Not true...HTs built the company selling "assemble yourself" action figure "kits". Not too far out for them at all. Definitely something they have production experience with. Not to this scale, but they know the methods.
I have made a few patterns for model kits and the thing that makes it hardest(In my personal opinion), is that you can never assume any particular level of intelligence from your customer.
Now, before anyone thinks i am pointing fingers at anyone here, i am not.
What i am saying is that, just because 100,000 people might have $1500 to spend on a scale replica, you
cannot assume they will all be intelligent enough to:
A: Understand any inherent weaknesses in the medium your product is made in(materials that could become brittle over time, or perhaps materials which are purposely flexible but might have a different look to the solid/brittle parts),
B: Be able to understand written instructions as to assembly,
C: Understand that any parts they break during assembly are *their* responsibility, not yours.
In fact, it has been my experience that the more disposable cash someone has, the more likely they are to just forge ahead without glancing at instructions, and to blame others when they mess up.
As i said above, this is not an attack on anyone here, but when i look at The Bat, i marvel at the design, but cringe at the idea of being able to make it in sections that a customer could build together themselves. I know Hot Toys could do it. They have a big manufacturing base. But i know(Based on past personal experience), at least 30% of items shipped will arrive with no damage, but parts will need replacing due to ham fisted customers assembling incorrectly(But insinuating "it arrived like that").
This is just one man's opinion on the subject.
I, like most people here, hope the HT replica does happen.
But to make that thing structurally sound enough to ship out and be able to be displayed on a solid surface requires a lot of internal engineering.
And even at $1500, i doubt the profit margin would be good enough.
But i still have my fingers crossed, just in case.