JK Simmons Reacts to Batgirl Cancellation: “Not Thrilled” Despite Near Completion
JK Simmons says he’s “not thrilled” about Warner Bros. tossing out Batgirl, despite the fact the production wrapped and the movie was largely finished.
Simmons shared his thoughts on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, looking back on his stint in the DC universe as Commissioner Gordon. While he only portrayed the character once in the final lineup, the casting story had several stops along the way. Zack Snyder originally brought Simmons in for Justice League, positioning him as the mustached cop. Simmons had a small role there, and the plan reportedly extended further—potentially including Ben Affleck’s then-abandoned Batman project. When that Batman film never moved forward, Simmons eventually landed in Batgirl, where Michael Keaton was set to return as the Caped Crusader.
By Simmons’ account, the movie was fully shot and largely completed, but Warner Bros. decided to cancel it—along with other projects—as part of a tax write-off strategy. The result is that the film is effectively unreleasable. Simmons also says he didn’t even get a chance to see what was made.
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When asked about the decision, Simmons called it “bizarre.” He noted that at least one test audience had seen the film and that the reaction apparently wasn’t disastrous in the way you’d expect from a truly hopeless screening. Still, he framed the cancellation as a business choice rather than a straight creative verdict.
He added that when Batgirl came along, it sounded like an exciting opportunity—especially because it would have tackled Batgirl’s origin story. Simmons said the team had a great time making it and believed the final product would land as an enjoyable superhero movie.
Keaton, meanwhile, took a different tone in a 2024 conversation with GQ, where he joked that he didn’t really care one way or another because he was paid. He also said he wants the directing duo of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to succeed, explaining that he felt bad for them because it seemed like they were affected by how things turned out. Keaton summed up his own feelings as “I’m good.”
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- Simmons explains that his DC involvement began with Zack Snyder casting him as Commissioner Gordon’s lookalike role in Justice League, where he had a small part.
- When Ben Affleck’s Batman movie was eventually shelved, Simmons’ path to the next DC project shifted, leading to his casting in Batgirl.
- In Batgirl, Michael Keaton was expected to reprise his role as the Caped Crusader.
- The production was completed to a point where Simmons says the film was shot and largely finished.
- Warner Bros. then canceled the project, alongside other initiatives, using a tax write-off approach.
- Because of that cancellation and its financial handling, Simmons says the movie can never be released, and even he didn’t see it.
- After the cancellation, Peter Safran—now described as the head of DC Studios—said the film was “not releasable,” suggesting the situation was worse than it may have appeared.
- Safran also claimed that David Zaslav and the Warner Bros. Discovery team made a “bold and courageous” call to cancel the film because releasing it would have harmed DC and the people involved.
Some reports suggested Batgirl’s test screening didn’t land well, but Simmons’ reaction frames the cancellation as hard to justify if it was based on a single audience preview. He points out that DC has released truly awful superhero movies in the past, making it difficult to believe Batgirl was beyond saving. In his view, it looks more like the film got caught in Warner Bros.’ wider attempt to stabilize its business decisions.
Even if Batgirl might resurface someday, the odds appear low. Simmons notes that the directors were locked out and, beyond still images and footage captured on set, they reportedly don’t have access to more material. He also compares the situation to the “Snyder Cut,” which seemed unlikely too—yet gained momentum. Snyder ultimately kept access to his version after departing DC, and that helped keep the movement alive. With the DC Universe now rebooted, Simmons suggests the current leadership may simply leave Batgirl behind to avoid confusing audiences.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
