EXCLUSIVE: For the 30th anniversary ofBatman Forevercoming in the new year, Spin Master is launching an all-new DC Comics Retro Collection,ScreenRantcan exclusively reveal.
Fans can own a slice of superhero nostalgia and celebrate Val Kilmer’s take on Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader imBatman Foreverduring its 30th anniversary year! The line includes a Batmobile set and character figures for Batman, Robin (Chris O’Donnell), and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones).
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The new must-have Batman collectibles launch in January, exclusively at Target retailers, and we spoke to Mark Morse, VP of Marketing for Wheels & Action, Spin Master to learn more about bringing theBatman ForeverRetro Collection to life. First, let’s take a look at the toys:
Batman Forever Retro Batmobile & Batman Collector’s Set (Spin Master)
MSRP: $19.99 | Age: 4+ | Available January 2025 at Target
Dive deep into the heart of Gotham City with the BATMAN FOREVER Batmobile + Batman collector’s set, a must-have for fans of the iconic Batman series. This exclusive set features a stunning 20-inch Batmobile, boasting a unique translucent chassis that showcases its detailed interior and movie-accurate design. Accompanied by a 5-inch retro Batman action figure, this set pays homage to Val Kilmer’s memorable portrayal of the Dark Knight. The Batmobile is designed to interact perfectly with the included exclusive 4-inch Batman figure, enhancing its display and play value. Whether you’re staging epic battles or displaying their classic boxes on your shelves, the Batmobile’s impressive size and attention to detail make it a standout piece.
Batman Forever Retro Action Figures (Spin Master)
MSRP: $8.99 each | Age: 4+ | Available January 2025 at Target
Dive into nostalgia with Retro Action Figures from the DC Comics Retro Collection. Each 5-inch figure is a tribute to the iconic Batman film series, with classic characters Batman (Val Kilmer), Robin (Chris O’Donnell), Two Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and The Riddler (Jim Carey) to collect. Designed with precision and attention to detail, these figures embody the spirit and style of 90s Batman films. Crafted for collectors and fans alike, these figures come in specially designed retro packaging that fits seamlessly into any collector’s display! The 5-inch scale ensures that each figure is not only a collector’s item but also perfect for recreational play.
An Interview With Spin Master’s Mark Morse About Batman Forever’s Toys
Mark Morse is the Vice President of Marketing for Wheels & Action at Spin Master
Rob Keyes: Can you discuss the process of creating Batman Forever’s Batmobile given itsintricate design?
Mark Morse: Every Batmobile presents its own unique challenges. It’s not just the look and design, but also the functionality. That can be a huge challenge if you’re replicating a specific look from a piece of content, because you need to engineer any features to fit into the established silhouette. And of course, if it’s compatible with the action figure line, it needs to be able to comfortably hold the figures. But those are universal challenges inherent to our business. I wouldn’t say that the Batman Forever Batmobile presented us with any extra hurdles different from the 1989 Batmobile or the Tumbler.
What are your feelings about Batman Forever three decades after its release?
Mark Morse: I remember being very excited for it when it came out. I was a huge fan of the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton films, and while disappointed that we weren’t getting a third entry with that team, I was looking forward to seeing what Joel Schumacher would do with the property. He’d done Lost Boys and Flatliners - both of which were very atmospheric - so I was expecting a bit of that style to perhaps take the series in an even darker direction from where it had been with Burton. What I saw is not what I was expecting. It was colorful, cartoonish - just pure eye candy with over-the-top performances. Whereas Burton was inspired by the darker, more serious approach to the character that was coming out of the comics in the mid-80s, Schumacher was very much inspired by the 1966 TV series and its more comedic tone - almost parody. I’ve come to appreciate that in the years since, but I think it shocked a lot of people who were expecting a continuation of the first two films. That said, it was extremely successful and immensely popular with younger kids, which is why I think the toys developed for the film continue to have such strong appeal.
How did the opportunity come about to adapt the Batman Forever icons and hero vehicle?
Mark Morse: We work closely with our retail buyers to develop compelling product programs that they can deliver to their customers. In this instance, the buyer at Target was a huge fan of the original Batman Forever toy line from the mid-90s. I think it was the series that had the most impact on him as a child - the way the original Kenner Star Wars line impacted my generation. He loved those toys and asked us if we could bring back the line in some way - to sort of recapture the nostalgia and feeling of that time. I’ve been a huge proponent of leaning into a retro approach to toys throughout my career and have developed similar programs like this at other companies - but never on a scale as big or for a property as popular as Batman and DC Comics. We were excited by the possibilities and proposed extending this beyond just Batman Forever and turning it into a true retro program that we would refresh several times throughout the year with various DC properties. Target was on board, and our partners at Warner Bros. were very supportive. While the Batman Forever wave leans a bit more toward a remake or reimagining of the original line, future waves will bring movies and characters to life that fans haven’t seen before. I think they will be very excited for what we have in store for them.
What was the most challenging element in adapting and designing the Batman Forever Retro Collection?
Mark Morse: Getting the products to feel accurate to the era when the original content was released. Action figures from the 90s have a different aesthetic than those from the 80s and 70s. The design and manufacturing methods are also different for each of those decades. That doesn’t mean that a major company like Spin Master is going to go back to more archaic ways of design and production, but it does mean we’re going to take those factors into consideration when looking at the sculpts and the materials we use. We obviously want the quality to be up to today’s standards, but we don’t want them to be so slick and perfect that they feel modern. That can be a very odd comment to give to a designer without context, because it could come across as, “Can you make this look less good?” But what we really mean is, “Can you make this look authentic to what would have been on shelf in 1995? Or 1978. Or 1989.” Our team is the absolute best and they got it right away. I think it was fun for them to go back into the CAD models and start to add some really authentic details that would make these appear as if they were hand sculpted.
What’s something you have wanted to adapt but couldn’t or haven’t yet from Batman Forever or the DC franchise?
Mark Morse: I love the freedom we’ve been given with this line to really go back to the vault and explore alternate timelines of what could have been in the toy aisle. So many films that have since become classics never had a proper toy line at the time of their release. And if toys have been released since, they’ve been designed to modern toy standards. But to be able to go back and make the toys as they would have been designed decades ago, and sort of correct a historical wrong, that’s a gift. It’s allowing all of us on the team at Spin Master to go back and relive some traumatic Christmas mornings where the toys we wished for never materialized under the tree. As for the dream DC film from my youth, there’s a very special one from 1978 that we’ve been allowed to sink our teeth into. And that same character just so happens to be getting a reboot from James Gunn next summer, which we are also making the toys for. So it will be a very complementary program at Target where you can celebrate today’s iteration of the Man of Tomorrow, while also celebrating the one from the past.
Batman Forever
Cast
After Tim Burton’s plans for a third Batman film fell through, director Joel Schumacher took over the franchise with 1995’s Batman Forever. Replacing Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer stars as Bruce Wayne opposite to Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones, who play The Riddler and Two-Face, respectively. Batman Forever also marks the first time Robin appears on the big screen since Burt Ward reprised his Boy Wonder role in 1966’s Batman: The Movie.
Spin Master’s all-new DC Comics Retro Collection for Batman Forever will be available exclusively at Target starting January 2025.
