An Old Plan For Affleck's Batman Can Bring Batgirl Into The DCEU

The DCEU’s Batgirl has been canceled, but an old Zack Snyder plan for the DCEU may still allow Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon to enter the franchise another way. Batgirl is a classic supporting character from DC’s various Batman comics, and the Batgirl movie would have finally brought her to the DCEU franchise as well as acquainted viewers with the post-The Flash timeline. Batgirl’s cancellation and a growing implication that Ben Affleck’s Batman will remain the DCEU’s main Dark Knight don’t mean that Leslie Grace will never be canonized as Batgirl, however, as a repurposed Zack Snyder plan for the franchise’s future leaves room for her.

Zack Snyder has been a key creator in shaping the DCEU, having directed its first two installments and worked alongside fellow directors to maintain a consistent vision for the superhero franchise. As revealed in 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, however, Snyder is no longer involved in the DCEU, and while this may not necessarily be set in stone, viewers should not get their hopes up for his proposed Justice League sequels and DCEU solo films, which comprise the “Snyderverse,” to become a reality. Snyder’s plans can inspire future DCEU films though, even if the franchise ultimately goes in a different direction.

Related: How Snyder's Robin & Batgirl Plans Could Have Saved Affleck's Batman

Most of Zack Snyder’s long-term DCEU plans are available to read on social media, and one element of his vision for Batman was having him take on a new sidekick. Carrie Kelley was going to replace the deceased Dick Grayson as Robin, possibly in the Ben Affleck Batman solo movie, and with Ben Affleck returning to the DCEU franchise in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, it seems as though Affleck isn’t quite finished with his role as the Dark Knight. While Batgirl is canceled and The Batman became a non-DCEU movie, Leslie Grace could join the DCEU as Barbara Gordon if Snyder’s plan for Batman’s new sidekick is tweaked to either have both Carrie Kelley and Barbara Gordon succeed Dick Grayson together or simply have Barbara Gordon take Carrie Kelley’s place in a future Batman appearance.

The death of Dick Grayson is a vital component of Batman’s DCEU characterization. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman breaks his no-kill rule and nearly becomes a villain himself, and this dark turn is motivated by both his existential dread from witnessing Superman’s melee with General Zod and his grief over losing his adopted son. Superman’s sacrifice helped bring Batman back to his more heroic self in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but Snyder intended for Batman to also finally allow another crime fighter to adopt the Robin mantle by taking Carrie Kelley under his wing.

Ben Affleck’s Batman seems poised to remain the DCEU’s primary Dark Knight, and while an Affleck-led Batman solo movie appears unlikely for the time being, this portion of Snyder’s plan could be adapted in the background of a future Batman appearance. In another Justice League movie or a cameo appearance in another DCEU superhero’s solo adventure, Batman may appear with Leslie Grace’s Batgirl and potentially Carrie Kelley as Robin as well to show that he’s rebuilding the Bat Family but not forgetting his late son. By using and modifying Snyder’s plans, the DCEU can have its Batgirl even if her solo movie is canceled.

Next: Where Does Batgirl's Cancellation Leave Ben Affleck's Batman

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