Simu Liu’s joke about ‘Batgirl’ cancellation lands him in hot water
Simu Liu is embroiled in controversy after tweeting a joke in response to Warner Bros.’ cancellation of the “Batgirl” movie.
Principal photography for “Batgirl” had already wrapped up in March when it was announced on Thursday that the production company would be scrapping the $90 million dollar project. The movie, which would have starred Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, was originally slated to be part of the lineup for HBO Max’s original DC Extended Universe films.
As for what prompted the late-stage cancellation, the studio said they "didn’t believe in it."
Liu, the star of Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” poked fun at the news online, and reactions to it are divided — like they would be for any DC vs. Marvel crossover.
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“I'm sorry to inform you guys that Disney has decided to scrap the Shang-Chi Holiday Special due to quality control concerns,” he wrote in his Twitter post. “I had already filmed the entire thing. I even designed an all-gingerbread Ta Lo. RIP Shang Chi and the Legend of the TEEEN GOLDEN RIIIIINGS”
Some users pointed out that the parody seemed to be mocking Warner Bros. Discovery for canceling the movie, while others viewed the tweet as insensitive to those in the industry who worked hard on the project only to see it crumble.
pretty sure the guy is making fun of WB and not Batgirl
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— Patrick Nestor III (@PattyNest) August 5, 2022
dude it’s not cool to joke about this when so many of your fellow industry peers’ hardwork has been thrown down the drain
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— Molly 💚 YIBO DAY (@mpychu) August 5, 2022
Simu, I love you. But please delete this, it's not a pleasant situation for the entire creative team behind these projects at Warner. Apology video immediately.
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— Manolo (@yo_elmanolo) August 5, 2022
This isn’t the first time Liu’s social media posts have come under fire. In September last year he received backlash for controversial Reddit posts that resurfaced, prompting a response from the actor.
Liu has not yet responded to the criticism of his tweet.
Feature image via CBS Mornings, Warner Bros. Discovery