Batmobile

Comic book publication history

DC Universe

Batman is shown driving a red car in his debut story in Detective Comics #27. The red car was never mentioned by name as the Batmobile. Although the Batplane was introduced in Detective Comics #31, the name "Batmobile" was not applied to Batman's automobile until Detective Comics #48 (February 1941). The car's design evolved in early Batman stories. It became a "specially built high-powered auto" by Detective Comics #30. Batman #5 (March 1941) introduced a long, powerful, streamlined Batmobile with a tall scalloped fin and an intimidating bat head on the front. Three pages after its introduction, it was forced off a cliff by the Joker and crashed in the ravine below. An identical Batmobile appeared in the next story printed in the same issue. The predominant designs settled on a large, dark-colored body and bat-like accessories such as large tailfins scalloped to resemble a bat's wings.

Other bat-vehicles soon followed, including the Batcycle, Batboat, and Robin's Redbird.

The 1966–1968 television series Batman was so popular that its campy humor and its version of Batmobile were imported into Batman's comics. The iconic television Batmobile was a superficially modified concept car, the decade-old Lincoln Futura, owned by auto customizer George Barris, whose shop did the work. When the series was canceled in 1968, the comic books became darker and more serious. The comics' version of Batman abandoned that version of the Batmobile. Its replacement was a simpler model with a stylized bat's head silhouette decal on the hood being the only decoration of note. The 1960s TV style Batmobile still appears from time to time in the comic books, most recently in Detective Comics #850 and in Batman Confidential.

In the Bronze Age of Comic Books, the source of the cars was explained in The Untold Legend of the Batman as the work of stunt driver Jack Edison. Edison had volunteered to personally construct Batmobiles for Batman after being rescued from a burning wreck.

In mid-1985, a special variation of the Super Powers toyline Batmobile appeared in both Batman and Detective Comics. This design had a full set of front and rear canopies, "Coke-bottle" sides, integrated fins, and generally rounder features, just like the toy. The only difference between this car and its toy counterpart is the nose, which was sometimes drawn as longer and more pointed.

Elseworlds and Alternate Universes

In Batman: Holy Terror, the Batmobile is depicted on a two-page spread at the end of the story, with Bruce musing that it was provided to him by the remaining members of the underground movement against the religious dictatorship that rules the world in this timeline.

In Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, the Batmobile is presented as a basic open-topped car with a single bat-wing at its rear, similar in design to the original Batmobile in the comics. Batman was forced to abandon the Batmobile after the destruction of Wayne Manor to stop Dracula's vampire 'family' deprived him of a suitable place to keep the car, although Bruce reflects that he no longer needs the car after his transformation into a vampire grants him bat-like wings. However, it is revealed in Crimson Mist – the third novel in the trilogy – that the Batmobile survives in the remains of the Batcave, with Alfred briefly hiding behind it to escape Killer Croc during a chase through the cave.

In Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, the Batmobile has been modified into a tank-like armored riot control vehicle, complete with machine guns shooting rubber bullets, a large cannon mounted on the front, and large tank treads in place of tires. According to Batman's narration, the only thing that can penetrate its armor "isn't from this planet" with the "damnedest alloy surface". Batman also mentions that it was Dick Grayson who came up with the name. The tank-like vehicle appears to take up two lanes of traffic on a normal road, evidenced when returning from Batman's initial fight with the leader of the Mutants, and thus is too big for normal land travel around Gotham. In the scenes prior to Batman's last stand with the Joker, Batman uses a motorcycle to traverse the city, using the tank again after the attempted nuclear strike and fires in Gotham, although it is torn apart during Batman's battle with Superman. This Batmobile reappeared in All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #4, which shows its construction by robots in the Batcave.

In Frank Miller's All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, the car can convert into a harrier jet and a submarine. Dick Grayson comments that the name Batmobile is "totally queer". However, in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which exists in the same continuity, Grayson was stated as the one who coined the name.

