JK Simmons has publicly expressed his frustration over Warner Bros.' decision to cancel the completed Batgirl film. Speaking on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, the actor — who played Commissioner Gordon — described the situation as "bizarre" and revealed that even he never got to see the finished movie. The comments matter because they offer a rare on-set perspective on one of Hollywood's most unusual cancellations, in which a fully shot film was shelved permanently for financial reasons rather than being released.

The film, which would have featured Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman, was scrapped along with other projects in favour of a tax write-off, a decision that also means it can never be released. Simmons said the movie had a promising test audience score and that the cast "really had a good time making it", while co-star Keaton joked to GQ in 2024 that he was unbothered because he received a "big, fun, nice check". DC Studios head Peter Safran has since defended the move, calling the film "not releasable" and praising Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's "bold and courageous decision". With the directors locked out of the footage and the DC Universe now rebooted, the article suggests the film is extremely unlikely ever to surface.