Well, hello there!
Time for this month’s BOF Mailbag. Lots of questions about the status of THE BATMAN: PART II. Questions about the new DCU and Gunn’s SUPERMAN movie as well. Let’s get to ’em! – Bill “Jett” Ramey
Any news of when THE BATMAN: PART II starts pre-production?
JETT SAYS: This year.
Do you think Selina will be the female lead of THE BATMAN: PART II or will we be getting a new female lead/love interest for Bruce?
JETT SAYS: I 100% believe Zoe Kravitz will reprise her role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman in THE BATMAN: PART II. Will the role be as big as it was in the first film? Probably not. Thus, I don’t see her being the “big female lead”…though I do believe her role will be important.
Do you think THE BATMAN: PART II will be much different than what was originally conceived? Reeves has said he initially had the Penguin arc in the sequel, and given the amount of time, feels like he at least made a good bit of changes.
JETT SAYS: Much different? Probably not. I’m sure the “Rise of The Penguin” subplot was expanded greatly for the HBO series. But yeah, Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin had to fill that void. I would guess that storyline is being replaced by more of Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) and his shenanigans now that he’s the top dog mob boss in Gotham.
I truly don’t want to beat a dead horse, but what have you heard is the latest on The Batman part 2? It’s hard not to be concerned now that it’s April, and we haven’t heard if the script is complete, when pre-production starts, or any casting. What’s happening?
JETT SAYS: The latest is that Matt Reeves plans to start filming in the latter part of this year. Robert Pattinson has confirmed this and said he’s going to start THE BATMAN: PART II after he’s done working on Christopher Nolan’s new film, THE ODYSSEY. That’s where we are at. Patience is a virtue.
With the recent passing of Val Kilmer, I was wondering what your favorite “on-screen moment” is with him as Batman?
JETT SAYS: It’s a tie.
I love the scene of him and Dick Grayson (Chris O’Donnell) where DG hits on Batman telling him that his parent’s murder was his fault. Batman then tells him, “If Bruce Wayne could have given his life for your family, he would have.”
I also am very fond of Batman telling The Riddler (Jim Carrey), “I’m both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be, now, because I CHOOSE to be” during the finale of BATMAN FOREVER.
There you go.
Check out my tribute to Val Kilmer HERE as well as our current BATMAN ON FILM CHAPTER BY CHAPTER series on BATMAN FOREVER.
What did you think of the new SUPERMAN trailer?
JETT SAYS: I’ll talk about it in more detail on the next BOF SOCIAL HOUR podcast, but I will say that I thought it was OK/good. LOVED the Kryto stuff!
What’s your thoughts on SUPERMAN? Do you think it’ll be a hit or falter/disappoint like previous Superman movies like SUPERMAN RETURNS and MAN OF STEEL?
JETT SAYS: My first thought is that it’ll perform about the same at the box office as the previous two solo Superman films you mentioned. (SUPERMAN RETURNS made about $200M domestic while MAN OF STEEL took in around $290M.) Frankly, I’m not sure if the general audience is going to get excited enough about the movie to turn out and see it in theaters. Combine that with an overall fatigue of the genre, it’s got a hard row to hoe.
Two comic book characters have had multiple solo film reboots and continue to have success with each incarnation: Batman (3, not counting Ben Affleck’s DCEU run) and Spider-Man (3). They are, so far, Teflon.
Warner Bros., DC Studios, and James Gunn have A LOT riding on SUPERMAN, for sure.
When do you think we will hear more about the cast/story for The Batman: Part II ?
— Craig Harlow (@HarlowC) April 6, 2025
JETT SAYS: If I had to guess, probably late Summer/early Fall. I figure they — i.e., DC Studios/WB — want the spotlight on the new SUPERMAN film. That’s probably why we’re not hearing a lot officially right now about THE BATMAN: PART II. Now that I’ve made that prediction, we’ll get a ton of news and casting info about it tomorrow!
Have you heard if any animated Batman films are on the way? Or is the DC Animated Original Movie banner done with now?
JETT SAYS: Other than this sequel to BATMAN: NINJA, I’ve heard nothing. It appears to me that those films have come to an end…which is unfortunate and sucks. Other than a few of those animated Batman films, I very much liked most of them.
Thoughts on Matt Fraction as the new head Batman writer?
— Bruce Wayne (@batmanfan_55) April 6, 2025
JETT SAYS: No opinion at all. Not very familiar with the writer. Looks to be that they are trying to “lighten up” Batman in the comics. Probably to grease the skids for the DCU Batman. Of course, that’s IF the new DCU survives long enough to get to the DCU Batman.
We know Gunn is inevitably getting to his Batman. Well, maybe. But..if (when) they do fantastical Batman. I think it should be similar to Val’s Batman. I feel like that’s a nice happy medium. Dark and brooding while jumping on giant typewriters. What do you think?
— codeydraws (@codeydraws) April 6, 2025
JETT SAYS: Yeah, that’s probably the blueprint…though I don’t think that BATMAN FOREVER was that “fantastical.” Stylized? For sure. But there’s no superpowered beings, ghosts, or aliens in it.
I’m thinking of the “comic book tone” the film had and embraced. I fear that the DCU Batman will go too far with the fantastical and “lightening up” the character that it comes off silly and goofy. Remember, BATMAN FOREVER was released before THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY and THE BATMAN. I believe that the general audience likes and expects Batman films to be dark and serious. BATMAN FOREVER was a huge hit in 1995 and I love it, but I’m not sure that sort of Batman film would work nowadays. One other thing…
Let’s see if we even get to the DCU Batman and THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. A lot is riding on SUPERMAN this Summer.
If Reeves doesn’t hand in his full script soon, think there’s a chance it could be cancelled? A WB site retitled The Batman Part 2 as “Untitled Batman Movie” for 2027 l, so do you think there’s a real possibility that Reeves film could be cancelled?
— Alexander (@carlgrissom) April 6, 2025
JETT SAYS: I can’t sit here and say that it’s not “possible.” But I think it’s highly unlikely and that it would be stupid AF to not only cancel THE BATMAN: PART II, but also ultimately not allow Matt Reeves to finish his THE BATMAN SAGA as planned. I know that THE BATMAN was greenlighted before the current WB regime and DC Studios existed. And it’s probably an unfortunate “success” for Mr. Gunn and Mr. Safran. But, you know, whatever.
When Gunn and Safran were hired, they both said that there would be an ELSEWORLDS banner for projects that weren’t DCU and championed such things. I trust that was for real and not just lip service.
Like really, why would they (WB, DC Studios, Gunn and Safran) want to piss off Matt Reeves? They probably need him more than he needs them (see Nolan, Christopher). Plus, Reeves is producing a couple of Batman projects for DC Studios that aren’t part of the Reevesverse, such as CLAYFACE — which is DCU — and DYNAMIC DUO — which is ELSEWORLDS.
In your time reading Batman over the years, do you have a favorite decade, or decades, where you felt the storytelling was at its best?
JETT SAYS: My mind immediately goes to the 1970s and 1980s. Those (mostly) single-issue stories in the 70s had a HUGE impact on me and my Batman fandom/sensibilities as a kid…like BATMAN #251/”The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge!”
And in the 80s, I don’t think any stories hit me as much as BATMAN: YEAR ONE and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.