In Absolute Batman, the Batmobile is reimagined as gigantic, modified dump truck. As Bruce Wayne is a working class engineer in this universe, everything about it is homemade and built by himself. It is two stories tall, has external stairs that led to a gangway to access the cockpit from the outside, and is equipped with non-lethal turret rounds that fire tiny bat-projectiles. The vehicle is capable of collapsing its roof for better speed along with homemade jet engines and can seal off all windows and vents to function underwater. It was introduced in issue #2, where Batman uses it escape from the authorities and the Party Animals along with Alfred Pennyworth. Its origin is revealed in the Absolute Batman 2025 Annual where Batman stole the original dump truck from a construction site in Slaughter Swamp, which he used to break into the hideout of a white supremacist gang.

Animated appearances

Television

The Batmobile made a brief cameo at the end of the Looney Tunes Show episode "Reunion". Bugs Bunny drove off in it after seeing the Bat-Signal because, in that show, he is secretly Batman. This Batmobile slightly resembles the Golden Age version.

According to the site BatmobileHistory.com, the Batmobile created for the 1968–1969 Filmation Associates TV series was not strongly based on its immediate predecessor (except for sharing dual rear cockpit canopies with the Barris/Futura Batmobile) or any version in DC Comics publications of the time. Furthermore, Filmation's Batmobile featured a long, black body with what is described as a "Coke bottle" profile, with a large, light blue bat emblem set across the hood, which, when a dashboard control was activated, the metal bat symbol folded its "wings" up at its center, forming a barricade/chain cutter. There were no door-mounted bat symbols.

Another departure from the Barris Batmobile was a single windshield and large, elevated bat-fins. Curiously, the car's underside was colored light blue, and it appeared to conceal the car's chassis except for a motorized panel, from which devices such as the Bat-winch would emerge. It is assumed Filmation's Batmobile used this light blue underside color to make the panel and devices easier to see. Additionally, the cockpit seating was a vibrant red, with a dashboard panel using bat accents around an inset monitor screen, among other details. Filmation's Batmobile used parachutes, inflatable pontoons, and, in case of damaged tires, vertical and rear-mounted jets to lift and propel the car—which then essentially caused it to function as a high-powered hovercraft. The Filmation Batmobile from The Batman/Superman Hour was one of the few Batmobiles not to see adaptations to any DC Comics publications or have any commercially available replicas (toys, diecast cars, plastic model kits, etc.).

The Batmobile was seen in the early episodes of Super Friends was based on the Lincoln Futura design in the live-action TV series starring Adam West. The main difference with the Super Friends version was that the car's lines were modified substantially for use in animation. The most obvious change was to the car's nose, where the hood received a "V" depression that echoed the lower fascia. This was also the first Batmobile (of any medium) to feature yellow bat emblems on the doors. This particular feature would be quickly adopted by the comics.

Film

In The Lego Movie a large six-wheeled version of the Batmobile (which is actually the Batwing transformed by Batman) appears equipped with sub-woofers. It is destroyed during the attack on Cloud Cuckoo Land.

In The Lego Batman Movie, multiple versions of the Batmobile from different Batman adaptations appear. In the film, Batman drives the "SpeedWagon" Batmobile, which appears to take inspiration from previous Batmobiles. This Batmobile also uses "atomic batteries", a feature seen in 1960s depictions. Other Batmobiles appear briefly, including the one from the 1960s television series, Tim Burton films, Batman Forever, the Golden Age, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight trilogy, and Batman: The Animated Series.

The Speedwagon was fault-driven by "Nightwing" (alter-ego of Robin when Batman is missing in the world) combined with the novice skills of Nightwing caused the speedwagon's destruction, but at the climax of the film, Batman, his Bat-family, and former Joker henchmen make a new Batmobile with four detachable vehicles (Bat-Plane for Batgirl, Bat-Assault Vehicle for Bat-Alfred, Bat-Cycle (inspired by The Dark Knight) for Robin and a proper Batmobile for Batman).

