the talented individuals involved in the project.

Despite the film’s cancellation, Safran confirmed that Batgirl herself still has a future in the DC Universe. He mentioned that Barbara Gordon is a character the studio intends to utilize eventually, although specific details about her next appearance remain unclear.

For now, the ‘Batgirl’ movie stands as one of the most unusual stories in recent superhero history. Fans may never get to see the film, and even one of its stars, J.K. Simmons, never had the opportunity to view the final version.

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