What ‘The Batman’ Stunt Suit Might Tell Us About The Film
After years of waiting, a change in director, script, and even starring actor, The Batman has finally begun filming. There’s been some filming on the streets of London and now the production has moved to Glasgow, Scotland.
Following a brief, blurry tease of the full Batman costume, we’re finally seeing a version of the suit. The production crew is shooting a scene at the Glasgow Necropolis cemetery, involving Batman on a motorcycle. Photos show a stuntperson in the full Batsuit sans cape, riding alongside another figure that folks expect is Zoe Kravitz’ Catwoman.
It’s worth stressing that this is a stunt version of the suit. The helmet and cowl are likely built for safety, not cinematic focus. This stunt suit may also have a different fit than the one that Robert Pattinson will wear onscreen, prior to any additional VFX.
Given those caveats, let’s dive into the suit itself. At least on the upper body, it has the look of body armor, similar to the suits Christian Bale’s Batman wore in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. What’s different is this suit has a definite cobbled-together look to it. The chest and shoulders remind me of either sports padding or police riot armor, with worn Bat symbol (potentially usable batarang?) crudely hacked into the chest section.
On the arms, we have what looks to be Japanese kote, a type of forearm armor used by samurai. The metal rods on the gauntlets could just be there for support, but they could also be throwing spikes. These are actually similar to the forearm armor of Talon, an enforcer for the Court of Owls. There are also the classic Batman gauntlet spikes, which were explained away in Batman Begins as part of ninja armor. I wouldn’t be surprised if The Batman sticks with that interpretation.
The bottom half of the suit is entirely standard and grounded. Traditional black pants and boots, a heavy-duty tactical belt with several pouches, and a set of thigh straps for some unknown gear. While the top says “Batman”, the bottom says “soldier”. Notably, the cape is missing from this outfit, though it could be added to the suit with CGI.
Going Back to Zero Year
Overall, the homespun look of the suit and the bike recall a recent storyline from the comics. “Batman: Zero Year” (collected in Vol. 4 and Vol. 5 of the New 52 line) was a year-long storyline in Batman during DC Comics’ The New 52 continuity. Written by Scott Snyder (who also created the Court of Owls mentioned above) and James Tynion IV, “Zero Year” was a new origin for the Caped Crusader. The storyline found Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham and beginning his vigilante crusade, fighting the Red Hood gang, Dr. Death, and The Riddler. It also introduced the fledgling crimefighter to key Gotham figures like Jim Gordon, Lucius Fox, and Oswald Cobblepot.
More importantly, the bike and cobbled suit recall the “Savage City” arc of “Zero Year”. In this arc, The Riddler has flooded Gotham and retains a stranglehold over the city, looking for anyone who can provide him with a challenge now that Batman has been presumed dead. It’s similar to the third act of The Dark Knight Rises, with Batman, Gordon, and others installing hope in the populace of Gotham City in order to fight back.
Batman appears in “Savage City” with a no-nonsense version of his costume, the familiar cowl and chest piece, but otherwise very normal survival gear. Again, the cap is missing entirely. A climbing rope, boot knife, standard rucksack, and crossbow complete a figure that is still very much Batman.
The larger cast for The Batman has made some think the film will be based Batman: The Long Halloween, but the photos today make me think “Zero Year” is a better candidate. You have a younger Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Riddler, and Cobblepot, replicating key figures from Zero Year. One issue opens with the Red Hood gang killing Luca Falcone, cousin to Carmine Falcone, who has been cast in the film.
The Red Hood gang that acts as a consistent and faceless antagonist in “Zero Year”? Well, previous set photos have shown a plain-clothes Bruce Wayne versus an unnamed gang in black and white face paint. The Red Hood gang provided the mythos with the man who would become The Joker, so surely a brand-new gang into clown-like makeup is a much smaller jump.
Matt Reeves is planning long-term with The Batman. While characters like Catwoman and The Penguin will appear in the film, I think that’s more aimed at setting up future conflicts and relationships. I believe The Batman itself will focus on a war between the new Batman and The Riddler, playing out similar to “Zero Year”.
Regardless, we’re still firmly in speculation territory at this point. We don’t have a full photo of the actual Batman costume, a look at some of the other cast members, or even a full synopsis of the film. But at the very least, this brief photo points us in a vague direction. And hell, speculation is a ton of fun.
The Batman is directed by Matt Reeves and stars Robert Pattinson, with a planned release date on June 25, 2021.
