The canonical status of the DCEU has generated plenty of debate and no shortage of backlash over the years, but HBO Max’s Batgirl in particular has been the subject of much curiosity.
While the streaming service was well within its rights to simply wipe the slate clean and start afresh, J.K. Simmons returning as Commissioner Gordon led fans to believe that Leslie Grace’s debut as his daughter Barbara took place in the same universe as Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
That’s a perfectly reasonable conclusion to reach, when Simmons made his first appearance in the theatrical edition of Justice League and saw an increase in screentime throughout the Snyder Cut, even if his planned supporting role in Ben Affleck’s The Batman never came to fruition.
However, when asked in an interview with Looper if Batgirl was SnyderVerse canon, the Academy Award winner artfully danced his way around the question.
“I was as surprised as I was when [Marvel] came back to ask me to do [Jameson] that they were coming to me to play Batgirl’s father, Commissioner Gordon again, in this new version of the universe. We’ve already had lots of discussions about the script and how to play everything. I’m excited by the cast and the directors and … looking forward to diving back into the DC multiverse.”
Perhaps The Flash‘s multiversal shenanigans will reset the stage for Batgirl, even if directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi have teased a Batman cameo. Either way, we’re happy to see Simmons back, because his casting as Jim Gordon was right on the money.
