Batman - Zack Snyder Shares a New Image From Original Photoshoot

Screen Rant

By Andy L. Kubai

Published Dec 18, 2016

Director Zack Snyder shares a vibrant, full-color shot of Batman with his ride from an early Batman V Superman photoshoot.

As one of the most divisive movies of 2016, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice kick-started the DC Extended Universe on shaky ground, only managing to win back some fans with its Ultimate Cut. One thing is undeniable, though, Ben Affleck’s performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman was distinctive and well-received. Currently, director Zack Snyder is working on post-production for Justice League, and Affleck is cranking away on his script for The Batman.

With a lot of DC on the horizon, including a tentative spring start for production on the Batfleck film, Snyder recently gave fans a blast from the past – a brand new still from a Batman V Superman photoshoot.

Batman News discovered the latest shot, which was released Snyder via the Vero mobile app and captioned: “This I shot on my phone.” It appears to be an image from the same early shoot from which Snyder teased Batman with the Batmobile in 2014. The previous picture was rendered in black and white, whereas the recent one is rendered in full color and depicts the Caped Crusader from a slightly different angle – and about to hop into the car. Fans also get to see more of the front of the Batmobile:

Batman V Superman still Zack Snyder Batman Batmobile

Despite its arguably shaky start, the DCEU has really picked up steam. Affleck and Snyder both have continually updated fans about the progress of League and the Batman solo movie. With Wonder Woman and a possible DC villains’ sub-universe on the way, including a Suicide Squad sequel and spinoff Gotham City Sirens, the shared universe is about to expand in a major way. With so much happening, clearly Snyder is trying to keep fans excited about the upcoming more hero-based films – and perhaps subtly remind DC devotees that a certain superhero film would make a good Christmas present.

The crisp, full-color Batman image is an exciting moment from the filmmaking process, but it may also be a bittersweet reminder of the film's shortcomings to those fans who were left with a bad taste in their mouths after BVS or Suicide Squad. Both films did brisk business at the box office, but the heavy tone of the former and uneven pacing of the latter – reportedly due to studio meddling – left some fans somewhat disheartened. At the same time, both films were gifted with extended cut which restored some vision to the film, as well as fan faith to the shared universe.

Since one of the best aspects of Bats' battle with Supes was the Dark Knight (as well as Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman), the image is a fun teaser for things to come. With Justice League showcasing a more optimistic tone, as well as a cornucopia of favorite DC heroes, it seems Warner Bros’ film universe is heading in the right direction. Affleck’s commitment to building a better Bat movie is also very encouraging. The future of the DCEU is looking up.