• Xenforo is upgrading us to version 2.3.7 on Thursday Aug 14, 2025 at 01:00 AM BST. This upgrade includes several security fixes among other improvements. Expect a temporary downtime during this process. More info here

BvS Michael Wilkinson Is The Costume Designer For Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice

I'm actually surprised that they created an actual armor suit for Ben to wear. I thought they were going to go the Mo-Cap suit style like how they did for Zod in MOS.

Even looking at it in the trailers, it looks Mo-Cap. I wonder if they created a physical one, just to have it on display in the Batcave or something.
 
Even looking at it in the trailers, it looks Mo-Cap. I wonder if they created a physical one, just to have it on display in the Batcave or something.

Probably, but it seems like an awful amount of money to fork over (creating the suit) just sot hat they can put it on display at conventions.

If anything, maybe Ben only wore it for still shots when his character isn't moving around a lot and they went mocap with the more difficult shots/sequences.
 
Probably, but it seems like an awful amount of money to fork over (creating the suit) just sot hat they can put it on display at conventions.

If anything, maybe Ben only wore it for still shots when his character isn't moving around a lot and they went mocap with the more difficult shots/sequences.

You hit it. They have a physical suit for some shots but went Mocap for the heavy action.
 
Michale Wilkinson is king.
icon6.gif
 
Probably, but it seems like an awful amount of money to fork over (creating the suit) just sot hat they can put it on display at conventions.

If anything, maybe Ben only wore it for still shots when his character isn't moving around a lot and they went mocap with the more difficult shots/sequences.

Like Iron Man over in the MCU - physical suit for certain shots, but mainly mo-cap.
 
I made the following comments about our heroes' civilian attire in the general thread and they were well-received, so I thought they fit well here in case anyone wishes to discuss further:

With respect to the outfits on the inside of Empire's cover:
Bruce really seems to like his three piece suits again. Although this Bruce seems to know well enough to not button the bottom button of his waistcoat, unlike Bale. The overcoat looks like a chesterfield with a velvet collar and peak lapels. I can't tell if it double-breasted, but if it is, that would be a great nod to pulpy 40s-style aesthetic of BTAS and similar interpretations of the mythos.

I'm really happy with the way they are dressing this version of Bruce Wayne. His style has a very classic old money American look to it - seems to pull from Don Draper and Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II. I disagree with Jim Lee that Bruce should be dressed in a fashionable European style, unless you are going for a younger Bruce who is really playing up the playboy façade. An order Bruce Wayne should have more of an old-fashioned American Ivy League patrician style to him.

More generally:
Well, it is clear that Wilkinson has put a ton of thought and meaning into his costumes. As much as I am not a Snyder fan and have my reservations about this film, he sure knew how to pick his costume. Wilkinson is a brilliant. You can see it as much in Bruce and Clark's attire as you can in their superhero costumes.

Take Clark for instance. It is a perfect update of the classic mild-mannered reporter look. I think the more casual, hipster attire proposed by some for Clark isn't right for a Clark Kent who works at the Daily Planet. It's too informal for the sort of stuff they cover. Whereas everything we have seen of Clark from set photos to this new inside shot on the inside cover would fit in perfectly at say the Washington Herald on House of Card. It is modern business casual. You will also notice that Clark's attire is a bit relaxed in its fit, perfect for hiding his physique. On top of that, the colour palette and patterns are evocative of his rural upbringing. Wilkinson has him dressed in a lot of plaids and an earthy, autumn colour palette. Also, look at that brown car coat, or possibly an oversized sport jacket, Clark wears in the Gotham Police set photos. It looks like suede or ultra suede, which once again evokes his Midwestern, rural background. Clark's shirts also have button down collars, which is a distinctly casual, American style on a dress shirt.

In contrast, Affleck's Wayne is dressed in a very formal, but traditional manner. Much of his wardrobe is evocative of the 1940s-1960s and recalls the fashions of Batman's pulpy origins and also the great American titans of industry during its golden age. For instance, from what we have seen, Bruce wears a lot of jackets and suits with peak lapels, which were much more popular in the 1940s. He also typically wears a collar pin with his tie and dress shirt, which once again is a style more commonly associated with the 1940s. It also has the benefit of creating a similar collar profile to the button down collar, but with greater elegance and sophistication. Bruce also seems to dress in Batman's traditional colours of black, grey, and blue. This Bruce also chooses heavier fabrics for its tailored clothing. His jacket in the taunting note shot appears to be tweed or flannel with a mottled appearance. The heavier fabric is once again evocative of the earlier part of the 20th century when men wore heavier suits due to a lack of central heating. Also the heavier, softer appearance of the materials has a certain rustic, luxuriousness to it, befitting of an old money billionaire. Michael Corleone wears a lot of similar fabrics in The Godfather Part II as does Don Draper in the later seasons of Mad Men. In the Metropolis scene, Bruce wears brown wingtips with his navy three-piece suit. Brown in the city with a business suit would traditionally have been considered unusual in Europe. It is very much an American look. Wingtips are an informal style of shoe, typically worn in the country. As such, they had a certain American informality to style. However, the craftsmanship of the brogue detailing on the shoes once again show a certain wealth and luxury.