The 1960s TV series Batmobile appears in the Steven Spielberg 2018 film Ready Player One, based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Cline. It was portrayed using computer-generated imagery. Appearing as part of a race alongside many famous vehicles from pop culture, the Batmobile is destroyed when it is struck by another vehicle and explodes. As it skids out, the skidding sound effect is the same cadence as the theme from the opening credits of the Batman TV series.

Video games

In the Sega CD adaptation of Batman Returns, the Batmobile was controlled during the time bonus stages after missions were completed.

There are two Batmobile levels in the 2005 video game adaptation of Batman Begins. Electronic Arts used the Burnout 3: Takedown engine for these levels. Batman has to ram enemy cars off the road which results in a "Takedown" while picking up Nitro boosts along the way that float on the road in holographic bubbles. Xbox World Australia called these sequences the highlight of the game. Cheatcc.com called them "by far the best Batmobile levels ever featured in a game".

In the PlayStation game Batman: Gotham City Racer, the player gets the full independence to drive the Batmobile.

In DC Universe Online, during the "Batcave: Inner Sanctum" alert/raid, the Batmobile is destroyed by the Armored Robotic Custodian, a sentinel robot that has been taken over by Brainiac.

In Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batmobile appears at the end of Batman's Super Move, ramming his opponent.

In the mobile version, in addition to its appearance in the Super Move, the Batmobile (and the evolved form, Militarized Batmobile) can be obtained as a gear card, granting its user increased health; if equipped by a Batman character, it additionally grants his Super Move increased damage, area effect damage, and invulnerability after using it.

The 2013 Batman arcade game is based around the Batmobile, with players controlling it in vehicular combat missions. Ten different Batmobile designs are available for play, including the designs from the 1960s television series, The Animated Series, The Brave and the Bold, Arkham Asylum, and every Batman film up to and including The Dark Knight Rises.

On February 25, 2016, it was confirmed via Twitter that the 2015 game Rocket League would be receiving a Batmobile car pack on March 8, 2016, to coincide with the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Live-action appearances

Batman (1943 serial)

In the 1943 serial film Batman, a black 1939 Cadillac Series 75 convertible was used by Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, as well as their secret identities Batman and Robin. (It was driven with the top down as Bruce and Dick, and with the top up when they were in disguise.) Alfred chauffeured the Dynamic Duo in both identities.

Batman and Robin (1949 serial)

In Batman and Robin, the 1949 successor to the original serial, the duo drive around in a 1949 Mercury.

1963 promotional tours

The first car ever publicly toured as a Batmobile was built several years before the Barris Batmobile of the TV series. It was inspired by DC Comics and was created in 1960 and finished in 1963 by Forrest Robinson of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, using a 1956 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 chassis powered by an Oldsmobile Rocket 324 cubic inch engine and building a handmade custom body.

The car was initially used unpainted for a short time as a daily driver and then later leased by a DC Comic licensee (National Periodical publications then owner of DC Comics licensed the use of Batman characters including the Batmobile to various companies), painted in Batman Colors replete with official Batman decals, and toured as "Batman's Batmobile" in several small towns on the East coast of the United States. It was used as part of an advertising program for All-Star Dairy Products which had a Batman dessert product line.

After the TV Batmobile by George Barris was created and replicas were made available for promotional events in late 1966, the first Batmobile was returned to Robinson. Robinson then removed the official Batman decals, repainted it in silver, and again used it as a daily driver for a short time and then sold it. After lying in a field in New Hampshire for almost five decades the very poorly preserved car was sold in 2008 and after going unrestored through a few owners was sold in February 2013.

After a year of work in 2013, the car was restored by expert car restorer Mario Borbon of Borbon Fabrications in Sacramento, California.

Batman (1960s film/television series)

In late 1965 20th Century Fox Television and William Dozier's Greenway Productions contracted renowned Hollywood car customizer Dean Jeffries to design and build a "Batmobile" for their upcoming Batman TV series. He started customizing a 1959 Cadillac, but when the studio wanted the program on the air in January 1966, and therefore filming sooner than he could provide the car, Jeffries was paid off, and the project went to George Barris.

