THE BATMAN Production Designer Says the New Batmobile Needed to Feel Like It Was Built by Bruce Wayne

The Batman was under a lot of pressure to bring us a totally new Batman film after all the film franchises that have come before it. Every aspect of the superhero gets looked at and judged by the fanbase, so the creators have to make every creative decision very carefully. When making The Batman, some of the biggest choices were, of course, the actors and storyline, but also the Batsuit, Batman’s voice, hair and makeup, and the Batmobile.

The film’s production designer James Chinlund talked about the creation of the badass bat-ride in a recent interview with Insider, saying:

"Basically Matt got the job, we had a meeting and the first thing we talked about was the car. We loved the idea that Bruce was a gear head. He would take pride in building things himself. And for us that right there was a huge separation from the other 'Batman' movies.”

He went on to say:

"Often Batman is dependent on Wayne Industries and is almost like a James Bond-type where he shows up in a suit and people show him the toys. We were really excited about Bruce getting some dirt under his fingernails."

This idea made Pattinson's Batmobile the least flashy in the history of the franchise, but this was what was kind of cool about it. It felt like a real car that he adapted to make it so indestructible and powerful. Chinlund added:

"It isn't a tank or a futuristic machine, it's a car. At this point in Bruce's journey, it felt appropriate that he would be in the shop tearing apart other cars and repurposing them."

The trailers released of The Batman feature quick glimpses of the Batmobile which led to fans guessing what car model it is.

"There's a lot of talk that it's a Dodge Charger," said Chinlund, who admits they didn't really have a model as an inspiration. "It was more the idea of Frankensteining from things that Bruce had around."

The design of the car was motivated by Reeves' note early on that Bruce Wayne would need the Batmobile to be a vehicle that is "a relentless pursuer in which nothing can get in its way," Chinlund said. The car also has a massive steel front bumper so the car could ram through anything. And its huge engine is exposed in the car's rear because, as Chinlund put it, "no one's chasing him, he's chasing them."

The report goes on to say that “along with Reeves wanting a certain look, he also wanted his Batmobile to be practical: The car had to drive, and drive fast.” Chinlund said the movie's special effects supervisor, Dominic Tuohy, built the Batmobile with a Chevy V8 627 horse power engine, which gave the car quite a kick.

"I don't know the top speed it did, but we were out on a closed airport runway for the case sequence work and it went fast," Chinlund said, adding also that despite stunt drivers being involved in the production, Pattinson also did a lot of the driving in the Batmobile.

"Rob put it through its paces," he said. "He was there working it out for sure. He got it to some top speeds. He was heavily involved in his stunt driving work." Chinlund also added that if there's a sequel to The Batman, the Batmobile will certainly get supped up more. But like the first movie, it has to feel grounded and practical.

Chinlund wrapped the conversation, saying:

"Our Batmobile is mission-specific, so I think every visual decision we made on the film came back to the story: What is Bruce trying to do, and why does he need this thing?. I think going forward with the design of the car it's what challenges lay ahead for Batman and what changes will he need. I think we expect the Batmobile to evolve along with his mission." 

The Batman is currently playing in theaters. Have you seen it yet?