Bruce Wayne is defined by Batman. Batman has long been defined by his car. Sure there is a lot more that goes into the definition of such a huge icon. However if you look at the history of the character, you will see that his choice of ride says a lot about how the hero is interpreted in the given incarnation.
If you look at the 1960’s Adam West Batman TV series the car was a top-down cruiser. With fins, bells and whistles that were cosmetic and non-functional. The show itself didn’t take itself seriously or explore any of the deeper psychology behind its main character either. A whimsical car for a whimsical show.
The next cinematic overhaul was in Tim Burton’s, Batman in 1989, which redefined the car for a new generation. Now envisioned as a sleek and long vehicle, complete with grenades, machine guns and “shields” mode which turned the car into an armored bunker. The long design left many questions however, such as how does the batmobile get through traffic jams, and make tight turns? The creators answered that with Batman simply getting out the car and with a grapple gun to assist in turns. It fit the mode and tone of Burton’s fantasy world perfectly.
By the time, Batman & Robin came around the Batmobile was an impractical vessel, full of flashing lights and distracting designs. Much like the film itself… ’nuff said…
According to Nolan, one of the first things that he created for his version of Batman, Batman Begins, was the new Batmobile with production designer Nathan Crowley. Apparently they spent hours in a garage working with models to design a new version of Batman’s ride, by crossing the designs of a lamborghini and tank. Nolan wanted something practical and a vehicle that felt appropriate for a man staging a war on crime alone. The result was the Tumbler.
Less is known about the world and Gotham City that Zack Snyder is developing for his upcoming film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We have gotten glimpse of the main characters in promo shots, however the world around them is only being caught in glimpses on-set. (Which will surely look different through Snyder’s camera lens.) However, thanks to a few sneaky scoopers we do get a chance to check out the design for the latest version of the Batmobile.
What immediately stands out is how closely it resembles the Nolan incarnation. However, not much weight should be put into that fact. It could simply be an example of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” However, they have altered the ride in some interesting ways. It is even sleeker and seemingly more lightweight. It almost has the feel of a dune buggy or a vehicle seen in anime. Also take note of the fins that seem to be folded back. We are certainly going to see the Batmobile be capable of jumps or possibly even more in this version.
This is Snyder’s vision and while he did take a grounded approach to something as fantastical as Man of Steel, expect him to embrace some of the more comic-book flavored elements of the DC mythos, as he expands the universe on the big screen. They also changed the primary color from black to grey. Going back to Burton’s version. the suit has traditionally matched the car. This could be a signal as to the color scheme of the hero driving this car as well. As it’s been heavily rumored that we will be getting a Batman dressed in the grey suit resembling the one seen in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. It’s only a matter of time before fans will get a glimpse of this new Batman and his ride in motion.
UPDATE: Zack Snyder has updated fans via his account with the official promo shot for the Batmobile. Check it out!
Filming is underway in the broad daylight in Detroit on Dawn of Justice. So there is certainly much more on-set photos to come in the next few weeks. In the meantime what do you think of Batman’s new ride? Let us know on the comment boards, and !
Source: DC Movie Fan Page