All in all, Wilkinson has done a phenomenal job with the wardrobes of our two main heroes' secret identities.

I noticed a couple of additional neat features about Brucefleck's suits. I went back and looked at the blue suit from the Metropolis sequence and not only does Bruce button his vest properly and leave the bottom button open, but the bottom button is actually placed on the cutaway (ie. it can't be buttoned). Also, he doesn't wear belts with his suits. Those are features you see on Connery's three piece suits as Bond and are typically indications of higher quality tailoring. (I order my suits for work with both features :woot:)

Wilkinson's particular skill can also be seen through comparison with Brucefleck's suit on set for Suicide Squad. The ensemble is less inspired with a black suit, grey shirt, and grey tie. Like with Wilkinson's outfits, the colours are supposed to evoke the Batsuit, but this is too on the nose and the colours are not as flattering on Affleck's complexion. Wearing only black and grey tends to wash pale white people out. Also a black business suit does not really fit with Wilkinson's old school approach to dressing Bruce. Black lounge suits were traditionally reserved for weddings and funerals.
 
Excellent posts. They make me feel like a complete pleb for not knowing a single thing about male fashion.
 
I know more about Batman and Superman than I know about male fashion. I truly am a fanboy. Forgive me.
 
Excellent posts. They make me feel like a complete pleb for not knowing a single thing about male fashion.

I know more about Batman and Superman than I know about male fashion. I truly am a fanboy. Forgive me.

Lesson one, fashion is for women and style for men. :oldrazz: What comes in fashion, goes out of fashion. Fine men's tailored garments are constructed to last for a decade and therefore it is inadvisable for a gentleman to adhere too strictly to what it is in fashion for it will be out of fashion in a year. Also, really fashionable attire dates very quickly and is a bad choice for film costuming (which is why everyone laughs at Roger Moore's bell bottom tuxedos and safari suits from the 70s Bond movies).

Has anyone heard what designer or tailor Wilkinson is using for Bruce Wayne? For the TDK trilogy, they highly publicised that Armani was doing a special custom line for BaleBruce. I wonder if Bruceffleck might be wearing Tom Ford. Three piece suits with peak lapels are trademarks of his design style. He also makes his suit pants with side adjusters and no belt loops, which can also be seen on Brucefflect's suits. Ford is also fond of collar pins which once again can be seen in the Comic-Con trailer. The only thing that doesn't line up is that Affleck' suits seem to have narrower lapels than Ford is known for and his shoulders are a bit more shaped. Interestingly though, Wilkinson's style for Bruceffleck seems to line up quite well with my thoughts on how to dress an order Bruce last summer when filming was just starting:

I don't know if Brooks Brothers is right for Bruce. It depends on how much of an act the Bruce Wayne persona is. Brooks Brothers is understated, old fashioned and classically American. In essence, it is perfect for the REAL Bruce Wayne. Also, the more relaxed nature of the classic Brooks Brothers cut would help hide Wayne's build.

If Bruce's public persona is more of the vapid playboy, then, something more fashion forward, flashy and Italian would work best like Gucci or Armani. Armani, in particular, is a good fit for Wayne because it is famous for its fuller, baggier cut, which once again hides Bruce's physique. But, that approach was already taken in The Dark Knight Trilogy, with Bruce wearing Armani.

A good compromise might be Tom Ford. It is extremely expensive and luxurious in line with the playboy facade, but the suits are cut very traditionally with proper length jackets and fuller lapels and have an old school cool look to them. So they might be the perfect fit for a vapid but well-meaning playboy philanthropist.

Bruce should stick to classic business colours like blue and grey. No doubt that Alfred would have taught him the old school rule that black is only for weddings and funerals. I don't know about light grey. Based on photos from some events, it doesn't seem that flattering on Affleck. It might be better to go darker. I say stay away from Lindy Hemming's preference for three-piece suits with notch lapels. Peak lapels would look nice and maybe some double-breasted suits now that they are back in style. It would be a nice homage to Bruce's look from BTAS.

Edit: Actually, navy seems to suit Affleck best and it also has the benefit of both being the classic colour of American big business and a change from all of Bale's grey suits.

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?p=29216237&highlight=tom+ford#post29216237
 
Lesson one, fashion is for women and style for men. :oldrazz: What comes in fashion, goes out of fashion. Fine men's tailored garments are constructed to last for a decade and therefore it is inadvisable for a gentleman to adhere too strictly to what it is in fashion for it will be out of fashion in a year. Also, really fashionable attire dates very quickly and is a bad choice for film costuming (which is why everyone laughs at Roger Moore's bell bottom tuxedos and safari suits from the 70s Bond movies).

