The cancelation of the Batgirl film has caused many DC Comics fans to once again criticize the state of the franchises' live-action offerings. Unfortunately, DC's animated properties, while more consistently well-received, have also had their fair share of troubling productions, and are no strangers to outright canceling films before the audience ever see them.
From huge sequels to classic storyline adaptations, there are a multitude of animated films that DC Comics fans can only ever dream of seeing.
Fleischer Studios' Batman Films
The first ever animated DC films were the theatrical Superman shorts created by Fleischer Studios during the 1940s, and they are films that have maintained a beloved legacy nearly a century later due to their cultural impact and tremendous animation quality. Unsurprisingly, DC looked to give their other best-known hero, Batman, similar animated treatment and discussed with Fleischer the possibility of adapting the Caped Crusader into animated short films.
Talks made it as far budgetary discussions, as highlighted in a letter from the negotiations reproduced in the executive producer of many Batman projects Michael E. Uslan's memoir The Boy Who Loved Batman, though that would ultimately be as far as the talks would go. Any chance of the project happening was officially put to rest when Fleischer eventually ceased producing the Superman shorts due to their extremely high production costs.
Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker Sequel
The Fleischer Studios' films would be far from the last time that the Batman franchise would have a project scrapped before production, as decades upon decades later, the next generation's hero of Gotham City would face a similar fate. Terry McGinnis of best heroes of the DC Animated Universe, making it entirely unsurprising to see Batman Beyond receive the film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Yet another film for the series was planned, one that would highlight Catwoman's place in the future Gotham of the show, though low home media sales and controversy from the first film's dark and violent content ultimately prevented this from occurring (via Animated Times.)
Justice League: Worlds Collide
Another DC Animated Universe film that was ultimately canceled, Justice League: Worlds Collide would have starred the DCAU incarnation of the team fighting the Crime Syndicate in a film designed to bridge the ending of the Justice League series and the beginning of its continuation Justice League Unlimited, showcasing things such as how Wonder Woman acquired her Invisible Jet and how the Justice League grew in .
The film was scrapped right before voice recording could begin, however, it was not outright abandoned. It was retooled into the film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, though with all connections to the DCAU removed (via CBR).
Catwoman Tie-In Film
In 2003 Warner Bros. Studios wanted to capitalize off of the live-action Catwoman movie starring Halle Berry, and thus hired Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero writer and director Boyd Kirkland to write a direct-to-video Catwoman animated tie-in film.
A script was written, but the live-action Catwoman movie proved to be so bad and so reviled by audiences and critics alike that the animated film was entirely scrapped (via DC Animated). The Catwoman character would not receive her own starring animated feature until this very year with the release of Catwoman: Hunted.
The Batman Vs. Hush
While the "Hush" storyline would eventually be adapted over a decade later in one of the strangest DC Animated Movie Universe films, the iconic Batman tale was almost adapted much earlier with the ultimately-scrapped film Batman vs. Hush.
Set to be the second movie based on the 2004 animated series The Batman after The Batman vs. Dracula, the proposed film would have introduced the Hush character into the universe of the series, and like the comic storyline, feature many of Batman's rogue's gallery. The film was, however, canceled, and the series would end in 2008 with no other film being made (via The JusticeCast).
Batman: Assault On Arkham Sequel
Though a Batman film in the title, Batman: Arkham videogames, the film showed Task Force X sent on a mission to infiltrate Arkham Asylum and retrieve the Riddler, only to be forced to contend with the Arkham's inmates and Batman during the course of the chaotic night.
The film's co-director, Jay Oliva, discussed plans to make a sequel to the film, but the project was ultimately scrapped due to Oliva's departure from Warner Bros. Animation (via Anime Superhero).
Aquaman Film
While the DCEU Aquaman would solidify the character's place as a marquee hero, the King of Atlantis was still somewhat of a laughingstock for much of the public in the early 2010s due to his ridiculous portrayal on Super Friends decades ago and the subsequent jokes that spiraled from it.
This ultimately undid any chance of Aquaman receiving an animated film around that time, despite plans for one being made with horror director Adam Green even writing a completed script for it, as the studio did not see a way in which they could successfully market the then-ridiculed character into a financially-successful film (via MTV).
Batgirl: Year One Adaptation
Batgirl's recent poor luck with unrealized film adaptations is unfortunately nothing new for the character and is also unfortunately not something that is also confined to the world of live-action films.
Batman: Year One co-director Lauren Montgomery and executive producer Bruce Timm hoped to produce a Batgirl film in a similar vein, doing so by adapting the highly-lauded 2003 miniseries Batgirl: Year One which explores the titular character's journey to becoming Batgirl and the first adventures she goes on under the mantle, including battles with the villains Killer Moth and Firefly. DC, however, canceled all plans for the adaptation, likely reverting back to their original idea of avoiding female-lead superhero films after the slow sales of the animated Wonder Woman film (via MTV).
Green Lantern: First Flight Sequel
2022 brought with it the first Green Lantern animated film since the 2011 anthology film Green Lantern: Emerald Knights in Green Lantern: Beware My Power a story that primarily follows Green Lantern John Stewart as the protagonist.
The last DC animated film to fully follow Hal Jordan as the main protagonist, however, was the 2009 film Green Lantern: First Flight, which recounted Hal Jordan's origin story and his battles with Sinestro and was praised for its riveting action sequences. A direct sequel to the film was planned, but the producer of the first film Bruce Timm would later clarify that the sequel was ultimately canceled due to poor home media sales (via MTV).
Wonder Woman Sequel (2009)
The first Wonder Woman animated feature, the 2009 Wonder Woman, shared several similarities with the aforementioned Green Lantern: First Flight, with the most unfortunate one being that it too, despite interest in a sequel from producer Bruce Timm, would have its continuation plans scrapped due to its aforementioned disappointing home media sales.
The film, an origin story for the character loosely based on "Gods and Mortals" storyline from the comics, received critical acclaim for its characterization of the heroine and the brutality of its fight scenes. Wonder Woman would unfortunately not receive another animated solo film until over a decade later with the 29019 release of the DC Animated Movie Universe film Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (via MTV).
