Happy Birthday month to me and welcome and thanks for reading the BOF Mailbag for October 2026!
First of all, I started this mailbag before the news of Steven Soderbergh being hired to finish filming THE BATMAN PART II broke. So, for some questions, I’ve updated my response, but kept my original answer.
Let’s get to y’all’s questions. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
Do you think Matt Reeves will remain the director of THE BATMAN PART II?
Here’s what I original wrote: “Yes, I absolutely believe that. Not worried in the least.”
I was right and wrong at the same time.
I have to tread lightly here because of what I know, OK? I’ll echo what James Gunn said it response on his social media: “Matt doesn’t need to be ‘back’, he’s still here.” Soderbergh is simply finishing up the last bit of filming that needs to be done. Here’s what he had to say:
I thought Matt Reeves’ work on THE BATMAN was stunning; it was intentional, specific, and rigorously coherent. The goal here is to work with Matt and his team to generate footage that will integrate seamlessly with what’s already been shot so Matt can properly finish his film.
Not gonna BS y’all…I was being optimistic that Mr. Reeves could and would return because that would me the personal family issue he’s dealing with was going to be OK.
What are your thoughts on Matt Reeves having to leave the production of THE BATMAN PART II and Warner Bros. bringing in Steven Soderbergh to finish the film as its director?
I said it all HERE and, in the podcast, below.
Will Steven Soderbergh just finish the vision that Matt Reeves had for the movie or will he be able to add his own touch to whatever of the movie is left to finish?
Yes, Mr. Soderbergh is simply finishing the little filming that is left and doing it just as Matt Reeves wants. And no, he’s not going to put his “touch” on the film. He’s there to complete filming and he’s more than capable of that chore.
Any chance Soderbergh takes over writing/directing for PART III, with Reeves staying as producer?
Can’t say that’s not even a remote possibility, but I don’t see THE BATMAN EPIC CRIME SAGA going on without Matt Reeves as its writer/director/producer. He’s the heart of it.
If Reeves doesn’t finish his trilogy, isn’t it likely Robert Pattinson’s Batman is folded into the DCU?
No.
We’re never going to get PART III, are we?
If THE BATMAN PART II is a huge critical success and makes a shitload of money — this certainly could be a $1B+ film — there’s no way in hell they don’t do it. With that said, I think it’ll come down to Matt Reeves wanting and being available to do it. I’m of the belief that the SAGA will ultimately end as Matt Reeves originally intended.
Do you think WB will put out a teaser trailer for THE BATMAN PART II to try and get some positive headlines back?
I’m on record saying I don’t think we’ll get anything like that until after MAN OF TOMORROW‘s release next July. I don’t believe that these recent events change anything in that regard. Keep in mind that the general/mainstream audience is obvious to all that’s been going on with THE BATMAN PART II.
What’s on your bucket/dream list of “Oh this would be so cool to see!” in the Reeve’s SAGA?
To me, this is the same sort of question as “What villains do you want to see?” Thus, my answer is the same: Whatever the writer/director believes fits the story. If I had to give an answer, I guess I would say that I hope Reeves continues to give us something new or from a different angle that what we’ve seen before. He did it in THE BATMAN, so I expect that continues in PART II.
What is your opinion about DC switching McFarlane to Mattel? Do you like the figures they are bringing to young and adult collectors?
Honestly, I really don’t have an opinion on it other than I’ve enjoyed collecting the stuff from McFarlane. It’ll probably take Mattel making something I don’t have or that’s really cool for me to buy it — I’ve spent A LOT on the McFarlane Bat-products!
Do you know who Mr. Gunn has in mind on the short list for the DCU Batman?
I do not. And frankly, I do not care. We have a live-action Batman film series and a Batman with THE BATMAN EPIC CRIME SAGA and Robert Pattinson suit. That’s all I’m concerned about as a Batman fan and here on BOF.
Planning to see CLAYFACE?
Yes, of course. Not because it’s a Batman-adjacent project, but mainly because I applaud WB/DC Studios doing something different within this genre. Hell, I wouldn’t even say it’s within the comic book/superhero genre because it’s actually a horror film that’s based on a comic book character. And it doesn’t hurt that Matt Reeves came up with the idea for this movie and is one of the film’s producers.
Will I like it? No idea. Honestly not a fan of body horror, but I’ll give it a go.
I think that the demand for THE BATMAN PART II will be at a boiling point by the time it comes out. Do you think it could hit a billion at the box office?
Yes, I believe that this film could cross the billion-dollar threshold at the box office. In fact, I think it will. Mark it down: I predict THE BATMAN PART II will rake in over a billion dollars.
Don’t you think LANERNS would have been better if Pattinson’s Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Swamp Thing had shown up in the finale?
Oh, hell yes. Absolutely.
Is there a McFarlane Batman figure that has not been made that you would like to be made before the contract ends this year?
Not a figure, but I hope that they release the mini-cowls from the films that haven’t yet.
I guess it is safe to say that other than the epic crime saga, the ELSEWORLDS label is dead?
Apparently, it is not…at least when it comes to Batman. The animated/puppet/CGI DYNAMIC DUOS will be released under that banner.
Now that the Skydance merger is done, it seems that Gunn and Safran will stay as the head honchos at DC Studios. How do you think this will affect Batman and all DC IPs going forward?
No idea. Other that they are going to continue to milk the DC IP — especially Batman — I don’t believe anything can be predicted right now. I will say that there’s a lot riding on Gunn’s MAN OF TOMORROW; frankly, it has to do better than SUPERMAN. When it comes to Batman, if THE BATMAN PART II is a HUGE hit — and that’s very, Very, VERY likely — there’s no way they DON’T let Reeves finish the SAGA with a PART III.
If I were in charge, I’d keep DC Studios going under Gunn and Safran and with the mandate that they ditch the shared universe thing and just make great DC projects for film and HBO; you know, like LANTERNS. Think about it, if there’s not a shared universe…
- MAN OF TOMORROW doesn’t have to be a SUPER-hit (pun intended).
- A weak project doesn’t poison the well (Looking at you, SUPERGIRL).
- Quality filmmakers who wouldn’t touch a shared universe with a 10-foot pole may be attracted to a DC project (Why do you think Matt Reeves signed on for THE BATMAN…with the mandate that it would be its own thing and not part of a shared cinematic world?).
Oh, I can go on…
Shared universes turn films and series into assembly‑line “content” where output and connectivity trump artistry; audiences feel obligated to “keep up”; continuity dictates story; cameos overshadow character work; tone becomes uniform; bad creative choices are amplified; bold endings disappear, characters become cogs in a brand machine; fatigue ultimately sets in (MCU anyone?); filmmakers lose ownership; and true standalone masterpieces (like THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY) become impossible.
With all that said, it seems that James Gunn and co. are making DC projects that are almost standalone. LANTERNS is a great example, and I hope that approach continues. But again, you really don’t need a shared universe or interwoven, over-arching storyline to be successful. Just make good DC stuff.
In all your years of collecting all things Batman, has there ever been anything you didn’t buy that you wish had?
DETECTIVE COMICS #27!
