Zack Snyder’s Justice League is finally on its way to HBO Max, earning quite a bit of praise from those who have seen it ahead of the release. Among the positive remarks is a common compliment for how beautiful the film looks. This applies not only to the cinematography which is drummed up by Snyder and Fabian Wagner but also by the work of costume designer Michael Wilkinson. Years ago, ComicBook.com visited the set of Justice League and saw Wilkinson’s enthusiasm for the costumes firsthand. Now, years after the original vision for these super suits were shown on their respective DC Comics heroes in theaters under color tones and filters which were different than originally anticipated, the entire crew on Snyder’s movie is thrilled to have their work seen by the world as was originally intended.
This new cut of Justice League is comprised largely of footage fans have not seen before, complete with costumes on characters which never made the theatrical version of the movie. For example, fans gets to see Henry Cavill in Superman’s black suit as they have longed for. It’s a particular point of pride for Wilkinson to have designed a suit made of one single dark color which still manages to pop gorgeously when it is in frame.
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“For Justice League, I found a new fabric for the mesh oversuit of the regular Superman suit that made the undersuit really gleam in a beautiful way,” Wilkinson told ComicBook.com via e-mail. “I was excited about the idea of the black Superman suit because I knew it would look incredible if we really pushed some elements that we had already created with the regular suit – we made the undersuit even more metallic than previously, and it gleamed dramatically through the mesh. The dimensional chain mail print on the mesh done using silvery graphite metallic paints. All of these tweaks ensured that a monochromatic Supersuit was anything but boring!”
While the world looks forward to seeing these updates version of DC hero costumes in the film, Wilkinson’s responsibilities go far further than the six core Justice League heroes. Snyder’s vision comes complete with abundant world-building, including a look into Themyscira and a dive into Atlantis which was filmed prior to James Wan’s Aquaman movie.
“I’m so glad that audiences are seeing the Amazon and Atlantean worlds, because my team and I put so much heart and soul into it creating the looks of these worlds,” Wilkinson said. He covered characters from both worlds in golden armor, though they both have drastically different designs which seem to honor different histories. “I gave a lot of thought to their cultures and histories, creating a graphic language of shapes, motifs, textures and finishes that reflects this,” he says. “We experimented with new materials, sculpted and molded many new costumes elements, customized jewelry and worked with a talented crew of art finishers that created a stunning range of colors and painted effects – that way the two worlds were distinct from each other.”
Then, of course, there is the return to set for a short bit of additional filming which took place years after the original Justice League film was completed. In this new sequence, Wilkinson was tasked with a costume he did not tackle in the original Justice League efforts: Jared Leto’s Joker. This new version of the character sees his tattoos removed from Suicide Squad, along with most the apparel he would be expected to wear as the sequence puts him in an apocalyptic alternate timeline where flashy suits and such apparel are a thing of the past.
“The idea was for Joker to wear a Straight Jacket and Gotham PD Swat vest – I think the incongruity of the image is both iconic and thought provoking, ‘The Joker, in a Gotham swat vest?! What the hell?’” Wilkinson says. “And we all know that a mere straight jacket is no real constraint for the Joker’s insanity….! I liked the contrast between our take on his look and Jared’s wildly flashy looks from the previous film.”
While Wilkinson did get a crack at some of the most iconic characters in all comic book lore for Justice League, he does long for a chance to design a Catwoman suit. As fans gear up to call for more stories from this world with this cast, Wilkinson is in a similar camp. “I’m lighting a candle and crossing all fingers and toes,” the talented designer says of the future.
Read ComicBook.com’s full interview with Wilkinson below!
A Real Super Man
ComicBook.com: Superman’s black suit looks amazing. What went into designing a version of this suit which would translate to being on screen so well?
