Batgirl Movie Director Welcomes Brendan Fraser to the DCEU
Batgirl movie director Bilall Fallah officially welcomes Brendan Fraser to the DC Extended Universe. The highly anticipated blockbuster was initially announced in 2017, with Justice League creative Joss Whedon attached to write and direct. After Whedon dropped out a year later, Warner Bros. and DC Films turned to Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson to take over the script. Hodson, who also penned the screenplay for the forthcoming The Flash film, was eventually joined by Bad Boys for Life directing duo Adil El Arbi and Fallah, billed collectively as Adil & Bilall.
After the the initial team was signed on to make the film for HBO Max, casting was the next order of business. The titular role of Barbara Gordon went to In the Heights star Leslie Grace, and Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons was once again tapped to play Jim Gordon, Gotham City Police Commissioner and Batgirl's father. Adil & Bilall's Bad Boys for Life collaborator Jacob Scipio was then added, in a role as yet undisclosed. Much speculation swirled around who would play Batgirl's nemesis in the picture, with A-list names like Sylvester Stallone floating around. However, it was announced just yesterday that Brendan Fraser was cast as the film's villain, with sources suggesting he'll play Firefly, a sociopath with a passion for pyrotechnics.
As the news went viral, Fallah takes to his Instagram Story to welcome his newest cast member to the team. First, he reposts a "welcome to Gotham" story from Scipio, then shares a press clipping of Fraser and writes: "YESSSS!! Batgirl for life." Notably, the director does not weigh in on which part the actor will be playing. Check out the posts below:
Fallah's co-director Arbi followed suit, sharing Scipio's same Instagram story to his page with the simple caption: "Brendan!!!!!" Leading lady Leslie Grace offered her own virtual salutation as well, writing: "Welcome to the squad, #BrendanFraser (now I have to kick your butt)." Fraser isn't new to DC by any means. The actor has been starring as Cliff Steele/Robotman on HBO Max's Doom Patrol, and though the series isn't technically in the DCEU, it has crossed universes multiple times.
Fraser was king of the '90s, building a huge fanbase with major films like George of the Jungle and The Mummy franchise. After falling off the radar for awhile, the performer has stepped back into the spotlight in recent years. The Batgirl announcement ignites Fraser's renaissance even more, proving that he isn't shying away from the camera again anytime soon. Playing a DC villain will no doubt require a wide-range of skills from Fraser, and diehard fan can point to the star's on-screen history as proof that he has what it takes to rise to the challenge.
Source: Bilall Fallah