Batgirl directors: Brendan Fraser ‘could have won an Oscar’ with Firefly performance | Films | Entertainment

Brendan Fraser may be winning awards for his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, but DC Comics directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah believe he could have won an Oscar for his role in Batgirl. The American-Canadian actor starred in the superhero movie as Ted Carson – better known as the supervillain Firefly – opposite Leslie Grace’s Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. However, after DC’s parent company Warner Bros cancelled the almost-finished movie, no one will ever see his genius on the big screen.

“[Fraser’s] performance in Batgirl was so great,” Bilall exclusively told Express.co.uk. “It’s really nuanced and it was one of the most memorable and complex villains we had ever saw.” (sic)

Fraser would have joined the ranks of other DC Comics supervillains, such as Paul Dano’s Riddler, Patrick Wilson’s Ocean Master, and Marwan Kenzari’s Sabbac.

However, he would have reportedly trumped all of these deliveries, as Bilall revealed the actor’s performance was so good he believed he could have won a prestigious award for it. “On the set we were watching him, saying: ‘He’s going to win an Oscar for this part!'”

There have been a few iterations of Firefly in the past. Fraser’s version of the villain was going to show a crestfallen veteran who had lost his benefits, seeking to burn down Gotham City.

Bilall went on: “We are so happy we were part of the Brenassaince,” speaking about the resurgence of the star’s career. He added that Fraser is “probably going to win an Oscar” in his returning roles to Hollywood – referencing The Whale.

The directing duo, who also helmed Ms Marvel and their recently released politically charged musical movie, Rebel, added that they loved jumping into the DC Cinematic Universe to work on the movie with Michael Keaton as Batman and JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon.

The Belgian filmmakers also gave an update about the release of Batgirl, and whether DC fans will ever see the picture hit the big screen.

Back in August 2022, The New York Post reported the $100 million movie was scrapped after “poorly received” test screenings.

The source at the time told the publication: “They think an unspeakable ‘Batgirl’ is going to be irredeemable.”

Bilall said of the movie’s release: “So far, we don’t know anything. We know no info.”

Adil added that James Gunn’s new job role as the creative head of DC Studios is “hopeful” for the directors. He said: “Hopefully we can make something – a comic book movie with DC. Maybe we can reuse the footage that we did for Batgirl. Let’s hope for it.”

Rebel is available on Digital Platforms now, presented by Signature Entertainment.

The Whale is in cinemas now.