The BATSUIT Thread

[Invader Joker]

I hope Reeves at least experiments with the white eyes in a screen test or something, just to see if it'd work.

 

[The Shape]

I'd be down for retractable lenses and would love to see "Detective Vision" or the rebuilding of crime scenes as la the Arkham games.

Not really too into Batman having white eyes or white contact lenses every time he's in the mask.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I'm in the "retractable lenses" camp. Best of both worlds. I'd say the only times he really could use lenses are fight sequences, some interrogations, and crime scene investigations (if you wanted the lenses to also act as HUDs).

I could maybe be talked into something similar to what they've done in Captain Marvel, but I want to see how well that was actually executed in the film itself.

The retractable lenses always look goofy to me because they end up needing to cover an eye hole in the cowl that's much larger than the normal eyes. That's why I've always wanted to see a white contact lense. It allows the actor to retain expression, and it looks closer to that horror movie monster look.

If they go with smaller eye holes in the cowl I might be open to it, but every version I've seen so far makes him look unintentionally cartoony. Like he has big anime eyes.

 

[Travesty]

I honestly think white contacts would look silly. Batman would look like Scorpion from MK, or some kind of zombie. It would just look odd in live action.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

He have normal eyes and contacts can activate like detective vision, just like the Arkham games. His eye look white while its activated.

 

[Boom]

Something like this maybe:

 

[Travesty]

That's basically what we saw in TDK.

 

[Boom]

But slightly better.

 

[The Shape]

And with a mohawk.

 

[Boom]

And an ill-fitted CG helmet.

 

[The Shape]

And tons of attitude!

 

[Vaibow]

Except that's not what Deadpool does. They literally animate the eyes and brow of the mask, and it's cartoonish. I have zero desire to see that on a Batman cowl.

White contact lenses with black eye makeup is perfectly fine. Hard pass on the Deadpool route though.

They would do it in such a subtle way... similar to the Arkham games! Since when has Batman ever been as expressive as deadpool? It’s a way to give Bruce a cowl that flows with his face..

 

[Jekecy]

They would do it in such a subtle way... similar to the Arkham games! Since when has Batman ever been as expressive as deadpool? It’s a way to give Bruce a cowl that flows with his face..

CG would be excessive for that though. Fan films like “Batman: Dead End” have already shown it’s possible to do it practically.

 

[Boom]

I still remain in the practical camp. If they want a cowl that is more expressive, use prosthetics.

 

[BattleAngel]

However they do it, whichever of the many technical means through which it *can* and *never has been* done, the white eyes are part of Batman’s classic comic book look, and he’s never been without them in any of the comics of note. The only drawn images of Batman without them that look cool, to my knowledge, are in Batman: Noel. For literally every other super hero character, including Captain freaking Marvel, to have their comic accurate look depicted on screen except for Batman (and, granted, Wolverine), is just crazy to me. Batman is THE comic book character. Give the dude his look! Lol

 

[Boom]

However they do it, whichever of the many technical means through which it *can* and *never has been* done, the white eyes are part of Batman’s classic comic book look, and he’s never been without them in any of the comics of note. The only drawn images of Batman without them that look cool, to my knowledge, are in Batman: Noel. For literally every other super hero character, including Captain freaking Marvel, to have their comic accurate look depicted on screen except for Batman (and, granted, Wolverine), is just crazy to me. Batman is THE comic book character. Give the dude his look! Lol

Spoiler

 

[The Shape]

 

[Astro13Zombie]

I don’t think having an expressive brow would add anything worthwhile to the mask.
I’m definitely down for the white eyes but only if they’re done as retractable lenses.

I’d like to see the mask blend in to the skin around his eyes. Like a prosthetic.

 

[BobJM]

There's something about this I like. Maybe mess around with the bat symbol, or the cowl (though I like the longer length of the ears). But I like the idea of a cloth overlay covering some lightweight body armor. He's a ninja--give him something he can move quickly in.

 

[BattleAngel]

Both of those drawings of Bats without the lenses look goofy as hell to me.

 

[FunkMiller]

I don’t think having an expressive brow would add anything worthwhile to the mask.
I’m definitely down for the white eyes but only if they’re done as retractable lenses.

I’d like to see the mask blend in to the skin around his eyes. Like a prosthetic.

Yep.

A prosthetic cowl that changed expression at the brow would look goofy as ****.

The cowl isn’t meant to be part of Batman’s face... it’s a cowl. Be it made of cloth, metal, rubber or whatever. Making it crease when Batman’s actual brow crease would look very silly. Okay, it’s fine for Deadpool, but he’s essentially a live action cartoon anyway.

I can take or leave the white eyes. It’s one of those things that works well on a comic page, but wouldn’t work all the time in live action. An actor needs to emote, and the eyes are a huge part of that. And Batman is usually a taciturn type who doesn’t speak much. The actor needs his eyes visible to emote properly.

It’s always going to be tricky with the cowl, because in universe it’s meant to be a seperate piece of costume that can be removed.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Yep.

A prosthetic cowl that changed expression at the brow would look goofy as ****.

The cowl isn’t meant to be part of Batman’s face... it’s a cowl. Be it made of cloth, metal, rubber or whatever. Making it crease when Batman’s actual brow crease would look very silly. Okay, it’s fine for Deadpool, but he’s essentially a live action cartoon anyway.

