Because of the cancellation of the Batgirl movie, Gotham Knights now has much more to prove when it comes to its depiction of Barbara Gordon. Batgirl - which was set to feature Leslie Grace in the title role, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman - was shelved following a bizarre change in strategy by Warner Bros., which now has new leadership following its merger with Discovery. With no new Batgirl-centric projects in the works, it falls to Gotham Knights to show what the DCEU is missing out on now that WB isn't proceeding with the project.
The Batgirl movie, starring Leslie Grace, was slated to release later this year. However, shortly after the finalization of the merger between WB and Discovery, new CEO David Zaslav canceled its production and shelved the entire project, with no plans on releasing it either theatrically or on streaming. Fortunately, Batgirl is central to Gotham Knights' Batman-less story, working alongside fellow allies Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood as they take on the Court of Owls.
The cancellation of the Batgirl movie is galling for multiple reasons, from the disrespect toward the hard work put into making this movie, to the inexplicable preference for the Flash movie, whose star is currently embroiled in a number of legal controversies. However, the disrespect towards the character of Batgirl herself is especially galling. Batgirl needs a win, and Gotham Knights can provide her with a much needed victory after a torrid month.
Gotham Knights Can Prove Warner Bros. Was Wrong About Batgirl
Batgirl is one of the most beloved characters in the entire DC canon for good reason, and Gotham Knights can prove that. The trailers up to now have shown what makes Batgirl unique in Gotham Knights from the other three heroes in the roster, and there's more to come in the game itself. Barbara Gordon is one of the most brilliant minds in comic book history, once acting as the go-to person during her years as Oracle if someone in the DC Universe needed to know something. There are plenty of places to take her, especially in a video game.
Since Barbara's intellect comes more in the form of information gathering rather than gadgetry, the Batgirl segments of Gotham Knights could focus more heavily on detective work, gathering clues and tracking down perpetrators of crime across a trail of evidence. It would add a unique spin to the gameplay of Gotham Knights and prove that Barbara is a more than worthy member of the bat-family - thus proving Warner Bros truly wrong about its perception of Batgirl.
This wouldn't change anything, of course. Despite Batgirl's potential being shown in Arkham Knight's DLC and in numerous comics and animated adaptations, the decision to shelve the Batgirl film is unlikely to be reversed. A shame for many reasons, not the least of which being that early test screenings were reportedly positive. Regardless, now that the Batgirl movie is no more, Gotham Knights will be the sole Batgirl-focused non-comic project coming in 2022. It needs to show why Babs is such a special character, and remind Warner Bros. that cancelling her movie was a huge misstep.
