The Batman‘s Batsuit finally arrived yesterday and, predictably, the response has been mixed. The suit contains some interesting new elements, with a very Arkham Asylum inspired bat-logo and a stitched leather cowl. The short video, released as a camera test by director Matt Reeves, doesn’t give much else away. Shot in deep crimson light, this suit appears to be more armored than previous versions and has a bit of a Batman Beyond influence. Now that the cat is out of the bag, though, we should start to see some set pictures that might show off more details.
But there’s one group of fans who aren’t happy: Batfleck stans. I think it’s inarguable that Ben Affleck’s Batman got a pretty raw deal. In his debut appearance, he had to share a film with Superman, and while we did get to see him dealing with some street-level crime, he never fought any of his rogues gallery. The less said about Justice League, meanwhile, the better. Rubbing salt into the wound though is that The Batman was going to be Ben Affleck’s moment in the spotlight, only for Warner Bros. to decide that they were going in a different direction.
As such, these fans were predisposed to find the suit lacking in comparison to Affleck’s, and here’s how they’re responding:
What am I looking at here? I don't see anything. It's all black and red by the way I'm still not watching your Batman movie. I'm here for Ben Affleck's Batman. #ReleaseTheSnyderCut #TheBatman #cameratest pic.twitter.com/1mUm7vZcE7
— JediRevan1138 (@GalUsagiCK) February 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/BvS_Packard/status/1228112179259432960
https://twitter.com/GeorgeSeia/status/1228113539614887936
https://twitter.com/TheHauntedTank/status/1228099160387313664
Worst downgrade in cinema history… we got this and they blow it pic.twitter.com/RtWByL8IdC
— FF7Zack (@FF7Zack1) February 13, 2020
https://twitter.com/pmlester8/status/1228096938282668032
Downgrade#BenAffleckIsOurBatman pic.twitter.com/NhmTTNyJDu
— Felix #RestoreTheSnyderVerse (@computerkind91) February 13, 2020
Just a random pic of Ben Affleck's first look as Batman…♥️ #BatfleckForever pic.twitter.com/xAjNQLiU0Q
— Abubakar 🇵🇰 #BatfleckForever (@affleck_bruce) February 13, 2020
For the record, I thought the Batfleck suit was excellent. I loved the Dark Knight Returns vibe it had and how massive it made Batman look. But one of the best things about the hero is that his core design has been reinterpreted in so many different ways across the years. I think it’s too early to make a final judgment on Pattinson’s suit, but I like the stitched leather. It actually looks like something a guy and his butler might put together in a cave. Let’s just hope we get a better look at it very soon.