Batgirl Star Ivory Aquino Breaks Silence on Film's Cancellation, Shares New Behind-the-Scenes Photos
DC fans were dealt a heartbreaking blow earlier this week, with confirmation that DC's Batgirl movie has been scrapped entirely. The film, which had already wrapped filming months ago and was nearly completed, was set to bring a number of firsts into the ever-growing world of superhero blockbusters. Among that was the casting of Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh, bringing one of the first openly-transgender characters and actors into the superhero movie space. At the moment, it sounds like we won't get to see Aquino's portrayal of Alysia ultimately brought to life, but the actress has taken to social media to shed a light on what it would have entailed. In a post on her Instagram, Aquino shared several behind-the-scenes photos of her work on Batgirl, including various costumes worn by Alysia in the film, new looks at Barbara Gordon (Leslie Grace), James Gordon (JK Simmons), and various other photos of the cast and crew.
"Our time in Glasgow was filled with lotsa laughter, joy, love, passion & dedication from the amazing crew & close-knit cast," Aqunio's post reads in part. "Batgirl was truly a labor of love we were excited & eager to share with you all who've championed this inspiring character & our fam of nontraditional underrepresented peeps having the opportunity to share with the world that ANYONE & EVERYONE can be a superhero. A female-written female-produced film starring an Afro-Latina (angel!) & directed by Muslim Moroccan-Belgian wunderkinds (with a female assistant director) about a female character (as imagined by a female comic book writer) who forges her own path to uplift the lives of those around her including her trans best friend, deserves to be seen & will find a way. There is no price tag on that. In the meantime, sharing some of these with you. Leafing through them has reminded me of the magical experience we had, all in the shared desire of creating something for you all to enjoy. These memories brought a smile to my face & hopefully will to yours as well."
Created by Gail Simone and Ardian Syaf, Alysia first made her debut in 2011's Batgirl #1, as she and Barbara became roommates. A painter and bartender who aspired to be a professional chef, Alysia and Barbara quickly became friends — something that was complicated when Alysia briefly dated Barbara's serial killer brother, James Gordon Jr.. Alysia came out as a transgender woman in Batgirl #19, making her the first canon transgender character in DC Comics. Alysia has remained a close friend of Barbara's in the decade since, and got married to a political activist named Jo Munoz. An alternate version of Alysia also appeared in the Bombshells universe, as a member of the Batgirls group inspired by Batwoman.
Batgirl was directed by Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, with a script written by Christina Hodson. The film would've also starred Michael Keaton reprising his role as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Brendan Fraser as Firefly, and Jacob Scipio, Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson, and Ethan Kai cast in unknown roles.
What do you think of Aquino's reaction to Batgirl's cancellation? Are you sad that Warner Bros cancelled Batgirl? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!