Leslie Grace is reacting to the news of Batgirl's shelving with humility and gratitude.
The actress, who was set to star as Barbara Gordon in the DC film for HBO Max, spoke out about the disappointing news Aug. 3. "Querida familia!" Grace wrote on Instagram. "On the heels of the recent news about our movie Batgirl, I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!"
She continued, "To every Batgirl fan—THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, 'my own damn hero!' #Batgirl for life!"
Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah wrote in their own joint statement that they were "shocked" to learn the film, which had wrapped filming earlier this year, wouldn't see the light of day.
"We still can't believe it," Arbi and Fallah shared. "As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha'Allah."
Michael Keaton was set to appear in Batgirl as Batman, which was a pretty big deal considering he hasn't donned the cape since starring in Tim Burton's 1992 film, Batman Returns. (However, Keaton is still set to play the character in the upcoming Flash movie.) J.K. Simmons was also set to reprise his Justice League role as Commissioner Gordon, Barbara's father. Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson and Rebecca Front rounded out the cast.
Though initial reports suggested the movie was shelved because it didn't test well, Warner Bros. Discovery clarified their decision in a statement. "The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max," a Warner Bros. spokesperson told E! News on Aug. 3. "Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance."