The Caped Crusader has gone through a dozen different variations of his iconic cape and cowl in the 75 years since he was first introduced. He’s had tall ears, short ears, fangs, mechanical prosthetics, and capes aplenty. Lot’s of capes. And now, it appears we may be getting a glimpse of what Ben Affleck will look like as Batman in the upcoming Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Thanks to Batman-News, up-close photos of what appear to be Ben Affleck donning the Batsuit are storming the Internet. This version of the Dark Knight looks to be strongly influenced by the Batsuit from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. The short ears, the way the cape comes together in the front, and the shape of the Bat-symbol are all very similar. It should be noted that director Zack Snyder has repeatedly said that The Dark Knight Returns is a huge influencer over how Batman looks in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The Dark Knight Returns is one of most well-known and well-received comic series of all time, and has been the influence behind both of Tim Burton’s Batman films, as well as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. The comic sees Batman after years of fighting crime, putting on the cape and cowl for one last battle. In the end, he has to take on Superman, using the mechanized suit that is seen in the trailer for the new film.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice will be received after Man of Steel got such a lukewarm reception and reviews. Many complaints were made about the dark tone of the film and how far Snyder and company deviated from what people think of as the core values Superman upholds.
Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice is slated to release March 25, 2016 and stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Godot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and we could end up seeing Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ezra Miller’s Flash, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, and more.