New set photos from Matt Reeves’ The Batman have given fans a fresh look at Robert Pattinson’s Batman costume. But the photos are missing a massive component that every Batman costume has in comics, TV, and films: the cape. The director of the highly anticipated DC movie unveiled a tease of the costume through a camera test. In the original footage, Pattinson was seen wearing a cape, which was only shown briefly, but still assuring fans of the iconic DC hero that the costume was coming with one. However, as production has taken the suit to the streets of Glasgow, the cape is nowhere to be seen during the shooting that involved a motorcycle chase scene.
While some online reactions will certainly come from confusion, the absence of the cape makes sense from a filming perspective. It has become a common trait for many productions, particularly superhero films, to shoot scenes with the actors in the bodysuit while cape-less. Since it’s normal for comic book films to adapt majestic looking capes, it’s usually now done through CGI in post-production. It’s also partially because it will help the actor or stunt performer be able to move around easier while filming said scenes, especially action pieces. In the case of The Batman, it’s evident it’s not Pattinson in the set photos as it is most likely his stunt double doing the motorcycle chase sequences.
Driving around on a motorcycle in a costume like that makes it even more necessary to shoot scene without the cape. Performing stunt sequences while sporting the cape would be a massive risk that is easily avoidable, should the cape get stuck in between the wheels. It’s understandable for fans to see iconic heroes like Batman or Superman without their capes during production as it’s not a normal look for those characters. But in the long run, having actors or stunt doubles wear big, well-produced cinematic capes is not as beneficial as some may think. Even though it completes the iconic looks for the live-action suits, it does present a production challenge.
While shooting scenes outdoors where the weather can be completely unexpected, it puts the crew into a tricky situation. By having post-production add capes in CGI-format, the filmmakers can be in control of how it looks in the finished product. That way, the VFX team can put in the perfect color tone, light, length, and overall feel that will make the next cinematic Caped Crusader be worthy of the big screen. Rather than have obstacles like windy weather or uncontrollable lightning be a factor, having scenes where the cape is done through CGI, strengthens the chances of having a visually strong look for the next Dark Knight.
The best recent example can be looked with Ben Affleck’s Batman costume from Batman v Superman and Justice League. Most of the time, Affleck was filming his scenes in the suit without the cape which helped make shooting easier in the long run. In the final result of his films, the feel and look of the cape felt like seeing the Batman character come right out of the pages of DC Comics. In the case of Pattinson’s version of the suit, the addition of a CGI cape will balance the entire look of the costume. What’s noticeable is that the belt in this incarnation of the outfit is very large and noticeable. Adding the cape through CGI will help make the belt not pop as much as it currently does in the set photos from The Batman.