Michael Wilkinson: For Justice League, I found a new fabric for the mesh oversuit of the regular Superman suit that made the undersuit really gleam in a beautiful way. I was excited about the idea of the black Superman suit because I knew it would look incredible if we really pushed some elements that we had already created with the regular suit – we made the undersuit even more metallic than previously, and it gleamed dramatically through the mesh. The dimensional chain mail print on the mesh done using silvery graphite metallic paints. All of these tweaks ensured that a monochromatic Supersuit was anything but boring!
CB: Did you have a hand in designing the other suits we see on the Kryptonian suit when Clark is looking at all of his options? Can you speak to the inspiration for those suits?
MW: Yes, the costume department created artwork for the suits that appear in the chamber – a complex space-suit, the black supersuit and then his regular red-and-blue. We wanted to show that there was a variety of suits for different conditions and situations – an idea that has been explored in the Superman canon over the various decades.
DC Mythology
CB: The Flash’s time travel suit which we first saw in Batman v. Superman returns for the new footage. Does a practical version of this suit exist and how does it honor the main suit you made for Ezra to wear?
MW: The suit was created digitally – the idea was an outer shell encasing the Flash’s regular suit and giving him even more protection from his inconceivably fast travel through space and time. His exploration of dimensions and conditions unknown to us seemed to warrant a nano-tech approach to his suit.
CB: You got a crack at Atlantean armor and Amazonian armor. What were some of the inspirations for these integral supporting characters who were not a part of the main 6 Justice League characters?
MW: I’m so glad that audiences are seeing the Amazon and Atlantean worlds, because my team and I put so much heart and soul into it creating the looks of these worlds. I gave a lot of thought to their cultures and histories, creating a graphic language of shapes, motifs, textures and finishes that reflects this. We experimented with new materials, sculpted and molded many new costumes elements, customized jewelry and worked with a talented crew of art finishers that created a stunning range of colors and painted effects – that way the two worlds were distinct from each other.
CB: Hippolyta wears a suit which seems to be a clear nod to her Golden Armor. Is that intentional?
MW: I researched that many ways that Hippolyta has been portrayed in the DC world, and have always been drawn to her distinct Golden Armor. I wanted to created a costume for her that hints at the armor, but in a way that works for the scenes that Zack had written for her. Her costumes are amongst my favorite in the film.
Some New Faces
CB: Zack’s additional scene gave you a crack at Joker. How did you approach a new design on Jared Leto’s version of the character which previously had tattoos and dressed quite differently?
MW: The idea was for Joker to wear a Straight Jacket and Gotham PD Swat vest – I think the incongruity of the image is both iconic and thought provoking – the Joker, in a Gotham swat vest?! What the hell? And we all know that a mere straight jacket is no real constraint for the Joker’s insanity….! I liked the contrast between our take on his look and Jared’s wildly flashy looks from the previous film.
CB: Martian Manhunter. The character design looks great. He is computerized but did you have any say in the design or create any practical elements for Harry Lennix?
MW: No this was the work of our insanely talented VFX department.
CB: When you see all of these characters standing side by side, what were you hoping their costumes would say about them and the journey they have been on individually?
MW: Through the costume designs, I want the audience to see that they are all extraordinary individuals with unique talents, but that those talents combined make them truly invincible – they become a wall of unstoppable power. It’s important to see that they all have such different backgrounds and gifts, but as a team them are visually unified. The sum of them is truly greater than the parts.
In Another Timeline…
CB: Were there any other looks or considerations for drastically different designs for any of these characters throughout the development of the film?
MW: This is the sixth film that I have designed for Zack, and one thing that’s for sure is that his vision is always unwavering – he has such a laser-like focus on the film he wants to make that, once I get inside his mind, there’s actually not a lot of deviation or dead-ends. Yes, we explore a full palette of details, but the big picture holds strong.
CB: If the franchise moved forward or gets a chance at continuing, which characters would you like to make a suit for and show an evolution in their designs?
MW: I’ve always wanted to design a powerful Catwoman – I think now with new materials and construction techniques available, something truly memorable could be created. I’m lighting a candle and crossing all fingers and toes…..
