Following Batgirl's cancellation, DC fans are worried the Blue Beetle and Black Canary movies will be next on the chopping block.
Warner Bros. chose to shelve Batgirl due to the "desire for the studio’s slate of DC features to be at a blockbuster scale." Industry insiders also state that "the quality of the film or the commitment of the filmmakers" had nothing to do with the film's cancellation. Batgirl was an upcoming DC Extended Universe film planned for release on HBO Max. Leslie Grace was slated to play Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the film, which also starred Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser as Batman and Firefly, respectively. Since Blue Beetle and Black Canary were also developed as HBO Max exclusives, DC fans are concerned that Warner Bros. might cancel the upcoming films next as the studio seemingly shifts to theatrical releases only.
Blue Beetle was initially developed as an HBO Max-exclusive release but was shifted to a theatrical release in December 2021. Filming on Blue Beetle began in May 2022 and officially wrapped in July 2022, with director Angel Manuel Soto promising fans that the cast and crew had "made a very badass movie." Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña stars in the lead role as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle. The rest of the cast includes Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo, Susan Sarandon and Harvey Guillén. Blue Beetle is currently scheduled to open in theaters on Aug. 18, 2023.
The Black Canary solo film was announced to be in development in Aug. 2021. Jurnee Smollett is slated to reprise her DCEU role as Dinah Lance/Black Canary from 2020's Birds of Prey. Misha Green, best known as the showrunner of Lovecraft Country, was also revealed to be writing the script for the HBO Max film. As of May 2022, Green was still confirmed to be busy working on the film's script. No other development updates have been given since then.
Could Blue Beetle and Black Canary Be Shelved?
Blue Beetle seems unlikely to be shelved since the film received a theatrical release before any filming had taken place, meaning the cast and crew had time to redevelop the property from a streaming film into one fitting "a blockbuster scale." Black Canary is less of a safe bet given the film's connections to the canceled Batgirl film, which would have reportedly set up Black Canary's story. Smollett was also rumored to have reprised her role as Black Canary in Batgirl, but her casting was never officially confirmed. It is unknown at this time if Warner Bros. has any plans to redevelop Black Canary for a theatrical release or if the studio remains committed to releasing the film as an HBO Max-exclusive release.
Blue Beetle and Black Canary are just two of the many DCEU films currently in the works. The upcoming release slate includes Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods for 2022 and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash for 2023. A Wonder Woman 1984 sequel and a Zatanna solo film are also in development.
Blue Beetle is scheduled to open in theaters on Aug. 18, 2023. Black Canary does not have a release date at this time.
Source: Twitter