One of the producers of The Batman may have announced the release date for Batgirl. Batgirl stars Leslie Grace (In The Heights) as Barbra Gordon aka Batgirl, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, and is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys For Life). The film covers Barbra’s adventures as a superhero and pits her against Firefly, played by Brendan Fraiser. Unlike the previous DCEU films, the film will be released on HBO Max rather than in cinemas.
While set in the DCEU, Batgirl will include Micheal Keaton’s Batman from 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, rather than Ben Affleck’s Batman. In November 2022, Keaton will resume his role as the caped crusader in The Flash, a film that is expected to shake up the DCEU. Batgirl is presently filming, with production set to begin in November 2021. While no official release date has been determined, it is widely expected that the film will premiere on HBO Max in 2022, while the actual day is unknown.
Michael Uslan, who has been a producer on all Batman-related films since 1989’s Batman, including the upcoming The Batman, may have hinted to when HBO Max will broadcast Batgirl in a Facebook post. Uslan displayed a photo of Batman’s shadow and commented on how Keaton’s Batman will return in November, which is The Flash’s guaranteed release date, but also stated December, implying that Batgirl may be released in December. Warner Bros. and HBO Max have not yet set an official release date.
A December release date seems likely, as it would be soon after The Flash, and given Keaton’s participation, it’s likely they won’t be able to release it till after that. If the picture is released in December, it will be the sixth DC film to be released in 2022 and the first to be aired exclusively on HBO Max. It will also be the second DC picture to be released in December of that year, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom planned to hit theaters on December 16, 2022. With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being the studio’s big holiday tentpole and Batgirl as the streaming release over the holidays, releasing two DC films in December, even on two different platforms, is a risky move that could result in the two films cannibalizing each other in terms of audience, or it could be beneficial and serve as a boost to both, with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being the studio’s big holiday tentpole and Batgirl as the streaming release over the holidays.
This release window is subject to change, since Warner Bros. may decide to postpone Batgirl until 2023 in order to avoid releasing too many DC pictures in a single year. Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be released on June 2nd, and Blue Beetle will be released on August 16th, 2023. There are no current release dates for Wonder Twins, Metal Men, Zatanna, or Black Canary, which are all proposed DC films. The release of Batgirl on HBO Max might coincide with a big holiday in early 2023, such as Valentine’s Day or March 8 to honor International Women’s Day, as was the case with the release of Captain Marvel in 2019. In any case, viewers will be able to see Batgirl on HBO Max shortly.
