Fans are upset that the film, which stars Leslie Grace as the crimefighter, was suddenly put on hold this week despite being near completion of post-production. The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, made no apologies for the move during an earnings call on Thursday.
People were perplexed when they heard that DC had canceled the development of Batgirl. Surely you’re kidding me. After wrapping principal photography, post-production on the film had already begun. It apparently passed a screening. To think that the New York Post, of all places, would be the one to publish the news on a Tuesday afternoon in August of 2022 is absurd.
Warner Bros.’s newest DC Comics-based video game, Gotham Knights, takes place in a universe where Batman has been killed and only Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin are left to protect Gotham City.
There’s a lot to talk about, from Nightwing’s Flying Trapeze glider to Red Hood’s mystical energy leaps to the extravagant Batman Beyond-themed outfits everyone wears. The most contentious is perhaps the developer’s choice to make a Batgirl out of a paralyzed Barbara Gordan.
Barbara Gordon’s dual identity as Batgirl and the Oracle is explored in the character bio for Batgirl on the Gotham Knights website. After Batman had an encounter with the Joker, Gordon’s tech whiz alter ego, the Oracle, came to the hero’s aid. Fans complained that the game was using the overused cliché from comic books in which heroes overcome their handicap by sheer effort.
Controversial Batgirl Comeback Attributable to “Raw Willpower”
In her online biography, Barbara Gordan is described as having “raw willpower and resolve that few individuals can equal.” For as long as anyone can remember, Barbara has been a doer. When she makes up her mind on something, there is no room for a retreat in her thinking.
Barbara ended up in a wheelchair after a fight, but she eventually became Oracle, formidable information and communications expert. Her father’s death, however, motivated her to get back into shape and heal from her injuries so that she could resume her duties as Batgirl.
Comic book fans will remember that Barbara was fatally shot by the Joker in the spine in the graphic novel and movie The Killing Joke. In other interpretations, such as the animated series Young Justice, she becomes paralyzed from the waist down after sacrificing herself to save Cassandra Wu-San.
Barbara’s paralysis and subsequent transformation into Oracle is a pivotal moment in the Batfamily’s lore, as depicted in comics and other media. Because of this, Barbara develops into a master hacker and essential communications lead for the vigilantes, and many see this as just as important and necessary as Jason Todd’s reincarnation as Red Hood.
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Some viewers were put off by the idea that Barbara had overcome her disability through nothing more than “raw willpower and determination,” believing that this would diminish her development as Oracle and contribute to harmful stereotypes about heroes who overcome their disabilities through sheer force of will.
When these comments were made public, Warner Bros. Montreal revised Batgirl’s online biography to read, “With extensive training and rehabilitation, she recovered from her wounds, and returned to active duty as Batgirl,” completely erasing the section about her willpower and determination leading to recovery.
This also explains how Batgirl got her feet under her and started walking. It was also disclosed that the group is working with the charitable organization The AbleGamers Foundation. Redding also mentioned that players would get to see Barbara doing her physical therapy in her civilian clothes, complete with a back brace.
A Perfect Answer Could Have Been Provided by Either Kate Kane or Stephanie Brown.
Including Batgirl in the plot is a smart marketing move, since it will appeal to readers who are seeking a recognizable character. In a parallel timeline, Bruce Wayne has passed away.
Following the established canon of the comics, Barbara Gordan would remain paralyzed and play a pivotal role as Oracle. Of course, the Caped Crusader isn’t the only vigilante to gain notoriety in comic books; there have been many more.
In recent years, Kate Kane’s profile as Batwoman Bruce Wayne’s cousin has skyrocketed thanks to a CW series, cameos in DC Universe Animated Originals, the Webtoon Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, and books like Batwoman: Rebirth.
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If the game’s creators want a playable girl who can hold her own in a gunfight, she’s an obvious candidate to add to the Gotham Knights universe.
As the daughter of the villain Cluemaster, Stephanie Brown became the first female Robin and the fifth Batgirl in the comics after Cassandra Cain stepped down after Bruce Wayne’s supposed death.
The game might have used a plot similar to that, with the change that Bruce Wayne is deceased and Cassandra has gone on. To some extent, they had some leeway in how they decided to slot Stephanie into the timeline. Despite the many Robins that have come and gone, DC Comics has never shied away from introducing Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne into its many media franchises.
