The internet has been abuzz over the last few days after an awesome leak from The Flash shoot. The surreptitiously taken photos show the Batcave, Supergirl in full costume and the classic ’89 Batmobile. They’re currently being scrubbed from the internet by Warner Bros via copyright claims, but are not too hard to find if you know where to look.
Fans of the Burtonverse are ecstatic at the return of the beloved Burtonverse Batmobile, as seen in Batman and Batman Returns. Designers Julian Caldow and Anton Furst’s streamlined and organic look was unlike anything Batman fans had seen, with subsequent updates in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin much less memorable, and Christopher Nolan going in a completely different direction with the Tumbler.
But people have been wondering why the Burtonverse Batman would keep the same car for nearly forty years without any obvious visual update. The most compelling fan theory is that this Batman retired soon after the events of Batman Returns, with his Batmobile being placed into storage should he ever need it again. Or, potentially, that it played such an important role in key moments of his life that he has an emotional attachment to it.
The answer could also be as simple as “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” and though the exterior looks unchanged the interior could have been updated with all kinds of modern tech.
Outside the fiction of the movie Warner Bros are clearly trying to tickle the audience’s nostalgia with this. Keaton’s Batmobile remains one of the most popular ever created and has been re-released as model kits, popped up as bonus DLC in the hit Arkham Knight video game, and makes popular appearances at classic car shows.
If Warner Bros want to staunch these leaks let’s hope we get a teaser trailer showing off what’s coming on November 4, 2022.