Warner Bros. canceled Batgirl, along with first trans character
On Tuesday, Warner Bros. reportedly canceled Batgirl both in cinema and HBO max, marking the cancellation of the first trans character in the cinematic universe, Batgirl’s best friend Alysia Yeo played by Ivory Aquino.
Regardless of movie quality, the cancellation of Batgirl causes an irreversible loss of a rare LGBTQ+ character. According to Variety, this role is groundbreaking since “this is the first time a live-action feature film adaptation of a DC Comics title will feature an openly trans character played by a trans actor.” Known in Lingua Franca, When We Rise, and Tales of the City, Aquino had officially headed into the DC universe.
Nevertheless, out of pity, her performances in Batgirl will never come to light. The change of leadership strategy seems to be the main drive behind the cancellation.
After the project was approved in 2021, David Zaslav took over as the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO. Instead of focusing on streaming projects as previous CEO Jason Killar did, Zaslav leaned business emphasis on cost-cutting measures and theatrical productions.
