Earlier today, we reported Zack Snyder's Twitter account teased us with this image of the new Batmobile.
Being a tease, this image is every bit as frustrating, alluring, and revealing as a beautiful model letting her dress fall off only one shoulder. The photograph is simple, and elegant. Someone took a lot of time to frame this shot exactly right. Though little "shoulder" gets undressed for us in this shot, we can always spin into wild guesswork and scrutinty right?
1.) The first thing that strikes me about this Batmobile is that even under the tarp, we can tell this is more of a return to the 'traditional' film Batmobile from the tumbler. Though clearly the tumbler is not lost or forgotten here, it's design definitely turns your mind to the Burton and Shuemaker films.
a.) The length and narrowing nose would be most reminisant of Val Kilmer's car from 'Batman Forever'
b.) If the shape of the car doesn't make you think 'Batman Forever' the vertical dorsal fin does. While not as exhaggerated as the enourmous and unfunctional shark fin from that 1995 version, there is definitely sharp spoiler on the back of this Bat car.
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2.) As I stated though, this vehicle certainly doesn't seem to have totally cast aside the 'real world' aspect of the Nolan tumbler. The axels, wheel joints, and tires are very much a touch for function over style. The wide set, over sized rear wheels fit our last decade of Batmobile-tumbler to a tee.
3.) What I think is also interesting, is what is in this shot that is not the car. In another nod to "Nolanism" the Batmobile is pictured somewhere other than the Bat-cave. The setting is a dank and delapidated warehouse. Knowing that Detroit is serving as a film location for this film, the abandoned warehouse would feel like a worthy analog to the Nolan armory under Wayne Enterprises. Does the Ben Bat park the car in a run-down part of the city to avoid dedection?
4.) The most ambitious bit of over analysis I can give for this is regarding the shape of the car. The long design and flattened nose honestly makes the car look a bit like a Formula-1 racer. The wideset/large rear wheels would also play into that design. In addition to the anglar spoiler lifting up the tarp in the rear, there appears to be something peaking out from the front of the car. It seems to be a front end spoiler of some kind, again in the design of an open-wheel racer car. To go that route would be a new twist on the iconic vehicle. Perhaps this Batmobile is built more for speed than for muscle as the tumbler was or style like the pre-Millenium iterations.
5.) A Batmobile, just isn't a Batmobile without the rear-center jet booster is it? We can see here that the World Greatest Detective will be able to say – "Boosters! Boosters!" as he did in the The Hunt for the Dark Knight.
6.) What I think is both the least revealed, and the least imaginable is if this is a two-seater. Last November we heard rumors that a Dick Grayson would be cast to play Nightwing, in an already strained relationship with Batman. Since we haven't seen a Robin on screen since 1997 (Yes, you heard me. I love Joseph Gordon Levitt, but just because his NAME was Robin, didn't make him Robin. And to be techincal, no one has taken up the mantle of Robin in over fifteen years) I think it would be very revealing to know if this is designed for more than one driver. Unfortunately, the rear of the vehicle does not give us any indication as to if it will hold a single Dark Knight or a Dynamic Duo.
7.) We also don't get to see how well armored or armed this vehicle will be. The Batmobile is never short on gadgets and extra suprises (looking at you Bat-pod). I would find it very odd for this to have no weapons, so some front facing machine guns or missles would make sense somewhere under the covering. If my hunch about a Formula-1 style vehicle is correct, then it actually may feature little armaments and armor, in favor of quickness and speed.
Zack Snyder has teased he may "take the tarp off" tomorrow. This may also be a herald of further Bat-related costume and design reveals. Hopefully there will be more news about our new Batman coming in the next weeks as productions kicks into high gear.
What do you think the Batmobile will look like?
Posted by Bob Holt
