Last year, Warner Bros. treated us with the awesome Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, which saw the likes of Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprise their roles of Batman, Robin and Catwoman, respectively. Being essentially the beginning to a fourth season we never received, it surpassed expectations by retaining the feel of the classic 1960’s television series, while also featuring grandiose action scenes that could’ve never been accomplished on the budget of the show.
Having said that, we’re thrilled to see that its sequel, Batman vs. Two-Face, looks like it may be even better. In addition to the return of the aforementioned actors, expect William Shatner to lend his pipes to the dichotomous Harvey Dent, a character who never actually appeared on the TV show itself during its original run.
As for the rest of the major players, here goes: Jeff Bergman (Joker, Bookworm, Desmond Dumas), Sirena Irwin (Dr. Quinzel), Thomas Lennon (Chief O’Hara), Lee Meriwether (Lucilee Diamond), William Salyers (Penguin), Lynne Marie Stewart (Aunt Harriet), Jim Ward (Hugo Strange, Commissioner Gordon), Steven Weber (Alfred, Two-Face henchmen) and Wally Wingert (Riddler, King Tut).
Upon reading that, two particular ladies stood out, the first being that of Lee Meriwether. As you may recall, she played Catwoman in 1966’s Batman: The Movie due to the fact that Julie Newmar was otherwise occupied, and later returned as a one-shot character named Lisa Carson during season 2 of the TV series. But considering that Newmar has the part of the feline fatale locked down for this installment, I guess Meriwether can now lay claim to having played three separate characters in this universe.
The other one I couldn’t help but notice was that of Sirena Irwin as Dr. Quinzel. It’s highly likely this is a bit part, but knowing how Harley Quinn was introduced only 25 years ago, it’ll be most intriguing to see how the filmmakers integrate her into this project. Actually, she was included in the Batman ’66 comics as “Harlequin,” so we’ll have to wait and see if that interpretation will have any influence.
Now, you may recall that a retailer’s listing surfaced last week, revealing that this movie would arrive in stores on October 17. At the time, we had no official confirmation of such a thing, but today we can say for certain that is indeed the concrete release date for the Blu-ray and DVD.
As for bonus features, here’s what’s set to serve as supplemental material to Batman vs. Two-Face:
- “The Wonderful World of Burt Ward” (featurette) – Spotlighting Burt Ward’s life away from acting, particularly his many benevolent activities, and his lifelong devotion to the health and welfare of dogs.
- Adam West Tribute Panel/2017 Comic-Con International 2017 – At the 2017 Comic-Con International in San Diego, a panel celebrated the life and times of the late Adam West, the legendary “Bright Knight.” Fans laughed, cried and cheered as actress Lee Meriwether (Catwoman from the 1966 Batman movie), director/writer/actor Kevin Smith, actor/radio personality Ralph Garman, producer James Tucker and moderator Gary Miereanu captivated the audience with anecdotes and tales about Adam West.
- Actors Burt Ward and Julie Newmar discussing various aspects of their lives, ambitions and inspirations.