What became the iconic Batmobile used in the 1966–1968 live action television show and its film adaptation was a customized vehicle that originated as a one-off 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, created by Ford Motor Company lead stylists Bill Schmidt, Doug Poole Sr., and John Najjar and their design team at the Lincoln Styling Department.

In 1954, the Futura prototype was built entirely by hand by the Ghia Body Works in Turin, Italy, at a reported cost of US$250,000—the equivalent of approximately US$2.5 million in 2021. The chassis was an early prototype Y-shaped backbone perimeter frame that would go into production on the 1956–1957 Contential Mk II. It made its debut in pearlescent Frost-Blue white paint on January 8, 1955, at the Chicago Auto Show. In 1959, sporting a fresh red paint job, the Futura was featured in the film It Started with a Kiss, starring Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford.

Barris was trying to get Hollywood's attention with the Futura, which he had purchased from Ford for the nominal sum of $1.00 and "other valuable consideration", but aside from its film appearance, the Futura had been languishing in his Hollywood shop for several years. With only three weeks to finish the Batmobile (although in recent years Jeffries says that his car was dropped because he was told it was needed in "a week and a half", he was quoted in 1988 as saying "three weeks" as well), Barris decided that, rather than building a car from scratch, it would be relatively easy to transform the distinctive Futura into the famous crime-fighting vehicle. Design work was conducted by Herb Grasse, working as an associate designer for Barris.

Barris hired Bill Cushenbery to do the metal modifications to the car and its conversion into the Batmobile was completed in just three weeks, at a reported cost of US$30,000. They used the primer-painted, white-striped car in October 1965, for a network presentation reel. Shortly afterward, the car was painted gloss black with "fluorescent cerise" stripes. Barris retained ownership of the car, estimated to be worth $125,000 in 1966 dollars, leasing it to 20th Century Fox and Greenway Productions for use in the series.

1966 promotional tours

When the TV spin-off film Batman was released in 1966, the studio decided to recreate the Batmobile for promotional purposes in the UK. For this purpose, a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air, Impala, four-door sedan had its roof completely removed and replaced with the iconic double-bubble top. The rear doors were sealed, the remaining small front doors making it difficult to get in and out. Body modifications were quickly carried out by riveting aluminum additions over the original bodywork. Black and orange paint, plus decals, completed a passable replica that was street-legal on UK roads. Once its use for promotional purposes was complete, the car was delivered to a scrapyard.

Batman (1989 film) and Batman Returns

Tim Burton's live-action films Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) presented a different version of the Batmobile, which reflected those films' Art Deco version of Gotham City. The car was designed by conceptual illustrator Julian Caldow and built by John Evans special effects team at Pinewood Studios in England. The body of the car was sculpted out of foam by Keith Short in collaboration with Eddie Butler and the fiberglass work being done by John Lovell. It was long, low, and sleek, and was built on a Chevrolet Impala chassis. Two cars in total were built for the film. The back of the Batmobile resembles the back of the Fiat Turbina, which was a gas-turbine concept from the 1950s. For Batman Returns in 1992, Carl Casper and Tom Oberhaus of Hollywood Productions were contracted to build 3 Batmobiles for principal photography. Carl Casper retained the number 1 hero car until recently (2021). That car is now in a private collection in California. The number 2 car was last known to be in a private collection in Japan since 1992. The number 3 car is owned by comedian Jeff Dunham.

Spherical bombs could be deployed from its sides. An afterburner was housed in the back. Two M1919 Browning machine guns were hidden behind flaps in each fender. Its grappling hook, once hooked on a structure, serves as an anchor to allow the batmobile to make an extremely sharp turn at high speed that its pursuers typically cannot duplicate. It had super hydraulic for course changes, and a Batdisc ejector (side-mounted) that could fire precisely 15 Batdiscs in the 1-second pulse. Other gadgets included chassis-mounted shinbreakers, oil slick dispensers and smoke emitters. Inside, the two-seat cockpit featured aircraft-like instrumentation, a passenger's side monitor, self-diagnostics system, CD recorder, and voice-command recognition system. In Batman Returns it is shown to have a secondary mode referred to as the "Batmissile", where the wheels would retract inward and the sides of the vehicle would break off, converting the car into a thin bullet train-like form capable of squeezing through tight alleyways. Obviously, this secondary mode would require the car to be reassembled and significantly repaired.

The Batmobile's shields are made of ceramic fractal armor panels. They explode outward when struck by projectiles, deflecting injurious force away from the car and its occupants. If Batman must leave the Batmobile for an extended period of time, he can, through a voice command spoken into a wrist device (specifically, the word "shields"), activate the Batmobile's shielding system. This prevents anyone from tampering with the vehicle while it is left unattended. Bulletproof and fireproof steel armor plates envelop the body and cockpit entirely. While this armor is in place, the vehicle cannot be driven. In Batman the shields were not fully functioning. In reality, a life-size model was built, and the shield activation sequence was created with stop motion animation technology. In Batman Returns, the shields held the same characteristics. However, the design was slimmer and the special effects were provided by computer-generated imagery. In shield mode, a small but powerful bomb can be deployed.

Batman Forever

As the Batman films were handed over to director Joel Schumacher from Tim Burton, the design for the Batmobile was updated. Tim Flattery drew the winning design. Decorative lighting was added to the vehicle's rims, sides, and front edge, and the wing-shaped fins reached further into the air. The car had a few unique features, such as being able to rotate its wheels through 90 degrees so that it could move in a perpendicular direction, a grappling hook allowing the Batmobile to drive up walls, and the speed to perform large jumps from surface to surface during chases across Gotham City's elevated freeways and gigantic statues.

The Batman Forever Batmobile's ability to drive up walls was displayed as Batman eludes a dead-end provided by Two-Face and his henchmen. Later in the film, Dick Grayson takes the Batmobile for a joy ride without Batman's permission or awareness. Ultimately, it was destroyed when the Riddler deposited a sack full of explosives in the cockpit.

The design of the Batmobiles of the Schumacher films have garnered criticism for allegedly resembling giant phalli.

The Batman Forever Batmobile had a Chevrolet 350 ZZ3 high-performance motor. The body is made from a high-temperature epoxy-fiberglass laminate. The wheelbase is 118 in. (118 inches (3.0 m)), the average car wheelbase measures around 103 (USDOT Data 1980–2000) inches. In all, its size was 300 in long and 126 in high. Carbon fiber was used to build the body of this particular Batmobile. The specifications for the Batmobile in this film are:

The Batmobile depicted in Batman Forever (1995) sought to accentuate its intricate lines. To do this, the filmmakers equipped it with engine panels, wheels, and undercarriage that were indirectly lit so that they appeared to glow blue. The Batman Forever car also had a split cockpit canopy, separate fenders, and jet exhaust. The roof fin could be opened into a "V" shape for a more contemporary look, though the only time this was shown is during the scene when Dick Grayson is taking the car out for a joyride through the city. The wheels were made to keep the bat emblems upright when the wheels are turning. The bat-emblem on the hubcaps was a counter-rotating gear that transferred into a stationary point. The two-seat cockpit featured a rear-view monitor, system diagnostics display, and custom gauge cluster. H. R. Giger was chosen to design the Batmobile in the very early stages of production. Schumacher's crew was unable to understand how they could construct a functional version. Only two sketches and an early blueprint were completed.

Batman & Robin (1997 film)

A new Batmobile is seen in the 1997 film Batman & Robin. The last Batmobile to appear in the motion picture series, was designed by Harald Belker. It is prominently featured in one scene in which, as Batman and Robin are in pursuit, Mr. Freeze shoots the underside of the car for several seconds with a freeze-gun, before the car crash-lands. In the next scene in the Batcave, the Batmobile appears undamaged.

