Brendan Fraser is basking in a career renaissance led by his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, but his turn as the villain Firefly in Batgirl sadly won’t be part of his comeback after Warner Bros. Discovery canceled the project for tax write-down purposes. In an interview with Variety, the actor called the decision “disappointing” while commenting on how it serves as an early warning sign that the film industry is in big trouble.
“It’s disappointing. The fans really wanted to see this film made,” Fraser said. “The movie itself was shot and conceived for a smaller screen. In this age that we’ve come out of now between streaming service versus theatrical release, it wound up being the canary in the coal mine. So, what can we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers, like Darren [Aronofsky].”
He also praised Leslie Grace’s performance as Batgirl in the film, calling her “a dynamo.” Fraser added, “She just goes for it. She looks great in the outfit.”
Fraser recently received a six-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival for The Whale, in which he plays a man named Charlie who is driven to compulsive eating after his partner dies and eventually reaches 600 pounds. It centers around Charlie’s effort to reconnect with his estranged daughter, played by Sadie Sink. On Sunday, September 11th, he received the TIFF Tribute Award for his performance in the film.
Though we won’t get to see Fraser in Batgirl, he’s also set to appear in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.