Every major studio has projects that never make it to the screen. DC has them, too. Five years after Warner Bros. cancelled one of its strangest DC projects, new details have finally revealed what the script actually was and why the studio got cold feet.
What makes it more fascinating is how extreme the concept sounded even to its own creator. The script had some scenes that were apparently impossible to film as a blockbuster. At the time, that creative direction killed the project, calling parts of it ‘demented’. Today, however, the idea suddenly feels far less impossible.
The “Demented” Scenes Of The Screenplay That Got It Cancelled
At the height of the rush to rival Marvel’s success, Warner Bros. pushed the DC Extended Universe forward without a stable long-term plan. As a result, several major projects collapsed, including Ben Affleck’s Batman film, Batgirl, New Gods, and, eventually, Zatanna, all of which disappeared before production.
Related: Hawkgirl Could Steal The Spotlight In DC’s ‘Man of Tomorrow’
Soon after finishing ‘Promising Young Woman‘, writer Emerald Fennell joined the project. She admitted the scale intimidated her, so rather than writing a conventional superhero origin, she aimed to create something she personally connected with.
Her take focused on a hero struggling with mental health issues rather than battling villains. She explained the story centered on “a woman in the middle of a nervous breakdown,” which made the narrative unsettling. Because of that approach, the script moved far outside typical comic-book expectations.
Fennell even labeled parts of the screenplay “demented.” She later said she has not reread it in years because the material felt difficult, and she worried she had not delivered the story the studio expected. Although Warner Bros. supported development, several scenes proved too strange and impractical for a major production, ultimately leading the studio to cancel it.
Why The Cancellation Feels Different Now
Today, DC Studios appears to be moving closer to that once-rejected style of storytelling. In James Gunn’s ‘Superman‘, a Hall of Justice mural includes magician Zatara, Zatanna’s father, confirming the magical side of the universe exists in canon.
At the same time, set photos from the upcoming ‘Clayface‘ movie revealed the Vesuvius nightclub, the stage location Zatanna uses in the comics. That specific detail suggests the studio is building a supernatural corner of the DC world.
In case you missed it: DC’s ‘Supergirl’ Is Done Being Perfect And That Changes Everything
Meanwhile, recent projects reinforce that direction. The horror-styled ‘Clayface‘ and the ‘Mister Miracle‘ animated series embrace unusual ideas that studios previously avoided. Those creative choices strongly resemble the kind of storytelling Fennell attempted years earlier.
Previously, Warner Bros. pursued large, widely appealing superhero spectacles. A story centered on mental collapse and identity seemed risky and difficult to market. However, modern audiences now welcome personal and unconventional comic-book narratives.
Because of that change, the cancelled Zatanna movie feels more like poor timing. The same screenplay, rejected years ago, could work naturally in the present-day DC Universe. For now, the project remains a fascinating lost chapter.
You might have missed it: James Gunn’s DCU Isn’t Starting From Scratch And That Might Be Its Smartest Move
