Batgirl Director Responds to Costume Criticism With Batman Slap Meme
Batgirl director Adil El Arbi responds to criticisms leveled towards the film's Batgirl costume by posting the popular Batman slapping Robin meme. The film itself stars Leslie Grace in the titular role as the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon (J.K. Simmons) and a sidekick of the Dark Knight himself (Michael Keaton); Brendan Fraser is also set to star as one of the film's antagonists, a murderous pyromaniac named Firefly. Batgirl is set to be the first DCEU film to premiere exclusively on HBO Max following Warner Bros.' decision to utilize the service as a premium platform for their superhero content.
Grace unveiled a first look at her Batgirl costume on Instagram. In the vein of recent DCEU superhero designs, Batgirl's vividly yellow and purple costume is a clear homage to the traditional comic book depictions of the character. Despite the comic-accurate look, fans online have been quick to criticize the costume's quality saying that the brights colors and material make it look like a fan-made cosplay. While Grace herself has yet to comment on these criticisms, director El Arbi has been quick to address them.
On his Instagram story, El Arbi posted an image of the iconic Batman slapping Robin meme. In the empty speech bubbles, he tells detractors of the costume to "STFU and wait for the film!" Check out the full image below:
Despite the comedic nature of the meme, El Arbi has a point. Promotional images often fail to capture the complete effect that a costume has while in motion. The harsh lighting and shadows in the original image may also lend a more fan-made feel to the costume, one that may be remedied with the more intricate and precise lighting reserved for cinematic productions. Obviously, Grace's performance as Batgirl will also have a significant impact on the costume's believability as well. Context and execution is key when it comes to bringing fantastical images to life on the big screen.
With Keaton confirmed to fulfill the role of Batman after Ben Affleck's departure from the role in 2022's The Flash, it remains unclear how Batgirl will tie into previous films in the DCEU chronology. Set photos have revealed that the events of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice are canon to an unknown extent – specifically the bombing of the U.S. capitol building by Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). Significant changes are afoot in the DCEU, and Batgirl will be among the first productions to usher them in.
https://screenrant.com/batgirl-movie...arbi-reaction/