In Batman & Robin, the aerodynamic chassis design and "T" axis wheelbase provided the Batmobile counterbalance gyrometric stability, allowing for high velocity 90-degree turns at speeds greater than 70 mph without losing momentum. Initial plans had the Batmobile being able to transform into the "Bathammer" vehicle seen in this film, but were abandoned. The specifications for the Batmobile in this film are as follows:

The second Schumacher era Batmobile featured neither a passenger seat nor a canopy. Like the Batman Forever car, this Batmobile (which was designed by Harald Belker) featured light-up wheels and engine panels. The displays were much more involved with this car, however, with red, orange, yellow, and blue lights, as well as special pulsating lights in the counter-rotating turbine intake.

The nozzles were canted away from the centerline of the car slightly, so the final effect was that the six exhausts made a "V" pattern to keep the car pointed straight ahead. A bat mask was incorporated onto the nose of the car, although the sculpted lines made it somewhat difficult to make out at first. The fins were unmistakable and remain as the largest set ever built into a real-world Batmobile. On the Batman & Robin version the arsenal of weaponry and gadgets is controlled by an onboard voice-activated computer that surrounds the single-seat cockpit. From behind the wheel, the driver has access to a multifunctioning key command response system that delivers immediate weapon activation during an attack and defensive procedures. The Batman & Robin version of the Batmobile was equipped with dual-mount, sub carriage rocket launchers, front and rear grappling hooks, multipoint infrared and laser scan tracking units, anterior/posterior wheel-based axle bombs, catapult ejection seat, and disguised central carriage, which detaches to become an emergency road vehicle. The single-seat cockpit featured a two-way video conferencing screen, radar unit, and Redbird communication switch.

The Dark Knight Trilogy

The Batmobile depicted in Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman films owes much to the tank-like vehicle from Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns; it has a more "workhorse" appearance than the sleek automobiles seen in previous incarnations, designed for functionality and intimidation. While the films never refer to the vehicle as the "Batmobile", it is still referred to as such in the scripts. The film's production designer described the machine as a cross between a Lamborghini and a tank.

In Batman Begins (2005), Bruce Wayne utilizes the prototype vehicle known as the Tumbler designed by Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division as a bridging vehicle for the military. It includes weaponry and the ability to boost into a rampless jump. The Tumbler's armor is strong enough to break through concrete barriers without sustaining significant damage. Two full-sized driving versions were used in exterior shots while another full-sized model with hydraulic enhancements was used in jump sequences. A further full-sized, functional version carried propane tanks to fuel the rocket blast out of the rear nozzle. A radio controlled, 1/3-scale electric model also performed stunts in the film including the rooftop chase sequence. Six vehicles were built for the production of the film.

In The Dark Knight (2008), the Tumbler returns and appears twice in the film: where Batman captures the Scarecrow, and in a chase where it is damaged by an RPG fired by the Joker in an attempt to kill Harvey Dent. This causes the Tumbler to crash and Batman to eject from it in the Batpod (a motorcycle formed by the front wheels and struts of the Tumbler) as part of a self-destruct sequence that sees the remainder of the vehicle explode. The Tumbler is also seen in the trailers in a deleted scene, exiting the improvised Batcave.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) reveals a further complement of the unmodified Tumbler prototypes sequestered underneath Wayne Enterprises, which are commandeered by Bane's League of Shadows to terrorize Gotham after Batman's defeat. One of the Tumblers fires at a crowd of police before their battle with Bane, only for the Bat to intercept the shot. A trio of Tumblers continuously escorts the neutron bomb used to hold the city hostage, but are destroyed by Batman using the Bat and Selina Kyle using the Batpod.

