A concept artist on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice recently shared an early design for the Flash's costume over social media. The second film in the DCEU arguably bit off more than it could chew, including brief introductions for the other members of the then-upcoming Justice League. The future of the character and the DCEU may be in flux, but now fans have another look at how he got this far.

The speedster only showed up in a couple sequences of Batman v Superman; once in some security footage in his civilian clothes and another time as a vision or time-displaced visitation in Bruce Wayne's Batcave. Neither scene gave viewers a good look at the Flash as he would eventually appear, although the so-called "Knightmare" version came close. When Ezra Miller finally donned the full suit in the next film, it received a decidedly lukewarm response among some fans.

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Posting on his Instagram, artist Jerad S. Marantz shared a 3-d model of his first pass at the Flash's costume. It maintains the same color scheme most fans are familiar with, pairing a full red bodysuit with yellow accents, although it's missing the traditional white circle behind the lighting bolt on the chest. While it's a more high-tech take than the one seen on the CW show, it's also considerably sleeker and brighter than the final DCEU version. It also noticeably omits the hardened armor pieces and helmet that were so prominent in Justice League.

The instantly recognizable costume is one of the character's hallmarks, and the adaptations to live-action have mostly stayed true to the original design, tweaking it to suit the nature of the project. In the '90s TV show, that meant latex and sculpted muscles. On the CW, it became a leather running suit and one that's getting an upgrade this year. With the DCEU, they opted for, as Bruce helpfully exposits, "silicon-based quartz sand fabric." Fans were divided on that look, but Miller certainly seemed on board.

What makes Marantz's design work so well is how it blends traditional comics with modern superhero movie costuming. Keeping the suit sleek and nearly all bright red evokes the classic design and reinforces the sense of speed. Using some mixed materials and more subtle tech notes help ground it physically without getting all grim and gritty. Producers may have run with a different look for the films, but the fact that it so closely resembles the new design for CW's consistently popular version indicates that Marantz was definitely headed in the right direction.

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Source: Jerad S. Marantz

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