Leslie Grace is working through the stages of bat grief following the cancellation of “Batgirl.”
In August, Warner Bros. announced that it would be scrapping the superhero film, in which Grace starred as the title character — and Barbara Gordon — alongside several well-known co-stars such as Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser.
Since then, the 27-year-old has gone from expressing shock to thanking fans; now, she is sharing content that will never see the light of day. As part of the third stage of her grief process, Grace recently uploaded a behind-the-scenes video montage set to a song she wrote called “Batgirls Get Lonely Too.”
Leslie Grace Deals With Heartbreak Following ‘Batgirl’ Cancellation
In the clip which Grace shared on TikTok, the “In the Heights” star is seen in her “Batgirl” costume giving the peace sign. What followed are scenes of the actress working out and training in a gym before sitting in a chair to transform her face through special makeup effects.
The reel also showed her in what appeared to be a living room, teary-eyed. Scenes of Grace fighting off seemingly bad guys in her costume. She explained in the caption that she “wrote this song during the pandemic.. b4 l even knew ANY of this would be my life.”
Along with accumulating millions of views, the montage got fans talking in the comment section. One person claimed, “you and the cast and crew deserved so much better,” and another added, “I just KNOW your performance in this movie was killer. WB did everyone dirty.”
A third fan noted how “truly painful” the film cancellation was, while a fourth said, “I’m so sorry Leslie, you put so much hard work in that role. I can tell!” A fifth person who shared similar sentiments chimed in, “this hurts so much [broken heart emoji]. we all wanted it so bad and you would have been spectacular to see in this character.”
@iamlesliegrace i couldn’t resist.. @Omar Apollo ♬ Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All) – Omar Apollo
Grace previously shared a behind-the-scenes video two days ago set to Omar Apollo’s 2022 track, “Evergreen,” also on TikTok. This clip showed the singer-songwriter in different stages of production, including being dressed in black he “Batgirl” costume and rehearsing fight choreography. The three-time Latin Grammy Award nominee admitted in the caption that she “couldn’t resist” sharing the footage.
The 27-year-old has been open about expressing her feelings about Warner Bros. choosing not to go forward with releasing the film. Soon after the entertainment powerhouse announced its decision, The Blast reported that the “Carnaval del Barrio” singer dropped a statement via Instagram. After greeting her fans and acknowledging the unfavorable news, Grace stated:
“I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!”
She finished the statement by thanking her fans for their “love and belief” and allowing her to “take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, ‘my own d— hero!’ #Batgirl for life! [bat emoji].” In its decision to scrap the production and not publicly release the film, a Warner Bros. spokesperson said last month:
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO max.”
The “Be My Baby” Hitmaker Made Quite The Impression At Her ‘Batgirl’ Audition
Back in October 2021, The Blast highlighted that Grace’s audition skills cemented her role as the female personation of Gotham’s caped crusader. During the tryout stage, the actress’ portrayal of the “Batgirl” left the audition panel enthralled thanks to the perfect mix of her character’s natural feminine antics with the required fierceness of a vigilante.
When speaking on the team’s decision to go with Grace, one of the film’s screenwriters, Adil El Arb, gushed, “There was something that,” snapping his fingers then continued, “Hit a nerve, and [we] felt like we were actually watching Barbara Gordon.”
Nothing could stop the star’s joy when she received news of her getting the role as she promptly took to social media to update fans. Grace retweeted a media post from Warner Bros. with the words that read:
“I am BEYOND EXCITED to embody Barbara Gordon, your #Batgirl! I cannot believeeee what I’m writing. THANK YOU, DC, for welcoming me to the family! I’m ready to give her all I’ve got!”
The congratulations speedily poured in for Grace, who beat top actresses, including Isabella Merced, Zoey Deutch, and Haley Lu Richardson, for the role of Gotham’s lead.