Summary

• Batman's new suit in The Brave and the Bold should be simpler, made of padded material instead of metal armor.
• The suit should be gray, with a clear bat symbol, to stand out among colorful Justice League costumes.
• The bat logo on Batman's chest should be unique in the DCU version, distinct from other live-action adaptations.

The Batman has had quite a few live-action versions, some that even wear multiple different suits in the same movie. This makes the DCU’s task a little harder, as it will need to create a suit that is both recognizably a Batman costume, but also doesn’t look too much like previous incarnations.

Luckily, Batman has been around for 85 years, and there are plenty of great designs that the DCU’s Batman costume can be inspired by. Some elements of Batman’s costume haven’t appeared in a while, or not even at all in live-action, and the DCU can try them out. Of course, some elements of a Batsuit always need to be present to ensure Batman is easily recognizable, so these will also have to be included in The Brave and the Bold’s design.

10 Batman's Armor Should Be Simpler

The DCU’s Batman Will Exist Simultaneously With Matt Reeves’ The Batman Series

The DCU’s Batman will have one problem that no other live-action Batman has faced before, existing alongside another live-action movie Batman. Because the DCU version will need to distinguish itself from Robert Pattinson’s version of Batman, it would only make sense to make sure his costume looks very different. Since the Batsuit in The Batman is very intricately designed body armor, a simpler look could be the way to go for the DCU Batsuit.

One way the DCU Batman’s suit could be made simpler is to have it made out of a padded material instead of metal armor. The DCEU did something similar with its Batsuit, and it ended up being one of the nicer-looking Batman costumes in live-action. This would also be more in line with Batman’s look from DC Comics, where his suit is typically a little less heavy on armored plates.

9 Batman's Suit Should Be Gray, Not Black

Many Live Action Bat Suits Are All Black

Many of the live-action Batman costumes are all black, a trend that started back with Michael Keaton in Batman (1989). More recently, Batman has been given his typical gray suit from the comics, and it has proven to look a bit better on screen than previous versions. One major advantage is that the black bat symbol pops out much clearer on a gray backdrop than it does when it’s the same color as the suit.

Batman’s suit being a little bit lighter will also work well if he s up with the Justice League in the DCU. James Gunn already previewed Superman’s DCU suit, and from the small image available, it looks to be very bright. Batman would look a little off being dressed in all black if the Justice League were all wearing more colorful costumes around him. Having a gray suit would add a good contrast to his costume and help him stand out among his fellow heroes while still having a dark enough costume to believably help him blend into shadows.

8 Batman Needs A Unique Bat Logo On His Chest

Each Live Action Batman Franchise Usually Has Its Own Logo

Batman’s logo is a staple of all live-action Batsuits, even when it is more subtle, like in The Batman. While there is little doubt that the DCU will include the symbol on Batman’s costume, one thing DC needs to make sure to do is make the bat symbol unique to this version. It should, at the very least, be unique compared to other live-action versions of the character.

Each live-action Batman franchise has a unique version of the hero’s symbol that can be easily associated with it. This allows the many live-action versions to be distinguished by even just their logos, giving each version their own independent identity. The DCU should strive to do the same for their new version of Batman, especially since he will be sharing audience attention with Matt Reeves’ version. Though the symbol should be unique among live-action versions of the character, DC could easily look to the many comic book versions that haven’t been used in movies to help inspire this new design.

7 Batman Should Have A Yellow Utility Belt

Batman's Belt Is Traditionally Yellow In DC Comics

Batman’s yellow utility belt is a near-constant across all live-action versions of Batman. Even Christian Bale’s Batman, whose suit was otherwise all black, sported a yellow utility belt at times. The yellow belt has also appeared in comics as far back as Batman’s very first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (1939). The look is just so classic Batman that it would be a shame for the DCU not to include it.

Aside from its long history, Batman’s yellow utility belt adds a nice splash of color to his otherwise understated costume. Some versions of the Batsuit in comics have also added subtle yellow lines around Batman’s symbol, as well as some small yellow highlights in other areas. While Batman should never be the most colorful superhero, having some accents that aren’t black or grey can be a nice touch.

6 Batman's Cowl Needs Pronounced Bat Ears

Batman's Cowl And Ears Were One Of Bill Finger's Original Additions To Batman

The large bat ears on Batman’s cowl are an essential aspect of his costume. They can be used to create some very effective visuals, especially when Batman’s silhouette is projected against something. It adds to the sense that Batman is a dark and intimidating creature of the night, giving his shadow an almost monstrous quality. The ears also make him easily recognizable, even when he is barely visible, which is a good quality for a hero who skulks around in the dark often.

