Happy New Year BOF’ers!
Planned to get this mailbag posted on BOF on January 1st, pushed it back to January 2nd, and then the holiday and the Texas Longhorns got in the way.
But here we are, let’s get to your questions. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
I just saw some post that The Batman Part 2 is being delayed again to October 2027. Please tell me this is some rubbish that I can ignore!
JETT SAYS: Sorry, it is true. It sucks, yes, but it’ll get here. For reference, BATMAN BEGINS was 20 years ago. Yeah. Time flies, so as I always say, enjoy the ride.
Do you believe that something is going on between Gunn and Reeves and is that why THE BATMAN: PART II got moved to 2027? Do you think it’ll ultimately be canceled and will Pattinson be absorbed into Gunn’s DCU?
JETT SAYS: I do not believe there is a conflict between Reeves and Gunn. The film was moved to 2027 because Reeves is meticulous AF and will not go into preproduction until he thinks it is ready. As far as Pattinson’s Batman becoming the DCU Batman, that ain’t happening either. As Gunn said, the idea was kicked around, Reeves wasn’t on board with it, and that ended it.
If Gunn wanted to kill THE BATMAN: PART II he could…but he hasn’t and he won’t. Warner Bros. and DC Studios need Matt Reeves more than he needs them. They want to be in the Matt Reeves business. Furthermore, there’s likely some contractual stuff in play when it comes to Batman. Notice that Reeves is a producer on just about everything “Batman” — CAPED CRUSADER, CLAYFACE, DYNAMIC DUOS — coming out of WB/DC Studios.
Something to note, I heard from a couple of folks (not from the rumors online) that there could possibly be a personal issue that Mr. Reeves is dealing with that is one of the causes affecting finishing the script. But I can’t confirm that’s the case so I consider it just hearsay.
It seems like Gunn has started backpedaling a little bit. When the DCU was announced with Gunn as co-head of DC Studios, he claimed that he was “making plans” and that he aimed to tell the “greatest story ever told.” But now, he is instead focusing on claiming that the DCU is a diverse universe with a lot of different tones and stories, with not that much interconnection. I guess they got cold feet after how badly the last DCEU films performed.
JETT SAYS: I don’t know if he’s “backpedaling,” but if what he has said recently about the direction of this new DCU is true, he’s doing the right and smart thing. The DCU needs to be different from the MCU and the DCEU before it. With these DCU projects pretty much being their own thing is certainly the way to go. DC projects with different genres and using different timeframes (period pieces, etc.) are also a positive…IF that’s what Gunn and co. actually end up doing. We shall see.
Are there going to be any other HBO series set in THE BATMAN UNIVERSE, like THE PENGUIN?
JETT SAYS: That’s a 100% certainty…and was even before THE BATMAN: PART II got pushed back a full year to October of 2027. Hell, there might even be 2 before then. Reeves has said he and Lauren LeFranc have talked about a second season of THE PENGUIN and he’s also mentioned that they are developing other Reevesverse/TBU projects. Also, don’t be surprised if there’s a spinoff film as well.
Based on everything we have from Matt’s universe (The Batman and The Penguin) which villain will be the main one in The Batman Part 2? Do you know anything or have any suggestions?
— Iann (@IGabriel61031) December 23, 2024
JETT SAYS: THE BATMAN: PART II will include characters that make sense to the story that Matt Reeves wants to tell. And that would also be my suggestion to Reeves — characters/villains that fit the story. But I don’t have to tell him that because that’s what he’s already doing.
After seeing Gunn’s “Superman” trailer do you feel a little bit more optimistic about DC Studios’ bankability in the long run? Merry Xmas by the way!
JETT SAYS: Not really. I’m still not sure if the general audience is going to care enough to come out to see SUPERMAN in droves. The issues that the DCU faces are still legit concerns. The trailer did move the needle for me. Well, at least Krypto moved the needle for me!
What type of alterations do you feel we will see on the Batsuit, if any?
JETT SAYS: Well, it was pretty beat up at the end of THE BATMAN, so I’m sure that Bruce will have to repair it. So maybe in the process, he makes some additions to it. I don’t expect anything significant to be changed with the Batsuit.
Will there be a “love interest” in THE BATMAN: PART II?
JETT SAYS: I suspect there will be a female lead in the film, but I don’t know if it’ll be the stereotypical “love interest.” Also, Zoe Kravitz is expected to return as Selina Kyle, so…you know.
Who do you think the main villain will be in THE BATMAN: PART II? I keep reading about rumors of Hush, but I really hope that isn’t the case. I honestly never cared for the character, and in the context of this universe, it would be too close to what we already have with The Riddler (whom I loved).
JETT SAYS: See my answer above. And I 100% agree with you about the character of Hush!
This one is obvious… Your thoughts about the trailer for SUPERMAN, do you think it will fly to the sky or it will never leave the ground?
JETT SAYS: I liked most of it. Still not a fan of the non-Superman DC characters in it and Superman fighting a Godzilla wannabe/Kaiju. But the rest was good…especially Krypto. Gunn got with with Krypto! As far as how the film will perform, I still think it’s got a lot working against it. I wouldn’t take the number the times the trailer was viewed as an indication of the film being a surefire success. And you are correct, there is an entire BOF podcast on it!
Did you watch the final season of SUPERMAN & LOIS?
JETT SAYS: No. I checked out after Season 1. I did watch the series finale.
With the news of the delay, any truth in the other rumors of the sequel getting a name change and it being VFX heavy?
JETT SAYS: I don’t have insight into that, sorry. But I hope the title doesn’t change — I quite like THE BATMAN: PART II — and I just can’t imagine it being a heavy VFX film like SUPERMAN.
