A lot has been said about Ben Afflecks casting in Batman vs Superman, as Christian Bale left some big ol' Batboots to fill. This week, finally, fans got a look at both the new Batman and the new Batmobile, courtesy of director Zack Snyders Twitter account. The new suit is designed by Michael Wilkinson which comes as no real surprise as he was the costume designer for Man of Steel, although he also worked on Watchmen, 300 and Terminator Salvation. As for the Batmobile, they decided not to go with HR Gigers frankly odd design for the vehicle that he cooked up for Batman Forever (seriously worth a Google if you have a minute) and instead went with something whose parts will seem very familiar to comic book and film fans. In fact it is obvious from both designs that there are many subtle references to previous Batsuits and Batmobiles throughout the years. But it isnt as simple as some might have expected. There are elements in the Batmobile, for example, that arent present in a straightforward adaptation of the version seen in the Dark Knight Returns (as much as many fans would love to see that released on the big screen as Batman Vs Superman). So what elements make up the Batsuit and Batmobile, and what direction for the film could we determine from their use? Read on to find out
The Batsuit
The Batsuit itself is quite interesting as it combines a series of elements from previous versions in a previously unseen combination. The most immediately apparent issue is the size of the ears on the cowl much smaller than normally seen. Some have compared it to the suit portrayed in Arkham Origins, but the ears seem to be even smaller than they were in that. This does appear to be a direct reference to The Dark Knight Returns the image above is taken from that skin for Arkham City. The elements dont just stop with the ears, as the rest of the suit doesnt match perfectly. Instead here you can see the first of a direct reference back to the Christopher Nolan trilogy in how the Batsymbol is displayed on the chest of the suit. Although the image itself is in black and white, there doesnt seem to be a great difference in colour between the symbol and rest of the suit exactly how Nolans suit looked. Its highly likely that the symbol is intended to be something unique to mark out the appearance of Batman in the DC Cinematic Universe, much like the alternative to Supermans S symbol for Man of Steel. But you know what? It certainly is a dead ringer for the bulk of the Dark Knight Returns version, although it appears to have a much sharper point at the bottom of the symbol. But the rest of the suit is different, such as the cowl running into the cape, harking back to the Batman from the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films.
The Batmobile
There have been a number of great Batmobiles over the years, both in the comic books and on screen. When the Tumbler above (because the Nolan trilogy never referred to it as a Batmobile) was first shown, fans were quick to jump on-board with it being a big screen version of the Batmobile seen in The Dark Knight Returns. However, that version is pretty much a tank something that really hasn't been seen on screen yet, even with this new design for Batman vs Superman. While the big wheeled trend in Batmobiles seems to continue, as with the Tumbler and the Batmobile from Arkham Knight (both as seen above), the direct influence of this particular version is actually something totally different because were going back to the comics for inspiration. The image below comes from Batman & The Monster Men, an early era Batman story with this particular Batmobile intended to be the very first version built. It has obvious similarities to the recently released images the size of the wheels, the canopy and the position of the cockpit in comparison with the wheel base. The only thing missing from the Batman vs Superman version looks to be the wheel arches. But the design of the armour plating is different, and appears to be a throwback to the Batman/Batman Returns versions. So there you have it, a real design plethora crossing across many years and multiple sources. But what do you think? Is there something not mentioned here, or do you have other theories? Let us know below!
