If you haven’t already had your fill of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, following new stills, interviews and the fact that it will feature a “f*cked up” Caped Crusader, Empire Online’s coverage of Zack Snyder’s event film has brought forth further information about next year’s tentpole, specifically in relation to Bruce Wayne’s vehicular companions. After all, we can’t let Bats and Supes have all the attention now, can we?
Long before Warner Bros. released any official footage from Dawn of Justice, it was the Batmobile that drew a lot of interest thanks to a slew of leaked photos, forcing Snyder’s hand to debut the official snap you see above. As a mishmash of the hulking Tumbler and elongated speedster from Tim Burton’s films, the new take on the Batmobile is quite unique in style, and Production Designer Patrick Tatopoulos would even go so far as to describe it as a “sexy tank.”
In an interview for Empire’s cover spread, here’s what Tatopoulos had to share on Bruce Wayne’s trusty companion.
“He is not driving a Formula 1 car, he’s driving a tank that is very sexy looking,” he adds. “Batman is rougher, tougher, and grungier. So everything is rough: the weapons, the suit and the car. There are machine guns mounted on the front. When you first see the Batmobile, it is being fixed. It is not – boom! – coming out of the garage brand new. It is scratched, damaged.”
“Batmobiles are often designed very low to the ground, something classical. That didn’t feel fully comfortable for us. I thought the Tumbler was a revolutionary design, with the suspension very high up. I wanted to combine the two vehicles. I wanted something of a motorcycle, too: big wheels, suspension, exhausts.”
Beyond that, as the first teaser trailer showcased, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will expand The Caped Crusader’s arsenal to include the Batwing, and Tatopoulos hinted that his design for both the airborne drone and the Batcave was influenced by the looming Justice League ensemble film.
“With The Justice League coming, it influences my designs of the Batcave, the Batmobile, the Batwing. We are creating a world for Batman – every set, every prop, is real. We have to be ready for what’s next.”
As DC’s Expanded Universe begins to take shape, it’s interesting to learn of the method Warner is implementing to tie all of its superhero features together, whether it’s through characters or subtle design choices like Tatopoulos alludes to. Let’s not forget that the Batmobile has been spotted on the set of Suicide Squad, too.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice lands on March 25, 2016.
