Batgirl director Adil El Arbi has revealed that Marvel boss Kevin Feige reached out to offer his support after his DC superhero film was axed by Warner Bros.
El Arbi shared several messages of support on social media, including from Edgar Wright and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn.
This follows the shocking announcement that Warner Bros. is shelving the multi-million dollar film, which was shot entirely in Glasgow, five months ahead of its scheduled release.
El Arbi and his co-director Bilall Fallah said they were “shocked and saddened” by the news, having learned about it during a wedding together.
“Thank you for all the messages of support all over the world,” El Arbi wrote on his Instagram story.
“Bravo to the directors @edgarwright & @jamesgunn…your kind words and experience mean a lot and help us through this difficult time.”
In another post, he shared a screenshot of an email from Feige, which read, “Friends, I had to reach out and let you know that we are all thinking of you both.
“Because of the wonderful wedding news (congratulations!) and the disappointing news about Batgirl.
“Very proud of you guys for all the amazing work you do and especially Ms. Marvel of course!
“I can’t wait to see what awaits you next. See you soon, I hope.”
Batgirl was set to feature Hollywood stars Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, JK Simmons and Leslie Grace, and would have cost around $70m (£57.6m).
The film was due for release in late 2022 but was reportedly scrapped after poor test screenings.
It comes as Warner Bros bosses have said they are considering overhauling the DC superhero franchise and implementing a 10-year plan, to emulate the success of rivals Marvel.
Chief Executive David Zaslav said the company will focus on the “quality” of upcoming blockbusters to “protect the DC brand”.
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