Here’s What Joss Whedon’s Abandoned Batgirl Flick Would’ve Been Like

Recently, Joss Whedon was hired by Warner Bros. to develop a solo feature film for Batgirl. Even more recently, he quit the project, citing the embarrassing reason that he couldn’t think of a story. At least he’s honest.

“Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story,” Whedon said the day his departure was announced. “I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”

But while Whedon couldn’t think of anything good, it’s untrue that he couldn’t think of anything at ALL. Variety spoke to other sources close to the project and found there WAS a generalized plot in mind.

Whedon wished to adapt “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!”, the 1967 comic debut of the character written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Carmine Infantino. In Batgirl’s very first story, she worked as a librarian part-time and in her spare time, suited up to fight the supervillain Killer Moth. Perhaps the part about fighting a guy in a moth suit is where Whedon got stuck.

Batgirl actually owes her existence to the Batman TV series. After the producers expressed interest in adding a third crimefighter, DC brainstormed and came up with the idea of turning Commissioner Gordon’s daughter into one. Batgirl appeared in comics around the same time she first appeared on TV.

This doesn’t mean we’ll never get a Batgirl movie. WB is still looking into finding the right leader for the project, and rumor has it they would prefer a female director this time, which would probably be better in the end.