Batgirl: Sylvester Stallone Was Almost Cast As Firefly
According to a new allegation, Sylvester Stallone was almost cast as Firefly, the pyromaniac main adversary of the DC Extended Universe’s Batgirl film. A film based on the titular crime-fighter has been in the works since 2017, when Joss Whedon, the director of the Justice League reshoot, was attached to script and direct the movie, albeit he dropped out a year later. After impressing the studios with her work on the Harley Quinn spin-off feature, Warner Bros. and DC Films turned their focus to Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson to pen the script.
The Cast Of Batgirl
After a couple of years of Hodson writing the script for the DCEU’s The Flash, WB resurrected Batgirl earlier this year, announcing that Bad Boys for Life’s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah had signed on to helm the film at HBO Max in May. Shortly after, casting began, with Leslie Grace of In the Heights earning the coveted title role, J.K. Simmons in talks to reprise his role as Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon, Batgirl’s father, from Justice League, and Jacob Scipio signed on to act in an unspecified part. Brendan Fraser of Doom Patrol was recently added to Batgirl’s cast as the nefarious Firefly, albeit it now appears he wasn’t the first choice for the part.
The Twitter Reveal
Following Fraser’s casting, Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Twitter that Stallone was almost cast as Firefly in the upcoming Batgirl film. The Rocky and Rambo star was first offered the role of the primary adversary, but an agreement between Stallone and the studio couldn’t be reached, according to Kit. Take a look at what Kit revealed below:
Sylvester Stallone first had the offer for the part but things just didn't work out. Another key role in BATGIRL: the son of the gangster/villain, who becomes romantically linked to…well, you can take it from there. https://t.co/V4rpiZBaCV
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) October 25, 2021
The addition of Brendan Fraser as Firefly
Brendan Fraser’s casting as Firefly sparked a rush of enthusiasm on social media, with fans hoping that his current string of high-profile roles will continue with Batgirl. It was particularly intriguing because of his position as Cliff Steele/Robotman in HBO Max’s Doom Patrol, a show that isn’t strictly tied to the mainline DCEU but has crossed universes numerous times. Given his recent appearance as King Shark in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which does sit as a true chapter in the movie universe, the prospect of Stallone in the character would have piqued audiences’ interest.
Stallone’s potential return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Stallone’s future in the world of comic book adaptations looks bright, even if he won’t be playing Firefly in HBO Max’s Batgirl. While rumours swirl about his possible return for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Gunn’s final chapter in his Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogy, the film adaptation of Bragi F. Schut, Marc-Oliver Frisch, and Renzo Podesta’s graphic novel series Samaritan is currently in post-production and set for a Summer 2022 release, the film adaptation of Bragi F. Schut, Marc-Oliver Frisch, and Renzo Podesta’s graphic novel series Sama In the interim, viewers may expect Fraser’s portrayal of Firefly to premiere on HBO Max in 2022.
