The March 2025 BOF Mailbag

By
Bill "Jett" Ramey
-
14

UPDATE: Somehow, this mailbag went semi-viral about my thoughts on the CLAYFACE movie and part of what I said has been reported as fact.  While I stand by what I wrote about the road this project took from inception to getting the green light, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.  A Clayface film was one of the spinoff projects that Matt Reeves developed, along with projects based on Professor Pyg, The Scarecrow, and what became THE PENGUIN. This was reported by the trades over 2 years ago!  Here’s a blurb from back then from THR…

There’s a reason that there was scuttlebutt and chatter back then that Clayface might be a character in THE BATMAN: PART II. And there’s also a reason that Matt Reeves and 6th and Idaho are producing CLAYFACE along with DC Studios.  AND…

For the Batman history uneducated, the original Basil Karlo version of Clayface — who was NOT a shapeshifting blob of mud — could’ve fit in the Reevesverse.

Carry on. – Jett

Yeah, it’s been a while, no? If I recall correctly, the last BOF Mailbag dropped at the end of 2024/early 2025.  Maybe I’ll do these things every quarter now…well, at least until there’s a bit more to talk about.  And I certainly expect that to be the case as we progress through 2025 and THE BATMAN: PART II starts ramping up pre-production and gets to filming later this year.  Anyway, let’s get to those questions! – Bill “Jett” Ramey

I had a similar experience with BATMAN RETURNS when it came out as you.  Have you ever read Sam Hamm’s script for BATMAN and would you have enjoyed [that version of BATMAN RETURNS] more than what they went with?

JETT SAYS: I may have read it long ago, but I don’t recall it in detail.  I do remember that like the film we got, it was set during Christmas and the villains were Catwoman and The Penguin (who was referred to as “Mr. Boniface” or something like that).  Apparently, the plot revolved around The Penguin hiring Catwoman to steal buried treasure in Gotham.  Vicki Vale returns as Bruce’s love interest and Dick Grayson/Robin makes his debut. Also, there’s this secret society made of up Gotham’s elite that the buried treasure was tied to — sounds like The Court of Owls, right? Other than that, I don’t remember if I thought it was good or bad.  All I know is that I was tremendously disappointed with BATMAN RETURNS when I first saw it on opening night back in June of 1992 and it remains one of my least favorite Batman films.

I don’t know if Hamm’s script would’ve ended up making a better film than what we got, but the sequel to BATMAN was destined to be more “Tim Burton” than its predecessor since the original was such a huge hit.  BATMAN was more producer/studio-driven when it came to who had ultimate creative control and Burton, in order to return for the sequel, wanted and was given carte blanche. Thus, BATMAN RETURNS is the BATMAN 2 we got.

Do you think James Gunn will use Ace the Bat-Hound in THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD?

JETT SAYS: I don’t know, but I believe Bat-Mite will be in it and I’m dead-ass serious.

What’s your take on the Mattel/McFarlane news? Do you think this is good or bad? What collections do you think will be “incomplete” because of this? (I personally hope the cowls can be finished to some degree.)

JETT SAYS: It’s a bummer — I really like the stuff that McFarlane has put out.  On the other hand, I don’t know if there’s anything else they could make that I either don’t already have or would want.  But I’m with you on the cowls — mainly the mini ones.  I hope that before it goes totally to Mattel, McFarlane is able to release all cowls from all the live-action films.

JETT SAYS: See above lol!

JETT SAYS: Robin being or not being in THE BATMAN: PART II is a decision that Matt Reeves will (and already has) make and I’ll leave that up to him.  As David Goyer once said, Robin is  “tricky” to pull off in a live-action film that’s meant to be “serious” and aimed at the general audience, not comic book/Batman fans.  Frankly, I think BATMAN FOREVER did it really with Dick Grayson being around 16, 17ish, so I’d probably follow that precedent.  Batman running around with a 12 or 13-year-old sidekick in bright colors and a domino mask could (would) come off silly; so I don’t think Hit Girl in KICKASS is the blueprint.

I will say this: Even though I’m not a big Robin or kid sidekick guy and prefer grounded, street-level solo Batman stories, I get the historical significance of Robin — mainly Dick Grayson — in the Batman mythos.  Christopher Nolan did as well and did his take on the “Robin” character in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (which totally worked in the Batman world that was established in THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY).  I suspect that Matt Reeves is also well aware of the importance of a “Robin” and will find a take on the character that will work in the Batman story he’s telling.

 

Who really would be a perfect romantic match with Bruce Wayne/Batman?

JETT SAYS: Who do you think I am pal, Jim Lange?

JETT SAYS: Yes…

JETT SAYS: I wouldn’t call this “insight,” but THE BATMAN: PART II is going to begin filming later this year (4th quarter, most likely).  Thus, Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin are likely finishing the script as we speak (or it may already be done), with preproduction starting soon. So yes, we’ll start hearing about casting before you know it.

Do you think James Gunn will wait until after Matt Reeves is finished with [THE BATMAN EPIC CRIME SAGA] before releasing BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD with the DCU Batman?

JETT SAYS: Should he?  Yes.  Will he?  Probably not.  I get the feeling that Matt Reeves and THE BATMAN are super successful inconveniences for Gunn and co.  I’ll say this: I 100% believe that Reeves’ plan for a trilogy should be allowed to happen and the live-action introduction of the DCU Batman should wait until THE BATMAN SAGA is complete.  If Gunn is being honest when he says that each DCU project is essentially a standalone thing and the plan isn’t to do things like the MCU (i.e. everything is connected and leading up to a big team-up event film), then the DCU Batman can wait.  Plus, it’s not like Warner Bros./DC Studios is going without live-action Batman content!  Furthermore, if the success of the DCU is so dependent on the DCU Batman being introduced ASAP, maybe there shouldn’t be a new DCU?  Can’t Gunn’s Superman shoulder the DC on film load for a bit?

What’s your take on the CLAYFACE movie?  Any chance it’s Reevesverse?

JETT SAYS: I’m actually looking forward to it!  I think the premise — a horror/thriller/tragedy story — sounds fresh and interesting.   Looks like they are doing something similar with the character that was done in the BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER animated series.

As far as it being in the Reevesverse, I thought it could at first because Matt Reeves is producing.  But it seems that it is indeed DCU and that Reeves is producing because he came up with the idea.  Apparently, Clayface was going to be in THE BATMAN: PART II at one time, then shifted to being a Reevesverse spinoff film, and then morphed into a DCU project. Perhaps that’s where all the rumors about Clayface being in TB2 came from?

Who is the main villain of THE BATMAN 2?!

JETT SAYS: The main villain of THE BATMAN: PART II is a Batman character that Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin feel fits the story that they are telling.

Did JOKER 2 deserve all those Razzies?

JETT SAYS: Absolutely. It’s a film that wasn’t needed and never should’ve happened.  Thanks for retroactively ruining the original JOKER for me Warner Bros.!

What would it take to do a Chapter by Chapter podcast on BATMAN RETURNS or BATMAN v SUPERMAN lol?

JETT SAYS: In fact, a Chapter by Chapter podcast series for BATMAN RETURNS will probably commence later this year.  I’m currently doing one for BATMAN FOREVER (start listening to that series HERE) and one for BATMAN BEGINS will start in early June.

What’s your most prized part of your Batman collection?

JETT SAYS: It’s in the video below. If you can guess what it is, you’ll get a free year’s subscription to BOF!

@batmanonfilmTHE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY in Batman collectables! #Batman #TheDarkKnightTrilogy♬ original sound – Batman On Film

 

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