Lawmakers Cite Batgirl Cancellation in Call for Warner Bros. Discovery Merger to Be Investigated

Four lawmakers have cited, among other things, Batgirl’s cancellation as a reason for 2022’s Warner Bros. Discovery merger to be investigated.

As reported by Deadline, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) all wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DOJ antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter about the merger.

They claim it “appears to have enabled” Warner Bros. Discovery to “adopt potentially anticompetitive practices that reduce consumer choice and harm workers in affected labor markets.”

It was also argued that the merger has led to the “hollowing out” of an “iconic American studio,” and one of the many issues the four have seen stem from the cancellation of certain projects and the sudden removal of content on HBO Max.

“Audiences will never see such projects like Batgirl, a $90 million film that was canceled while ‘deep into post-production,’ despite consumer outcry, reportedly to allow WBD to claim a tax break,” The letter reads.

Batgirl, which was set to star Leslie Grace as the titular character alongside Michael Keaton’s Batman, J.K. Simmons’ Commissioner Gordon, and Brendan Fraser’s Firefly, was originally a $70 million film that was going to go straight to HBO Max. However, it was decided to move Batgirl from HBO Max to theaters and Warner Bros. Discovery bumped up its budget considerably.

Unfortunately for all involved and for those hoping to see the film, it was canceled.

Alongside Batgirl and cancelled/removed content, the letter also argues that Warner Bros. Discovery “has the incentive and ability to eliminate broad swaths of its workforce, leaving workers with fewer choices for employment and advancement.”

This is seen, according to the four lawmakers, in the layoffs in the past year, the shutdown of CNN+, and more.

The Warner Bros. Discovery merger took place on April 8, 2022, and it would be rare for the Justice Department to review a merger that happened a year ago. However, concerns over “the impact of consolidation on content creators and workers” in addition to consumers is what is seemingly make this case worth fighting for the lawmakers.

For more on Batgirl, check out DC Studios’ Peter Safran comments on why it was right to cancel Batgirl, why Batgirl star Leslie Grace said the unreleased cut was ‘incredible,’ and why, despite the cancelation, we believe you just can’t keep a batgirl down.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.