2 Years Later, I’m Still Not Over The Batgirl Movie’s Cancellation Taking Away A Perfect Batsuit

The Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace was canceled in 2022, but the unrealized DC project undoubtedly had a promising costume for its titular heroine. With the duo Adil & Bilal signed on as directors, Batgirl was confirmed as an HBO Max original in 2021 with even Batman actor Michael Keaton slated to reprise his role. However, Warner Bros later canceled Batgirl, with the decision being attributed to underwhelming test screenings and an increasing focus on theatrical event-style films. A lot has changed since Batgirl’s cancelation, including the DC Extended Universe timeline ending with polarizing projects such as The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Since then, the revamped DC Universe anticipates a major makeover with film and TV reboots. While it’s uncertain if Batgirl will be a part of James Gunn’s Gods and Monsters chapter in the new DC pantheon, some elements from the canceled Batgirl movie can be revisited. Grace’s costume, for starters, was a comic-accurate suit, retaining Barbara Gordon’s iconic purple-and-yellow costume from the comics. While the yellow bat symbol has largely remained unchanged, Batgirl has often shifted between black and purple suits. The latter is immortalized in the 1960s Batman TV series and comics like The New 52 and Fear State.

Batgirl’s Suit In The Canceled DC Movie Looked Strong Without VFX Work

The Leather Suit And An Armored Upgrade Have Aged Well Over The Years

There are two Batgirl suits that actress Leslie Grace teased on social media, both offering different fittings and color schemes. The first costume that was teased before Batgirl’s cancelation featured the heroine donning a bluish-purple zipped leather jacket, complete with a yellow cape and bat symbol. Compared to recent CGI-heavy costumes like Ezra Miller’s heavily panned wardrobe as The Flash, the Batgirl costume felt more grounded in reality. The retro finish made the costume a stealthier take on Yvonne Craig’s portrayal of Batgirl in the Adam West-led series. It was a practical choice that seemed suitable for a nocturnal vigilante.

After the project got axed, Grace shared an armored version of her Batgirl costume. Featuring a brighter shade of purple, the second costume included armor plates and spiked gold armor gloves. A classic in the comics, the purple costume and yellow cape would’ve made Grace’s portrayal more distinct from other Batgirl costumes like Alicia Silverstone’s flashy suits in Batman & Robin. While Grace’s image of herself in the armored suit was a behind-the-scenes video, it looked majestic, comic-accurate, and believable with no visual enhancements required. Unfortunately, the two Batgirl costumes now serve as a reminder of canceled ambitious DC projects.

How Batgirl’s Hero Suit Could’ve Helped Fix A Modern Superhero Complaint

VFX-Heavy Suits Are Plaguing The Superhero Genre

The best part about Batgirl’s costume was that it went well with the aesthetic of Gotham heroes. Batgirl, Batman, and others are street-level vigilantes who fashion their clothes out of real-world material. As such, this naturally reduces the scope of using an overly-VFX approach to recreate their costumes on screen. Barring exceptions like Ben Affleck’s Batman armor and the Suicide Squad costumes, most of the DC Extended Universe costumes heavily relied on computer-generated touch-ups that ended up making these heroes look more superficial. The Marvel Cinematic Universe similarly received flak for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Moon Knight, and later Iron Man armors.

The Flash notoriously added plenty of live-action suits ruined by CGI, with notorious VFX-heavy costumes of the titular speedster, Supergirl, and Affleck’s Batman. Aquaman’s original costume and Blue Beetle’s tech-heavy costume similarly failed to bring a change to this trend. While using CGI for superhero costumes can be useful to define muscle structure and remove creases during movement, they can make the character look too cartoonish in some moments. In this context, Leslie Grace’s Batgirl costume looked fresh and was perfectly suited for a vigilante who relies on stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and detective skills rather than any otherworldly superpowers.

How Batgirl’s Suit Could Still Appear On-Screen In DC’s Future

The Costume’s Comic-Accurate Visual Design Is Perfect To Be Reused

Both Marvel and DC increasingly rely on CGI for superhero suits, not just to reduce any visual imperfections but also to save up on costs. Developing hyper-realistic costumes requires significant budget and effort, and many copies of such suits are required throughout the filming process. This is largely because the practical suits can tear or get damaged during stunt sequences and wardrobe changes. So, even if HBO Max’s Batgirl will never see the light of day, its costumes could theoretically be reused in upcoming releases in James Gunn’s DC Universe like Batman: Brave and the Bold or a solo Batgirl movie.

Even if Grace doesn’t reprise her DC role, the next Batgirl actress can walk in her footsteps and offer justice to a project that was teased only through costumes. While Batgirl has existed in comic books for decades, her costume has retained some quintessential features like a zipped-up leather look, and the yellow bat symbol on the chest, and since all of these can be found in the canceled Batgirl costume, even a very different Batgirl could work with the outfit well.