As an iconic and larger-than-life character, it’s only right that Batman has had quite a few live-action adaptations, most recently with Matt Reeves’ The Batman, now streaming on HBOMax. The newest film adds a lot of uniqueness in tone, characterization, and design. And one of those unique designs is the new Batsuit.
Throughout the years, the suit Batman wears is not only reflective of him as a character, but also of the story he is in, with every new director and film team bringing something special to the design. The lines, details, texture, as well as the movement makes the Batsuits so darn stylish.
Batman and Robin
It's one of the most panned films by critics and fans alike, so it's no surprise that Batman and Robin is also responsible for the worst Batsuit. The suit isn’t all bad and actually could’ve been quite good with a few minor tweaks and color correction.
Clooney’s suit adds color by switching from black to blue and dials the gloss all the way up, but that only seems to shed more visibility on the bland design. And the overly detailed abs along with the bat-nipples just don’t work on the vigilante, making him look anything but menacing. With so many other great live-action Batman suits, the few mistakes on this one unfortunately are enough to put it at the end of the line.
Adam West
Unlike all the other suits on this list, the Adam West Batsuit does not attempt to be practical or menacing, but it does not need to. The thin cottony, fabric leaves Batman no room for padding or plated armor. Everything the audience sees is 100% certified Adam West.
The colorful design of this suit is complementary to the tone of the 1960’s television show, capturing its goofiness and fun. The design does everything it needs to and nothing it doesn’t. The drawn lines on the cowl and shiny underwear make this an unapologetically fun suit that is unique, stylish, and iconic.
Batman Forever
Batman Forever got a new Batman in Val Kilmer, and with him came a new suit. While the concept of the suit remained relatively the same as its predecessor there were a few changes, some that were improvements and some that were not.
This suit is almost exactly like the Batman and Robin suit that Clooney wears but with much better coloring and a more defined bat symbol on the chest. The overly detailed abs on this suit work better with the black of the suit, but unfortunately, this is where the infamous bat-nipples make their debut.
Batman v Superman – Knightmare Batman
This duster-sporting Batsuit comes by way of the Knightmare timeline established in Batman v Superman. The post-apocalyptic environment has called for Batman to not only change his fighting technique, but to adopt a new look as well.
The suit definitely has a style that gives Batman more of a western gunslinger vibe that is reminiscent of a time-travel or otherworldly story from the comics and cartoons. It is by far the most unique costume, but unique doesn’t always mean best. It may be a very cool and even accurate version of how end-of-the-world Batman would dress, but the long coat on top of the regular chest piece can sometimes be a little too busy.
Batman v Superman – Armored Batman
The armored mech suit from Batman v Superman not only serves its purpose as Batman's anti-Superman suit, allowing him to withstand combat with the last son of Krypton, but it makes him look darn good doing it too.
Bulky, heavy, and mechanical, this suit is unlike anything the audience has ever seen in a Batman film before. The suit keeps the signature elements like finned gauntlets, a utility belt, and bat ears that fans are used to seeing on a Batsuit, as well as adding a few new elements. The glowing eyes are a nice touch that takes inspiration from the comics, and an over-the-shoulder strap gives a sort of gladiator vibe to the getup. The material does a good job of giving the appearance of ultra-strong metal and looks extra convincing in the rain, giving it a nice metallic shine.
Batman/Batman Returns
While Keaton did appear in 2 films as the Caped Crusader with slight changes to his suit, they were so minimal that they are being counted as one. 1989’s Batman and its sequel Batman Returns gave fans the first on-screen portrayal of the character as a dark avenger and gave him a suit to reflect it.
This suit was simple yet introduced fans to the body-armor concept that has been an integral aspect of every Batsuit since. And the now-classic yellow bat symbol on the all-black suit really allows the feature to pop. The cowl has good lines and well-lengthened ears but the rubbery material makes Batman look stiff when he is unable to turn his head without moving his whole body. The suit loses some of its luster when a rigid and stiff Batman has to fight crime.
Batman Begins
The first installment of Chris Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Batman Begins was a reinvention of the franchise that added a lot to the iconic character, including a new outfit.
The Batman Begins suit also goes for a minimalistic look, with a simple symbol on the chest, no overly detailed lines, and only a few separate pieces. The suit strikes a good balance of looking strong without being bulky and sleek without looking flimsy. Keeping the suit together as one piece and one color doesn’t overcomplicate the design, which stays consistent with a grounded and realistic version of the character, making it easy on the eyes as Batman glides through the streets of Gotham.
The Dark Knight
The sequel to 2005’s reboot of the character came with a Batsuit upgrade courtesy of Lucius Fox. This was the first time in the character's live-action career that the suit was broken into a series of separate armor pieces.
The new armor pieces fit together in a way that gave Batman a new rigid texture to his design that complimented the practicality of this version of the character. But while the new pieces thinned out the neckpiece it had an adverse effect on the cowl, making it just slightly too rounded. But the sacrifice was well worth it in the end, as the newfound mobility gave Batman a more natural movement that made his Dark Knight much more appealing to watch on-screen.
The Batman
The newest addition to the roster of live-action Batman looks is from Matt Reeves’ gritty and dark The Batman. This suit succeeds in bringing a unique style that hasn’t been utilized yet in the modern era that Pattinson’s strong jawline wears very well.
The suit does a nice job of mixing up its dark shades, it's made up mostly of gray with black accents, which does well in highlighting the details that would’ve been lost in an all-black suit. The separate pieces of armor and collared neck aren’t just eye-pleasing, but also succeed in making Bruce more maneuverable, adding to the appeal. The cowl deviates from past designs with a leather material which mostly works, but is held back from a separate nose piece that looks to be stitched onto the larger piece.
Batman v Superman
The hulking, brooding, and intimidating Batman inspired by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is brought to life and embodied by none other than Ben Affleck.
Not only does this outfit work well when Affleck is under the cowl, but also can be quite menacing on its own, as seen on Bruce Wayne’s mannequin in the Batcave. The design is simple, a gray body with a large bat on the chest, reminiscent of several designs from the comics. It succeeds in looking practical without the problem of being too busy that some other suits ran into. The lines are clean and neat, the material doesn’t look overly stiff while also giving it a nice texture, and the cowl accentuates Bruce’s large chin in just the right way.