The Christopher Nolan version of the Batmobile has a pair of autocannons mounted in the nose of the car between the front wheels. In "Attack" mode, the driver's seat moves to the center of the car, and the driver is repositioned to lie face-down with his head in the center section between the front wheels. This serves two main purposes: first, it provides more substantial protection with the driver shielded by multiple layers of armor plating. Second, the low-down, centralized driving position makes extreme precision maneuvers easier to perform, while lying prone reduces the risk of injury a driver faces when making these maneuvers. Other devices included:

DC Extended Universe

According to the Warner Bros. Studios lot, the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Batmobile combined inspiration from both the sleek, streamlined design of classic Batmobiles and the high-suspension, military build from the more recent Tumbler from The Dark Knight Trilogy. They were also inspired by the 1989 Batmobile. Designed by production designer Patrick Tatopoulos and Dennis McCarthy, the Batmobile is about 20 feet long and 12 feet wide. Unlike previous Batmobiles, it has a Gatling gun sitting on the front and the back tires are shaved down tractor tires. The Batmobile elevates itself for scenes depicting it going into battle or when performing jumps and lowers to the ground when cruising through the streets. The Batmobile appears in a flashback for Suicide Squad, when Batman was pursuing the Joker and Harley Quinn before their car crashed into the river, the Joker escaping while Harley was captured.

In the 2017 film Justice League and its 2021 director's cut, Batman owns a new four-legged tank-vehicle called the "Knightcrawler", which was designed by his father during World War II. The Crawler is used in the fight against Steppenwolf to rescue S.T.A.R. Labs scientists (including Cyborg's father Silas Stone) underneath an abandoned Gotham Harbor. Near the end, the new team board the portable troop carrier aka "Flying Fox" carrying the new armored Batmobile to battle Steppenwolf in Pozharnov, Russia.

The 2019 DCEU film Shazam! features an animated end credits sequence in which Bruce Wayne was shown changing into his Batman costume in Wayne Manor, before breaking through a window and chasing after the Batmobile, which was stolen by Shazam.

In the DC Extended Universe, the Batmobile is depicted as a heavily armored assault vehicle, designed to emphasize Batman's militarized approach and the franchise's grounded visual style. The film portrays the car as capable of adjusting its suspension for different kinds of action sequences, including raised configurations for combat scenes and lowered positions for high-speed driving. Visual effects and practical design elements present the vehicle with a rear jet-style booster, used on screen to enhance the sense of rapid acceleration during pursuits and jumps. The exterior is shown as resistant to sustained gunfire, reinforcing the filmmakers’ intention to portray a machine built for front-line confrontation rather than stealth alone.

The Batman (2022)

The Batman's director Matt Reeves tweeted photos of the Batmobile for the film as a muscle car. With the bodywork of the car appearing to be a 1968 or 1970s Dodge Charger, the car is meant to be a pursuit and capture vehicle built entirely by Bruce in the Batcave under Wayne Tower.

At the start of the film, the car appears in the Batcave covered, while Bruce is working on assembling the car. In an interview with Empire magazine, Reeves also drew inspiration from the 1983 John Carpenter film Christine to give the Batmobile a horror-like presence.

The Batmobile has recesses on its hood which earlier were thought to be for machine guns, but are actually vents for the flame exhausts. These coupled with the exhaust pipes on the sides, and the hood which lights up as Batman is revving the car, give an intimidating appearance to onlookers and enemies alike. The car also has a jet afterburner built into the back, which apart from giving Batman a boost, also emits an unearthly shriek during its startup which Batman uses to intimidate his foes, as he does to the Penguin. The only flaw to this setup is that the back of the car housing the jet afterburner engine is exposed due to Bruce using the half-finished car later in the film. However the rest of the car, including the windows is heavily armored to the extent that bullets bounce off it, as shown when Penguin empties a magazine into the car but does not do any damage. The Batmobile also has four massive racing tires allowing for all terrain weather and driving conditions. The car is also shown to be durable enough to smash through wooden pallets and concrete cylinders without any damage, as well as being able to violently flip cars with its ram-like bumper, as done to the Penguin. Additionally, unlike the previous iterations of the Batmobile, and also owing to the half-finished nature of the car, this is the only Batmobile since the 1940s to not feature any gadgets beyond the armor, except for a customized car phone to make calls.

