Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Defends Batgirl Cancellation, HBO Max Cuts

Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO tried to defend Batgirl’s cancellation. Amid numerous cuts to HBO Max content, David Zaslav has come under fire from certain fans about the decisions to excise shows and movies from the larger release schedule. During the company’s investor call, the executive tried his best to quiet some of the murmurs. “Let me be clear,” Zaslav claimed. “We did not get rid of any show that was helping us.” Naturally, that isn’t going to play very well with the people who really cared about the shows in question. As other creatives argued on Twitter, there are certain projects that might not make the studio $1 billion dollars, but they absolutely garner brand loyalty and interest in the larger platform. But, maybe the math will bear out these decisions anyway? Here’s what the CEO had to say when pressed on the matter. 

“This is more than just a dollar tally of what we’ve saved on an expense line,” Zaslav continued in front of the entire audience. “It is more than just a number. We are fundamentally rethinking and reimagining how this organization is structured. And we are empowering our business unit leadership to transform their organizations with an owners mindset and a view on quality and accountability.”

Previously, the company was asked for comments about their decision not to pursue Batgirl’s theatrical release. Naturally, there were a lot of fans who were looking forward to seeing Leslie Grace get her big day on the silver screen.

“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 said in a statement. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”

Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo were asked about the move over at DC and didn’t mince words. They called Batgirl getting the axe as they saw it. And the filmmakers believe that it won’t be the last movie that ends up on the altar of corporate mergers and spooked executives.

“It’s rare that I can think of something that high profile, that expensive, that was murdered in such a way,” Joe Russo told The Hollywood Reporter when asked about the cancelled movie. “It’s sad, but we’re at a time in the business where corporate sociopathy is going to rear its head because people are scared.”

Did you want Warner Bros. to release Batgirl? Let us know down in the comments!