The surprising news that Batgirl, a near-complete film starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon and Michael Keaton returning as Batman, has been pulled from release shocked Hollywood—especially the people involved in the making of the film, including directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, who worked with the directing duo on Ms. Marvel, sent Bilall and Adil an email to let them know they are on their side. In the quote shared by El Arbi on his Instagram story, Feige wrote: “My friends, I just had to reach out and let you know that we are all thinking of you both. Because of the great news about [El Arbi’s] wedding (congratulations!) and the disappointing news about Batgirl. I’m so proud of you guys for all the amazing work you do and especially Ms. Marvel of course! I can’t wait to see what’s next for you. We hope to see you soon.” El Arbi and Fallah—who also made Bad Boys for Life—are some of the nicest, most enthusiastic directors working in the action genre today (read io9’s Ms. Marvel interview with them). they also bring a much-needed fresh perspective, not to mention some much-needed diversity, to the entertainment industry. It’s great to see a Hollywood giant like Feige get behind him—and it gives us hope that they’ll be working with Marvel again soon. Want more io9 news? See when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe in movies and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
