Director Zack Snyder is clearly a big fan of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Its influence is all over Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice – most of all, in the thick-set, grey Batsuit worn by Ben Affleck in the movie. However, at a very early stage of the production, the plan was for Batman to look quite different.
Concept artist Jerad S. Marantz has shared a design for the Dark Knight’s outfit that’s a world away from the stripped-back costume seen in the finished film. This suit is a heavily armoured model with a chrome, metallic colour scheme. Also, fans will note the comic book accurate white eyes.
Marantz explained in his caption that the design was only entertained for about a week before the decision was made to go back to basics and produce a “classic Batman,” as the artist puts it.
“Believe it or not This was a very early pass on the #batmanvssuperman#batsuit . Before we got the note to do a classic #Batman I was exploring futuristic and techy options. I think the exploration only lasted for about a week and was so excited when we were told to do a classic Batman suit.”
While this design was ditched, it’s clear that elements of it went on to influence several other superhero outfits. For one, it bears a fair bit of resemblance to Batman’s revamped suit featured in Justice League, which sports a similar armoured look. The white eyes were also retained for Batman’s anti-Superman metal suit worn during his climactic fight with the Man of Steel.
Most of all, though, this costume reminds us of the Flash’s outfit, as briefly glimpsed on Ezra Miller in Suicide Squad before being properly unveiled in Justice League. It’s clear that the production team liked the futuristic look but decided to apply it to another character instead.
Tell us, are you a fan of this concept for the Batsuit? Or do you prefer the classic look displayed in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice? Leave your thoughts in the comments section down below.
