There are many (understandable) complaints people have about the DCEU, but Ben Affleck's Batman is usually not one of them. Upon his casting, many were worried the Good Will Hunting actor was not the right fit for the beloved hero. Then, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice came out. The movie was met with a largely poor critical reception, and it went on to become one of the most controversial films in the superhero genre. The one thing people praised about it, however, was Ben Affleck's Batman.
In only one movie, Affleck became many people's favorite live-action Caped Crusader. Aside from his performance, an often-praised aspect of the character was his aesthetic. The movie pivoted away from the more realistic militaristic look the character sported in The Dark Knight trilogy in favor of a full, larger-than-life comic book design. Though it's commonly understood that fully comic-accurate live-action suits will likely look silly, Affleck's Batman was the exception to the rule. Clad in live-action versions of costumes from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Batman looked scary, imposing and just overall cool.
Visually speaking, Ben Affleck's was nearly a perfect interpretation of the hero. Now, Batman v Superman helmer Zack Snyder has shared arguably one of the coolest looks at his Batman yet. The director took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes pic of Affleck clad in the armored suit he used to fight Superman. The photo features the Dark Knight standing next to the Bat-Signal, under the rain, covered in shadows, looking like he was ripped straight out of a comic page:
Snyder captioned the post with: "BVS Batman in the hard suit."
In a 2015 interview with Fashionista, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman costume designer Michael Wilkinson explained that Snyder wanted the films' superhero suits to feel like they could exist in real life:
"He really wants these characters to connect directly to our world. So, if you were walking down the street and you came across Superman or Batman—of course it would be startling and powerful—but it could actually happen in our world rather than in a stylized version of our reality."
Wilkinson further revealed that for Affleck's costume, Snyder wanted to avoid the restricted movement Michael Keaton experienced with his Batsuit in 1989's Batman:
"That's actually one of the first things that Snyder mentioned to me in one of our initial meetings. It's a very important thing to Zack that the Batsuit would be comfortable and very flexible, but then would be able to perform in a very natural and forceful way. So a lot of incredible engineering went into the development of the new black cowl."
Controversial storytelling style aside, Zack Snyder delivered some of the most visually striking comic book costumes in the superhero genre. Man of Steel, for example, had what could be considered one of the best Superman suits to date, perfectly mixing modern sensibilities with the hero's classic iconography. Batman v Superman similarly delivered one of the most aesthetically pleasing Batmen so far.
Making a comic-accurate Batman look intimidating is tricky, but Wilkinson and Snyder found the perfect balance for him in Batman v Superman. The Caped Crusader looked like a tank you did not want to stand in the way of. His first scene treated him like a horror creature, and it worked thanks to his striking design. Most impressively though, was the fact that Affleck's Dark Knight looked terrifying while still very much feeling like a superhero.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is available to stream on HBO Max.
What do you think about Snyder's new look at Ben Affleck's Batman? What's been your favorite live-action Batman design so far? Drop your thoughts in the comments!