Advertisement

‘I failed’: Joss Whedon pulls out of Batgirl movie

Out: Director Joss Whedon: Mike Windle/Getty
Out: Director Joss Whedon: Mike Windle/Getty

Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon has stepped down from writing and directing the proposed Batgirl movie.

Whedon, 53, today confirmed he was walking away from the Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment project, admitting: “Batgirl is such an exciting project that it took me months to realise I really didn’t have a story.”

His departure follows reports studio bosses are looking to hire more female directors.

In a statement, Mr Whedon, who also wrote and directed 2012’s The Avengers and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, thanked DC president Geoff Johns and Warner Bros Pictures Group president Toby Emmerich, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”

Fan favourite: Batgirl is part of the DC franchise (DC Comic)
Fan favourite: Batgirl is part of the DC franchise (DC Comic)

Insiders told the publication while Whedon was struggling with the story, the suitability of having a male in charge of a film about a female comic book icon was also questioned.

It comes in light of recent Hollywood female empowerment campaigns such as the Me Too movement.

Batgirl is a character from the hugely popular Batman storyline. In the comics, she is Barbara Gordon — the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon. She first appeared in DC Comics in 1967 in “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!” by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino.

It is not yet known whether the Batgirl project will continue without Whedon.

Batgirl would be the second movie from DC Films to star a female lead following Wonder Woman — one of the biggest box office hits of 2017.

A Wonder Woman sequel again starring Gal Gadot, with director Patty Jenkins also returning to the project, is set for release in 2019.