Four units were built for the film. The primary driving unit is powered by a V8 engine that generates 650 horsepower. Another unit was built on a Tesla chassis for indoor or night shots.

Gotham

At the beginning of the Season Four episode "A Dark Knight: That's Entertainment", Alfred takes Bruce to the garage at Wayne Manor on his seventeenth birthday to present him with his gift: a heavily fortified matte-black Ford Mustang that functions as a proto-Batmobile, the choice of make being a reference to the original Batmobile which was a modified Lincoln Futura and manufactured by Ford.

Batwoman

In the second season of Batwoman, Ryan Wilder, the new Batwoman, drives the Batmobile as her vehicle of choice.

Popular culture

Copyright status

The Batmobile is copyrighted under United States law by DC Comics, a status often thought to usually be reserved to sentient fictional characters. This was established in court when a mechanic making Batmobile replicas roughly based on the 1960s Adam West version of the Batmobile was sued by DC Comics in 2011 in the case DC Comics v Mark Towle. The mechanic had argued that the Batmobile was a "functional" element of the show and thus ineligible for copyright; however, the court ruled that the Batmobile was an "automotive character" with its own style, backstory, and theme that remained consistent across versions: a "bat-like appearance" and "always contains the most up-to-date weaponry and technology". In addition, builder George Barris applied for and received a US Design Patent for the car in 1966. Although the patent expired in 1980, during its lifetime it served as the basis for Barris' successfully claiming ownership of the Jim Sermersheim "No. 5" Batmobile replica.

Toys

Hot Wheels released a version of the 1960s Batman TV show's Batmobile, as well as the Batmobile from Batman and Batman Returns, the Tumbler from Nolan's Batman films, and the ones from Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The Batman, Batman: The Animated Series, Arkham Asylum, Arkham Knight, Batman Live and some original Hot Wheels' Batmobiles.

Corgi Toys of England has produced a wide range of Batmobiles ranging from the original sedan to the latest film Batmobiles. They also have produced a Batboat, Red Bird & Jokermobile for their diecast toy lines.

Mego produced the Batmobile for its World's Greatest Superhero line in the 1970s. It could seat two 8 inch action figures. Figures Toy Company later produced a remake in the 2010s for their "World's Greatest Heroes" line.

The Batmobile that was produced for Kenner's Super Powers Collection toyline allowed two figures to sit in it, had a battering ram grille, and trapping claw in the back.

Eaglemoss released a magazine, 'Batman Automobilia' featuring models of most Batmobiles.

Fanhome released a 1:8 scale partwork model of the 1966 Batmobile from the television show.

Jada Toys released a 1:24 die-cast model kit of the Batmobile from the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as the Batmobile from Batman TV show's, the Batmobile from Burton's Batman films and the Tumbler from Nolan's Batman films.

Kinder Surprise released contemporary versions of Batmobile from comics in 2007 and 2014.

Chupa Chups released Batmobile and Batwing from Batman v Superman film in 2016.

Hot Toys has released multiple variations of the Batmobile from various live-action films and TV series. Currently, they are working on the Batman v Superman version, which is armed with various accessories and can fit up to two Hot Toys 1/6 scale figures at any given time.

Monster Jam

In 2006, a Batman monster truck made its debut at Charlotte, 2006. This truck was designed after the Batmobile, with a pair of wings and afterburners in the back. It was a major competitor in the Monster Jam live tour, leading driver John Seasock to two consecutive racing wins at the 2007 and 2008 Monster Jam World Finals. In 2013, the truck's design was changed, with smaller wings, and the afterburners replaced with a large Bat-logo. The truck was retired in late 2014 after the DC license expired.

Kiddie rides

Kiddie's Manufacturing of Puerto Rico released a kiddie ride based on the Batman Forever Batmobile in 1995, for use in shopping malls and arcades. To this day, it is still a popular kiddie ride.

A later Batmobile kiddie ride, based on the one seen in Batman: The Brave and The Bold, was released in the late 2000s/early 2010s. This ride included Batman sitting in it.