Superheroes. They’ve been part of humanity for millennia in the forms of gods such as Thor, Ra, and more. In the 20th century the focus changed to those born of the age of comic books. Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman captured the imagination, the hearts and minds of a society needing distraction from the Great Depression and wartime.
For the most part, these superheroes were friendly to the right people, not so to those that weren’t. Then came May 1, 1939.
Clad in an all black costume, Batman drought out the dark side of what superheroes had. But rather than packing powers brought by being an alien or caused by the bite of an arachnid, Batman was the alter-ego of a wealthy industrialist, Bruce Wayne. Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde, if you will, for the modern age.
By being human, Batman brought down the playing field to the street level and key to his street presence was the Batmobile. Based on the available automobiles of the day, the original Batmobiles reflected a point of difference between Batman and his fellow defenders of the peace.
Then came the television series of the 1960s and possibly the most iconic Batmobile of all time. Based on a Lincoln and built by specialist custom car builder Barris Industries, the black and red, twin-cowled, jet powered machine rocked the entertainment world and has given the vehicles that followed in the feature films a solid base.
2021 sees a revamped batman story and a revamped Batmobile. Gone are the style cues of the previous movies such as a car-long jet engine, or a military styled multi-wheel driven affair.
The upcoming film stars Robert Pattinson, best known for his roles in the teen-aimed vampire films under the “Twilight” umbrella. His co-star will be a Batmobile that, in its own way, evokes the Batmobile of the 1960s.
Very few images have been made public, both due to secrecy and a pause in filming due to Covid-19.
What we know is scant; it’s said the new car is a mix of classic muscle cars in the form of the Dodge Challenger with a touch of Ford GT. It’s industrial, functional even, without, as far as we know, the ability to self-drive or seal itself from outside attacks.
The released pictures thus far have intense blue headlights, super-bright white rear lights, and deep orange spots throughout. And then there is that iconic black exterior.
Pattinson’s Batman is currently slated for an October 2021 release.
Photo credit: TheBatRobert/Twitter