Batman’s bat ears are one of the few constants when it comes to live-action Batsuits, and it makes sense why. They are necessary for maintaining the character’s unique silhouette. Some have been stubbier, like the DCEU Batman’s ears. It would be nice to see the DCU Batman have ears that are at least more pronounced than the ones Ben Affleck’s suit had, but how long would look good depends on the suit's overall design. Seeing some extra-long ears, like the ones in art by Tim Sale or Alex Ross, could help give the DCU Batman a unique look.

5 The DCU Can Try Out White Eyes For Batman

Batman Usually Has All White Eyes In DC Comics

Like many superheroes, Batman’s eyes aren’t typically visible through his mask in the comics. Instead, his eyes are all white. His mask will change shape to convey his different emotions as a substitute for not seeing his real eyes widening or narrowing. While this might seem restrictive to an actor, movies like Deadpool have proven that white eyes can still effectively convey emotion through a mask. This slightly more cartoony look also creates a more universal character that more audiences can see themselves in, an effect described by Scott McCloud in his book Understanding Comics (The Invisible Art).

McCloud posits that by removing finer details from an image, the audience can also focus more on the details that are left. By giving Batman white eyes, the audience's attention would be drawn to his overall facial expression and the general shape of his eyes, instead of potentially being distracted by tiny details like the black makeup Batman has to put around his eyes. White eyes would also be a first for a live-action Batman, setting the DCU version apart from every previous adaptation.

4 The DCU Can Bring Back Batman's Trunks

All Modern Versions Of Batman Don't Include His Trunks

There is one aspect of Batman’s costume that hasn’t been seen in a movie since Adam West played the role in the 1960s: his trunks. Superheroes wearing small trunks of an accent color are a major staple of comic books but are often left out of live-action adaptations of the characters. This is likely to avoid the common joke that superheroes wear their underwear outside their pants and to present a more serious-looking character on the big screen.

DC’s CEO James Gunn has proven that he can make meaningful stories while also including sillier comic book elements like a talking Raccoon or a giant alien starfish. There’s no doubt Gunn’s DCU could still tell an emotionally impactful Batman story while still having the hero wearing his signature trunks. Including them in Batman’s costume would be a good way to signal that the DCU’s Batman will embrace parts of the comics that have been left out of Batman movies for a long time, like Robin, and maybe even a supervillain that has actual powers.

3 Batman's Cape Should Look Like Bat Wings

Batman's Original Cape In DC Comics Was Shaped Like Wings

Batman’s cape is an important part of his costume, both in of form and function. There have been a variety of different live-action Batman capes so far, but most recent iterations don’t have too much of a distinct shape. Instead, they are just black capes with flat bottoms. One way the DCU Batman could stand out from his contemporaries would be to give his cape a more distinct shape.

Some versions of Batman have a cape that is intentionally designed to look like bat wings. This can be done with subtle waves at the bottom of the cape, or it can be a more deliberate bat shape like Michael Keaton’s wings in Batman. Bringing some form of this look to the DCU Batman’s cape would give him a more unique shape when gliding or dropping on enemies from the sky. It would also further differentiate the DCU Batman from The Batman’s version.

2 Batman's Gloves Should Include Fins

Batman's Glove Fins First Appearead In Detective Comics #36 (1940)

Although Batman’s gloves didn’t originally include the spiked fins on them, they have been a mainstay of his costume for a long time. Although they were originally just an aesthetic choice, Batman’s fins have come to represent a much more key aspect of the character. Both movies and comics have used Batman’s fins to show how he is always prepared for any situation.

This can be seen in The Dark Knight when Batman’s detachable fins are used to defeat the Joker, who thinks he has the upper hand on Batman. They have also been used to do everything from stopping bladed weapons to even cutting off limbs in dire situations, like the zombie crisis in Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #6 by Marc Silvestri. Giving Batman built-in tools like this on his costume shows just how meticulously he plans everything, including his wardrobe.

1 Batman's Cowl Should Be Attached To His Cape

Batman's Stiff Cowl Presents A Problem For Actors' Movement

Batman’s cowl seems to be the most difficult aspect of the costume for designers to work with. As of now, it seems like there is usually a choice made between allowing Batman to be able to turn his neck freely or allowing his cowl to be attached to his cape. Even the DCEU Batman, who came close to having both, still had a stiff rubbery look to his cowl.

If the DCU wants their Batman to truly stand out, they should try finding a solution to this issue. To give the new version of Batman free-range of motion with his head without having to detach his cowl from his cape, designers would have to create a cowl that has a neck made of a soft material but also can retain a solid shape around Batman’s face. This may be a big ask, but if they can pull it off The Brave and the Bold’s Batman could look more like the comic book Dark Knight than any previous version.