DC Comics writer John Ridley says he'd love to see a Jace Fox version of Batman in a movie or TV show. Ridley is the Oscar-winning screenwriter of 12 Years a Slave and numerous other films, TV, and comic book projects. He recently signed on with DC to write a title for their Future State line of comics, which imagines a possible future in the DC Universe with the traditional line-up of characters facing new challenges and new incarnations altogether, including a new Batman in the form of Tim "Jace" Fox, the self-appointed Batman of that timeline.
After the events in the DC event title Dark Nights: Death Metal, an alternate timeline was created where Bruce Wayne is thought dead (but isn't) and Jace Fox, the estranged son of Lucious Fox, takes it upon himself to become the "Next" Batman to fight off a new evil threat, known as the Magistrate, which has seized control of Gotham City. Although The Next Batman title was part of the two-month Future State event, the Jace Fox Batman is continuing beyond that with Ridley still at the helm.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Ridley was asked if he had the intent or desire to see his Marvel/DC work brought to the big or small screen. Ridley said that he felt grateful to have worked in film, TV, graphic novels, animation, and Broadway but thought it was a "bit dismissive" of working in those "spaces" by thinking about them in a different medium. However, his feelings on a Jace Fox Batman are a little different, in that he'd be "pleased" if the character made the jump to the big or small screen. Here's what he had to say:
"I've been very fortunate to work in different spaces. So when I work in those spaces, I think it's a bit dismissive of any of those spaces when you approach the work in saying, “Okay, well, I'm writing a comic book, but I really want it to be a movie ... I would be beyond pleased if Jace Fox as Batman was made into a film or a series."
Ridley's latest film project is for Needle in a Timestack, which stars Leslie Odom Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Freida Pinto, and Orlando Bloom. Ridley wrote the script, based on the short story by Robert Silverberg, which centers on a married couple, Nick and Janine, who are torn apart when an ex uses his ability to warp time, forcing Nick to find a way to hold on or let go of what he loves. Ridley is currently working on Five Days At Memorial, a TV series about a hospital managing operation during Hurricane Katrina.
While DC's Future State timeline isn't the main timeline, the series has allowed the publisher to change things up with their main characters that otherwise wouldn't be possible without setting things up over a long period of time. Creating a new Batman for the timeline helps keep things fresh and original while exploring different avenues with dyed-in-the-wool characters. For Jace Fox, being a POC character under the cowl is a first for the publisher, allowing readers to examine Batman's symbol from a new perspective. Ridley's latest project, Needle in a Timestack, is available on Digital, On-Demand, Blu-ray, and DVD on Oct. 19th.
Source: Screen Rant
