“Batgirl” was to focus on the adventures of Barbara Gordon, who takes over the role of defender of Gotham City from the aging Bruce Wayne. Keaton returned to the role 30 years after the premiere of “Batman Returns.”
The film cost $90 million to make and was set to debut on the streaming platform HBO Max (now Max). Most of the footage had already been shot and was in post-production when Warner executives decided to scrap the production. Although it was said to be artistically flawed, Variety reported that the studio’s primary motivation was the tax cuts it would receive.
When asked if the cancellation bothered him, Keaton replied honestly, “No, I don’t care at all. I had a good time, I made a good living.”
The actor, however, let it be known that he felt sorry for Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors of “Batgirl”, who later stood behind the camera for two parts of “Bad Boys” and the series “Ms. Marvel”. “I like them. They are good guys. I support them. I want them to succeed and feel wronged, and I felt sorry for them. And me? I am fine,” said the actor playing Batman.
Keaton recently reunited with Tim Burton for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”the long-awaited sequel to “Beetlejuice”. The actor once again emphasized the director’s influence on the development of superhero cinema. “Tim (…) changed everything. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but I think that without Tim Burton there was no Marvel (Cinematic) Universe or DC Universe. He was doubted and his opinion was questioned,” he recalled.
Keaton referred to the fan dissatisfaction he faced when it was announced in the late 1980s that he would be playing the defender of Gotham City. At that time, Warner Bros. received over 50,000 letters asking for the actor to be fired. However, Burton did not change his mind, and Keaton is considered the best Batman in the film. He returned to the role in the film “Flash” from 2023.