Production on The Batman began in late January and before it was shut down due to COVID-19, director Matt Reeves had been sharing some images of what fans can expect. We got our first look at Robert Pattinson in the titular role, and we also got a glimpse of the new Batmobile.
While those images were a bit filtered, some new photos reveal a better look at the newly modeled car. Concept model maker Jeff Frost posted shots of what the vehicle could look like on his website and also shared them on Twitter. As you can see below, it looks like the old Adam West Batmobile on steroids. I’m also getting an animated Transformers feel as it’s quite boxy. But it’s a welcome change to the cars we’ve seen in the past. It’s definitely a more modern muscle car and it’s far more practical looking than most of the previous Batmobiles, which weren’t exactly subtle.
In addition to the bike which we’ve already seen, it looks like Reeves is really focusing on making his Batman movie as real as possible. For at least the first film, there’s nothing showy about anything. It’s going to be a gritty detective story and the director is pushing hard for an R-rating.
Of course, there’ve been so many iterations of the iconic hero on the big screen at this point that it seems almost impossible to see anything fresh. But Reeves is focusing on aspects of the character that he feels haven’t been explored in past movies.
“It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale,” the director explained. “It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”
We’ve rarely seen the Caped Crusader gathering evidence or examining records. What about a stakeout? Batman can’t exactly roll up in the Tumbler and expect to not be seen. If he’s going to be a great detective, he needs to blend in a little more. And based on these photos of the new Batmobile, he’s going to be doing just that.
