Barbara Gordon may have to wait just a little bit longer to don her suit as Joss Whedon has officially exited the Batgirl solo film, which he was writing and slated to direct.
“Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story,” Whedon told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. Referring to DC president Geoff Johns and Warner Bros. Picture Group president Toby Emmerich, Whedon added, “I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I…uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed?’”
It’s been nearly a year since Whedon came on to the project, and was met with a bit of a mixed reception, especially after what happened with Justice League. But it seems that after a year, he still hasn’t been able to crack the script.
Industry sources add that even as Whedon faced story issues, in today’s cultural entertainment environment, a male filmmaker may have faced greater public scrutiny if he were to have tackled a movie with such feminist importance such as Batgirl or Wonder Woman, much like a white filmmaker would have seen backlash taking on the Black Panther movie.
This seems like interesting timing as WB just brought on a new VP of Production for DC Films, Chantal Nong, who stated that her focus will be getting Flashpoint and Batgirl off the ground.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of Batgirl as we learn more.
