Thanks for reading the first BOF Mailbag of 2023! No time to waste, so let’s get to your questions! – Bill “Jett” Ramey
I’m sure you’ve seen the new Keaton suit by now. What are your thoughts?
JETT SAYS: Yeah, I saw it LONG ago. It’s cool — it looks like an updated version of the BATMAN RETURNS suit with a few tweaks. Looking forward to seeing MK sporting in action in THE FLASH later this year.
Let’s say for argument’s sake that THE FLASH makes $5 billion and is nominated for numerous awards, where does that leave the DC film universe? I am being sarcastic. I am just wondering no matter how much The Flash makes is it still set in stone that there will be a complete reboot?
JETT SAYS: I’m of the educated opinion that Warner Bros. via James Gunn and Peter Safran heading up DC Studios plans to start fresh with a new live-action DC shared universe…regardless of how any of the DC films perform this year.
I don’t think Gunn and Safran have been putting together a “bible” for the new DCU and will toss all those plans in the trash because THE FLASH is a success.
Do you think that the new DCU Batman will have a Robin to differentiate it from Matt Reeves Batman? I say that as Deathstroke has been hinted by James Gunn so we could potentially see a Teen Titans team in the DCU lead by Robin.
— Robin’s Nest (C. Harlow) (@HarlowC) January 11, 2023
JETT SAYS: Let’s hope not!
In all seriousness, I don’t believe we’ll get the new DCU Batman until Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson are done, so trying to differentiate them won’t be an issue. Plus, I think the DCU Batman will indeed be different from what Reeves did in THE BATMAN UNIVERSE regardless if there’s a Robin yet or appears at some point down the line. Plus…
Who says that Reeves won’t give us his version of Robin in one of his Batman films?
Do you think that the BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD cartoon would have worked with the exact same style, art, and voice talent…but it was completely set in Gotham, at night, and using only Batman’s Rogues gallery?
JETT SAYS: Oh man, that’s a great question!
Yeah, I think so because BTBATB was essentially a love letter to Batman and Batman history…and to the Silver Age of DC Comics as well, of course. BUT…I think what made it really work was bringing in all those great non-Batman DC Comics characters.
Work? Yes. Better than what we got? Probably not.
Is Reeves just an executive producer on THE PENGUIN?
JETT SAYS: He’s an active producer with creative control along with Dylan Clark and produced through Reeves’ 6th and Idaho production company.
Gunn claims Batman is a big part of the new DCU. Do you see the DCU Batman coexisting with Reeves’ Batman, even if for only a few years? More broadly, do you think the DCEU and DCU will co-exist for a brief period too? I ask because they might want to complete a trilogy for AQUAMAN and WONDER WOMAN.
JETT SAYS: It’s my very educated opinion that there will not be any overlap between Matt Reeves’ trilogy and the introduction of the new DCU Batman. So no, I do not believe that they’ll coexist.
As far as the DCEU’s future, it’s going to end this year once these 4 DC films are released. I mean, it was pretty obvious that the WONDER WOMAN 3 script Patty Jenkins turned in was meant to conclude that Wonder Woman’s (Gal Gadot) story and Gunn/Safran passed. So I don’t see them doing a third film with either character — which would be at least 3 years from now (2026).
Again, this is my very educated opinion of the matter.
Now the Reeves is deep into the writing process of THE BATMAN sequel, when do you think we will get any news of a release date? And your thoughts on the comments about the connection to THE BATMAN show?
JETT SAYS: I suspect we’ll get a release date relatively soon since I believe it’ll be a 2025 release. With THE PENGUIN, I like the fact it’s going to serve as a bridge between the first film and the sequel.
By the time the Batman universe is done, around how many solo films and spinoffs do you think we will see?
— L_Wayne (@l_wayne2) January 11, 2023
JETT SAYS: I believe we’ll get 3 films — a trilogy — and 2 HBO series.
What’s the best part of waking up?
JETT SAYS: Only working if I want to and doing whatever the hell I want. #retired
Looking back to BOF’s 25 years of history – when was the first time you thought the site graduated from “small fry” to “big thing”?
JETT SAYS: 2004. I got a phone call from Warner Bros. inviting me to the set of BATMAN BEGINS.
Even though there has been no official announcement or release date given, the feeling has been THE BATMAN 2 would come out in Spring/Summer 2025. Do you think that is still likely or do you expect it to take a little longer now? And, if the expectation is still mid-2025, wouldn’t they have to start filming late this year/early next year, at the latest?
JETT SAYS: Yeah, as I’ve said, I still believe it’ll be a 2025 release. So Reeves and co. have all of 2023 to finish the script, cast the film, and get all the pre-production done readying for filming in 2024. Remember, Chris Nolan did a movie in between BATMAN BEGINS and THE DARK KNIGHT — THE PRESTIGE — and still had the latter ready for a 2008 debut. Reeves is going straight from THE BATMAN right to the sequel.
Do you think the Gunn/Safran DCU slate will have anything Batman-related that isn’t a part of THE BATMAN UNIVERSE that Matt Reeves is cultivating?
JETT SAYS: Yeah…eventually. At some point, a new “DCU” Batman on film will be introduced — most likely after Reeves and Pattinson’s trilogy is finished.
If you’re asking me if they’ll hint at Batman’s existence in the first DCU films that are released (*ahem* Superman), that’s certainly possible.
What do you think is the best course of action for Pattinson, Affleck, and Keaton moving forward?
JETT SAYS: Despite his cameo in THE FLASH, Affleck is done, so that is that.
When it comes to Michael Keaton’s Batman, there were big plans for him post-THE FLASH, but that’s all changed. It’s now a one-off.
And with Pattinson, he and Reeves will finish their trilogy and his run as the cinematic Batman will conclude.
The Joker being pregnant burned my eyes in that dreadful comic. When will comics be good again?
JETT SAYS: While the legacy titles — BATMAN, DETECTIVE — have been, well, not good of late, there have been some really good Batman comics recently. I would recommend BATMAN: BEYOND THE WHITE KNIGHT and BATMAN: THE IMPOSTER are prime examples. I’m at the point where I want more BLACK LABEL stuff like this since they are much better than the monthlies.
What happens if a film like The Flash is a huge $1billion hit? Does James Gunn reevaluate or do they push forward matter what?
— Matt Canon (@MattACanon) January 11, 2023
JETT SAYS: See my answer to a similar question above.
Look, it’s not like Warner Bros. is hoping that THE FLASH tanks. Even though they are moving on from the “DCEU”, they want their 2023 slate of DC movies to be a success. Furthermore, Gunn and Safran are moving forward — that’s obvious AF — and certainly are not planning to, um, change their DCU plans if THE FLASH is a hit.
Did you watch THE BATMAN more than ELVIS this past year?!
JETT SAYS: It was a good fandom year for me in 2022 indeed!
I’d say I watched them an equal number of times last year…and I’m talking 20+ viewings. I absolutely LOVE both those films!
Do you think there will be a time jump between The Batman/Penguin series and the sequel? Or do you think it will take place in a more condensed timeline (sequel in year 3 or 4)?
— Marc (@GothamMarc) January 12, 2023
JETT SAYS: THE PENGUIN takes place immediately after the events of THE BATMAN. Matt Reeves has now said that THE PENGUIN series will lead into THE BATMAN sequel (read that story HERE). So I suspect the sequel will pick up not too long after the events of the first film and TP series.
Do you think there’s any chance Warner Bros. would sell the ZSJL or DCEU stuff to Netflix?
JETT SAYS: 
