Brendan Fraser is opening up about the “disappointing” decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to shelve Batgirl, and he’s not afraid to name names. While promoting his new film, The Whale, at the Toronto International Film Festival, Fraser was asked for his thoughts on the fate of the DC Comics film that would’ve seen him play the classic Batman villain Firefly. Right out of the gate, Fraser fired a shot at WB Discovery’s chief financial officer.
“Well, stop talking about it ’cause Gunnar Wiedenfels does not want people thinking about this. That’s what I read,” Fraser said. While the remark was said jokingly, it did reflect that the actor is aware of Wiedenfels’ recent remarks where he essentially accused the media of blowing the Batgirl situation out of proportion.
After the thinly veiled shot, Fraser expressed his disappointment that fans would not get to see Leslie Grace in the title role.
Brendan Fraser says Warner Bros. decision to axe #Batgirl was "disappointing": "The fans really wanted to see this film made. Leslie Grace is a dynamo." https://t.co/hZNVdqyonR #TIFF pic.twitter.com/d2LTGhdDiA
— Variety (@Variety) September 12, 2022
“The fans really wanted to see this film made. Leslie Grace is a dynamo,” Fraser told Variety. “The movie was shot and conceived for a smaller screen. In this age that we’ve come out of now between streaming service versus theatrical release, it wound up being the canary in the coal mine. What did we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers, like Darren [Aronofsky].”
While DC Comics fans have been denied a chance to see Fraser’s villainous performance in Batgirl, the actor is doing pretty good all things considered. He’s racking up accolades for The Whale and took home his first trophy since elementary school at TIFF. It’s one heck of a comeback, and if two standing ovations are any indication, people are here for it.
(Via Variety)