I can take or leave the white eyes. It’s one of those things that works well on a comic page, but wouldn’t work all the time in live action. An actor needs to emote, and the eyes are a huge part of that. And Batman is usually a taciturn type who doesn’t speak much. The actor needs his eyes visible to emote properly.

It’s always going to be tricky with the cowl, because in universe it’s meant to be a seperate piece of costume that can be removed.

I don't think it would look goofy if done right. A good prosthetic can look incredibly natural, and I could see it enhancing the menacing "creature of the night" feel.

As for the lenses limiting expression, I honestly think this is a fairly lazy excuse. We've seen actors emote effectively with non-expressive masks. Hugo Weaving in V for Vendetta, hell, even Darth Vader in the original trilogy at times. Giving an actor white contact lenses would effectively retain a large amount of the expressiveness of the eyes themselves, which is the narrowing or widening. The iris itself changes very little, outside dilations that we don't notice in a film anyway.

I think this is the best middle ground that allows the actor a good deal of expression, while giving the suit a very creepy look. White eyes are unsettling to us instinctually, because it reminds us of death and predators that have eyes that reflect light in the darkness. It's a nice added layer of creepiness.

And in general, I woudn't mind seeing them lean into the "creature of the night" vibe Batman can have even more. We've really only seen that played with in B89 and BB, and after that both respective franchises didn't touch it again. I'd love to see a live action interpretation that hits that take even harder than either of those films did. Make Batman a legitimately creepy looking character at times. Make us really believe people would be scared of this guy and doubt that he's human.

 

[Marvel united]

An exception is not the rule. If Captain Marvel can have hers, Batman should have his. Heck, they even found a way to make the white eyes on domino mask work with Min-Erva

I don't think it would look goofy if done right. A good prosthetic can look incredibly natural, and I could see it enhancing the menacing "creature of the night" feel.

As for the lenses limiting expression, I honestly think this is a fairly lazy excuse. We've seen actors emote effectively with non-expressive masks. Hugo Weaving in V for Vendetta, hell, even Darth Vader in the original trilogy at times. Giving an actor white contact lenses would effectively retain a large amount of the expressiveness of the eyes themselves, which is the narrowing or widening. The iris itself changes very little, outside dilations that we don't notice in a film anyway.

I think this is the best middle ground that allows the actor a good deal of expression, while giving the suit a very creepy look. White eyes are unsettling to us instinctually, because it reminds us of death and predators that have eyes that reflect light in the darkness. It's a nice added layer of creepiness.

And in general, I woudn't mind seeing them lean into the "creature of the night" vibe Batman can have even more. We've really only seen that played with in B89 and BB, and after that both respective franchises didn't touch it again. I'd love to see a live action interpretation that hits that take even harder than either of those films did. Make Batman a legitimately creepy looking character at times. Make us really believe people would be scared of this guy and doubt that he's human.

This. And Batman shouldn't have "emotions" anyway. Isn't the entire point of the cowl to be closed off and distant? Why should he be showing emotions to criminals anyway?

I dunno, Batman needs to move past '89 and bring himself into the 2010s. In a world where we have the Avengers fighting a purple alien with rainbow colored gems on his hand on an alien planet -- maybe it's time for Batman to move past stiff rubber cowls and panda eyes. Just because it's never been done doesn't meant it CAN'T be done

 

[Aximili86]

There's something about this I like. Maybe mess around with the bat symbol, or the cowl (though I like the longer length of the ears). But I like the idea of a cloth overlay covering some lightweight body armor. He's a ninja--give him something he can move quickly in.

This one's pretty cool, agreed. A little over-busy with the leg-straps, I don't think we need to go that "realistic" in terms of believably storing stuff or clipping harnesses on or whatever the hell that's for, but still.

Sleek, gray body-suit, no dumb armor, cool cape. The cowl's a little Nolan-sequels-y for my liking, would prefer a different shape, but overall something like this is so in the right direction.

 

[FunkMiller]

I don't think it would look goofy if done right. A good prosthetic can look incredibly natural, and I could see it enhancing the menacing "creature of the night" feel.

Yes... but he is a dude dressed up as a bat. He's not an actual bat monster (a la Crane's hallucination in BB).

If you had a moving, expressive cowl, you'd have to come up with an in universe reason for it. Otherwise, the audience will sit there wondering why the hell Batman's cowl is moving around, copying his own expressions underneath. That's why it'd look goofy.

An exception is not the rule. If Captain Marvel can have hers, Batman should have his. Heck, they even found a way to make the white eyes on domino mask work with Min-Erva

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This. And Batman shouldn't have "emotions" anyway. Isn't the entire point of the cowl to be closed off and distant? Why should he be showing emotions to criminals anyway?

I dunno, Batman needs to move past '89 and bring himself into the 2010s. In a world where we have the Avengers fighting a purple alien with rainbow colored gems on his hand on an alien planet -- maybe it's time for Batman to move past stiff rubber cowls and panda eyes. Just because it's never been done doesn't meant it CAN'T be done

Not seen Captain Marvel obviously, but am assuming she only has her white lenses for short periods - something the trailer seems to suggest. That's what they did in TDK.

No one's arguing it can't be done. But should it? That's another story. The white eyes I'm fine with, but the moving cowl thing just sounds weird and would completely take me out of the movie. I'd just be sat there wondering why the hell he'd have an animatronic cowl on his head.