Early ‘Batman V. Superman’ Concept Art Looked More Like An Arkham Knight Suit

In one of its earliest incarnations, Batman’s armored costume from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might have looked more like a natural extension of something seen in the Arkham Knight video game.

Over the weekend, concept artist Jerad S.Marantz shared the image below on Instagram, explaining that the silvery, shiny image was a flicker in his eye before filmmakers decided to go with the bulkier, more familiar armor designed for Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.

By the sound of it, filmmakers likely went in knowing that they were planning on adopting the Miller aesthetic, but wanted to leave no stone unturned and so set the artists loose for a short period of time in case somebody struck gold.

The cowl in the image above features some techno-lines that look a bit like the detailing on Black Panther’s mask in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so given that Panther first appeared in Captain America: Civil War — just weeks after Batman v Superman — it is likely fortunate for all involved that this was not the design chosen.

In the final cut of the movie, Batman’s armored look freed up the film to be chock full of Easter eggs to the work of Frank Miller, who was a major influence on the story as well as the choreography of the big title fight scene. The suit was one of the most popular elements of the film’s marketing and merchandising, with toys and t-shirts appearing in every major retailer.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming. Its sequel, Justice League, comes to digital on February 13 and will be available on DVD and Blu-ray a month later.