The evolution of the Batmobile

Gotham City’s most infamous crime-fighting vehicle has certainly seen a lot of changes over the years—from its subtle red iteration in its 1941 debut to today’s more menacing black military-inspired design. With the recent release of the theatrical trailer for the new Batman movie, we thought it would be fun to take a look at the evolution of the Batmobile over the years.

1941: Detective Comics

The first reference to the Batmobile appeared in Detective Comics issue No. 48 back in 1941, and featured a convertible seemingly inspired by the Cord Roadster, with a small gold bat

1943: “The Batman”

Produced by Columbia Pictures, The Batman was a 1943 black-and-white 15-chapter theatrical serial, and saw Gotham’s superhero behind the wheel of an all-black Cadillac 75 convertible

1966: “Batman”

A favourite of many fans even to this day, the first drivable Batmobile debuted with the 1966 live-action Batman TV series starring Adam West. The car was conceptualized by legendary designer George Barris

1970: “Super Friends”

In the 1970s series Super Friends

1986: “The Dark Knight Returns”

The Batmobile got a complete overhaul for Frank Miller’s 1986 comic The Dark Knight Returns

1989: “Batman”

Tim Burton’s live-action adaptation Batman

1992: “Batman: The Animated Series”

Debuting in 1992, Batman: The Animated Series featured a super-sleek Batmobile with an exaggerated long front end. This design was later used in the Justice League

1995: “Batman Forever”

Featuring substantially more flash than its previous live-action counterpart, 1995’s Batman Forever

1997: “Batman & Robin”

While 1997’s Batman & Robin

1997: “The New Batman Adventures”

A continuation of the much-loved Batman: The Animated Series, 1997’s The New Batman Adventures

1999: “Batman Beyond”

In the 1999 animated television series Batman Beyond, Bruce Wayne’s trusty ride had one of the most unique looks of any Batmobile, more like a spacecraft than a road vehicle—which isn’t entirely shocking, given that the series takes place in the Gotham City of the future

2008: “The Dark Knight”

Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight live-action trilogy of films gave rise to the Tumbler, whose tank-like appearance seemed to nod to Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns

2009: “Batman: Arkham Asylum”

The critically acclaimed Arkham series of video games lets players take control of the Batmobile, which looks like a cross between the cars from The Animated Series

2012: “The Dark Knight Rises”

In 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises

2016: “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

Newly redesigned for the film, 2016’s Batman v Superman iteration of the Batmobile weighed 7,000 pounds

2022: “The Batman”

The trailer for the upcoming 2022 feature film “The Batman” was recently released, and with it fans got another look at a newly redesigned Batmobile. It boasts similar styling to the Dodge Charger, and appears much less showy compared to more recent stylings of the Batmobile. See photo on Twitter

2022: “The Batman”

Back in March 2020, The Batman director Matt Reeves tweeted several photos of the newly redesigned Batmobile, showing a mid-mounted V-8 with a turbine-like exhaust system. The new trailer shows flames shooting out the back of the car.See photo on Twitter

1956: Detective Comics Batcycle

First appearing in Detective Comics No. 233 in July 1956, the Batcycle was a modified street bike

2008: “The Dark Knight” Batpod

Designed by Nathan Crowley and Christopher Nolan, the Batpod made its debut in 2008’s The Dark Knight and reappeared in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. The escape-pod vehicle was integrated into the Tumbler and came armed with dual front-mounted cannons, machine guns, and grappling hooks.

 

2021: “The Batman” Batcycle

The upcoming movie The Batman will feature an updated Batcycle, which appears to be built off the base of a Harley-Davidson Softail with plenty of transformations to give it the look and features Bruce Wayne requires.See photo on Twitter