A color photo of the Batsuit that Ben Affleck will be wearing in 2016’s Batman V. Superman has emerged online, and despite rumors that it would be a little less dark than Nolan’s all-black outfit, it might actually be the least colorful Bat-costume we’ve ever seen on film.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing at all, and it actually confirms a lot of the comic book costume inspirations that have been rumored for so long (but more on that later).
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what this suit looked like side-by-side with the previous movie versions.
The Christopher Nolan Batsuit was all black, so the grey is definitely mixing things up, but the costume worn in the Dark Knight trilogy at least had a splash of color going for it with the utility belt. Here they are side-by-side.
I think overall, the Nolan Batsuit is the closest comparison, but this new one does seem to draw a few parallels with the George Clooney outfit as well (no nipples though). In particular, it’s got that super well-defined musculature going for it. I always thought that was a dumb look, but I do think the new version is a lot better. It actually looks like a form-fitting outfit this time, and not stylized that way for no actual reason.
The new costume is probably the most different from the Tim Burton film’s version, worn by Michael Keaton. That one had (I think), the longest ears to date, as well as some pretty bright splashes of color with the chest emblem and utility belt.
This one, along with the Clooney suit, also look way more shiny and rubbery, whereas the Batfleck suit kind of has a harsher look going for it (although that might just be the lighting in this photo). It makes me wonder if they’re going for a different sort of material this time around (such as some kind of cloth) rather than the rubber-esque design that we’ve mostly been seeing.
And of course, there’s the Adam West costume, which actually bears mentioning as it draws its design elements from some of the same sources. Specifically, it’s got those short, short ears and that grey color scheme.
Overall though, the suit does seem to confirm the two big sources that many fans have pointed to as possible visual inspirations. The big one is clearly The Dark Knight Returns, which has the short ears, the grey bodysuit, and of course, that giant freakin’ bat symbol on his chest.
It’s also been mostly confirmed that The Dark Knight Returns was a big source of inspiration for Ben Affleck’s older Batman, and his eventual confrontation with Superman.
Another potential comic book inspiration that many fans have pointed out is Batman: Noel. This version of the costume also has many of the same elements, and additionally a slightly dark utility belt.
It also has a much “cloth-ier” look to the entire get-up, the belt and suit in particular. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the Batfleck costume does look a lot less reflective than previous iterations. I really wouldn’t be surprised if it looks a little more like cloth and a little less like rubber than in recent movie versions.
Did you guys notice any other parallels or differences? Let me know in the comments section!