Has anyone heard what designer or tailor Wilkinson is using for Bruce Wayne? For the TDK trilogy, they highly publicised that Armani was doing a special custom line for BaleBruce. I wonder if Bruceffleck might be wearing Tom Ford. Three piece suits with peak lapels are trademarks of his design style. He also makes his suit pants with side adjusters and no belt loops, which can also be seen on Brucefflect's suits. Ford is also fond of collar pins which once again can be seen in the Comic-Con trailer. The only thing that doesn't line up is that Affleck' suits seem to have narrower lapels than Ford is known for and his shoulders are a bit more shaped. Interestingly though, Wilkinson's style for Bruceffleck seems to line up quite well with my thoughts on how to dress an order Bruce last summer when filming was just starting:





http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?p=29216237&highlight=tom+ford#post29216237

Doesn't he design his own costumes, even civilian attire? I seem to remember him doing that for some other film.
 
These are movie costumes as well you know? :p:

3rKDd6s.jpg
 
Yeah Michael Wilkinson chooses and designs outfits for all the main cast. So when you see the likes of thing's Lois or Lex wearing those are Wilkinson's idea's or suggestions as well. Not to mention the alter ego clothes of the hero's.
 
I don't know if he's the hero we deserved, but he sure as hell is the one we needed.
 
Yeah Michael Wilkinson chooses and designs outfits for all the main cast. So when you see the likes of thing's Lois or Lex wearing those are Wilkinson's idea's or suggestions as well. Not to mention the alter ego clothes of the hero's.

You mean he designs every individual garment from scratch? I'm not so sure about that. I know costume designer will design a character's outfit by picking the individual items for that ensemble, but to my knowledge they rarely actually custom design every piece unless it is a period or fantasy film. If Wilkinson did, props to him. It definitely shows in how carefully picked each garment is for Bruce and Clark.

Which means the costume designers for the Bond films have been then spewing a ******** excuse that Bond cannot be dressed in bespoke clothing designed for each film and has to instead wear designer off-the-rack or made-to-measure clothing because modern action films require to many copies of each garment to custom make in-house. I would be really interested to see how Wilkinson would have dressed Craig's Bond. He definitely has a better idea of how to dress grown men formally (the casualwear in the Mendes Bond films is excellent in contract) than Jany Temime. He also has a great eye for updating character's iconic costumes without losing what made them work in the first place.
 
Nah I meant he picks stuff out for them (None costumed characters). If he's had to design and make outfits for the whole cast and depending on how many outfit's they wear, it would kill him.:funny:

What some seem to think is that he just the costume guy only for the superheroes.
 
These are movie costumes as well you know? :p:

3rKDd6s.jpg

I'm I the only one who thinks this cover is DOPE and even better than the first?
There's something about seeing them in civilian form. That old excitement that used build up when I thought the change was imminent! The hidden door to the batcave and the music build up to shirt rip revealing the S... THAT would be too awesome!
 
Last edited:
You mean he designs every individual garment from scratch? I'm not so sure about that. I know costume designer will design a character's outfit by picking the individual items for that ensemble, but to my knowledge they rarely actually custom design every piece unless it is a period or fantasy film. If Wilkinson did, props to him. It definitely shows in how carefully picked each garment is for Bruce and Clark.

Which means the costume designers for the Bond films have been then spewing a ******** excuse that Bond cannot be dressed in bespoke clothing designed for each film and has to instead wear designer off-the-rack or made-to-measure clothing because modern action films require to many copies of each garment to custom make in-house. I would be really interested to see how Wilkinson would have dressed Craig's Bond. He definitely has a better idea of how to dress grown men formally (the casualwear in the Mendes Bond films is excellent in contract) than Jany Temime. He also has a great eye for updating character's iconic costumes without losing what made them work in the first place.

It's very different for Bond though, because his action scenes are in suits while for BvS the title characters will presumably only wear their civilian clothes for talking and walking. Having a bespoke suit made for each action take with different areas of mobility needed can't be practical. Alas, you know far more about it than I.
 
The recent discussion in the Gordon thread about the thought that he is dead in the DCEU got me bummed out because it could be we never get to see a Michael-Wilkinson dressed Jim Gordon. I feel like he would have given us a definitive look for Gordon on screen with an awesome film noir style trench coat like in BTAS:

jimgordon_BTAS.jpg


Imagine a life action Gordon standing next to Snyder's massive Bat-Signal, his long coat flapping in the wind as he waits... oh the possibilities if awesome visuals
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Staff online

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
201,960
Messages
22,042,935
Members
45,842
Latest member
JoeSoap
Back
Top
monitoring_string = "afb8e5d7348ab9e99f73cba908f10802"