Christopher Nolan's
Batman Begins successfully rebooted the Dark Knight back in 2005 after a lengthy hiatus away from the big screen, and it led to an amazing trilogy which is still considered perhaps the best take on the iconic DC Comics superhero to date.
Now, thanks to concept artists Simon McGuire and Jock (whose work you should be very familiar with if you're a comic book fan), we have an awesome gallery of artwork showing how Batman was redesigned for Nolan's grounded take on the character. That includes variations of the Batsuit, a closer look at what was inside the cowl, and some incredibly atmospheric shots.
With
The Batman taking aim at a 2021 release, now seems like a good time to look back at the first modern reboot featuring the Caped Crusader, and this artwork is a must-see for fans.
To take a look through this gallery, simply click on the "Next" button down below!
Christopher Nolan wanted to ground his version of the Caped Crusader in reality, but this design definitely seems to be embracing the comic books a little more. It also gives Batman the ability to turn his head (something Christian Bale was unable to do).
The cape looks particularly badass, and it's easy to see how this informed what ended up on the big screen back in 2005.
For many fans, this Batsuit remains a firm favourite, and it's not hard to see why.
Ultimately, it was overhauled in a huge way in The Dark Knight, and that was even more grounded in reality. It was also a lot less plasticky looking, and it would have been fun to see more of this costume in the trilogy.
This is a fascinating look inside the Batsuit, and gives the Dark Knight's ears a practical purpose!
It explains how Bruce Wayne was able to communicate with Alfred Pennyworth when he was in the field, and a lot of thought clearly went into the design of the hero's costume.
Batman getting a yellow/gold utility belt in
Batman Begins was a great throwback to the comic books, and while it's definitely received a makeover grounded in realism, it still serves the same purpose.
Now, fans are hoping for an even more comic accurate version in Matt Reeves'
The Batman.
This is an awesome - and very atmospheric - shot of the Caped Crusader watching over his city, but doesn't that cowl look ever so slightly similar to Adam West's?
It certainy seems to be a similar shape anyway, and actually quite reminiscent of the cowl being worn by Robert Pattinson in
The Batman based on what we've seen.
This is a great shot of Batman leaping across Gotham City's rooftops, but the movie faced a lot of criticisms from fans for not featuring enough in the way of action.
Well, he more than made up for that in
The Dark Knight and
The Dark Knight Rises.
Another atmospheric shot of Batman which sets the mood for this DC Comics adaptation, and Nolan did an incredible job of bringing the hero into the real world.
That didn't sit well with every fan, of course, but it worked in the context of his trilogy.
Wayne Enterprises can be seen in the background as Batman strikes a classic pose and sits atop a nearby Gargoyle. This feels very similar to the sort of imagery used in the
Arkham series of video games.
It's actually a shame we didn't get to see more of this in
Batman Begins!
Batman Begins delivered a very unusual take on Ra's al Ghul, and here we get to see the "true" version of the iconic comic book villain.
The way Nolan and writer David S. Goyer reimagined the character was definitely interesting, but there's still plenty of potential for the character on the big screen which sticks a little closer to the comic books.
Jock is one of the greatest comic book artists on the planet, and he used his artistic skills to help bring Batman back to the big screen back in 2005.
Here, we see a very unique take on the death of the Dark Knight's parents.
Jock's work was likely used for reference in Batman Begins and to help Nolan build a world around his Dark Knight.
Here, we see the hero presumably using his grapple to dangle one of Gotham City's criminals from this rooftop, something we did actually end up seeing in the movie itself.
It's hard to say for sure what's supposed to be happening here without any proper context, but as well as seeing Batman swooping across the rooftops of Gotham City, we also see him likely beating someone up in an alleyway.
With any luck, visuals like these will end up finding their way into
The Batman next year.
What do you guys think about this concept art from Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts on that in the comments section down below.