Batman V Superman: Costume Designer Reveals Suit Details

The People’s Choice recently interviewed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice costume designer Michael Wilkinson where was able divulge some details about the Trinity’s — Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman — suits. The discussion led to some interesting reveals about our heroes’ wardrobes.

The most enjoyable challenge:

"There’s nothing I like more than a challenge. I love to get outside my comfort zone and go to new creative places. Designing the costumes for Batman v Superman really allowed me to do this. It was an incredible 18 month experience with a costume department that at times swelled to 75 people. It is rare to have the opportunity to explore the visual world of a film in such depth, and I was accompanied on this journey by the world’s best costume experts. It’s a chapter of my life that I will never forget."

The intensive research:

"To get ready to design the costumes for Batman v Superman, I really did my homework. I immersed myself in the long histories of these iconic characters — Superman [Henry Cavill], Batman [Ben Affleck], and Wonder Woman [Gal Gadot]— I studied how they have been portrayed over the last 75 years on film, on TV, in comic books, graphic novels and video games. I studied what they mean to people, what they stand for, why they are important. I started an exhaustive search for new materials and technologies — original ways of portraying these characters that would be unlike anything audiences have seen before. I wanted the costumes to help make the characters inspirational and relevant to modern audiences."

The uniqueness of the suits in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:

"We tweaked the Superman suit only slightly from our suit from Man of Steel. We streamlined plus sharpened the details of the costume a little to suit the more earthly (less alien) context of this film. The batsuit is a complete 180 degree turn from the previous film incarnations — our Batman’s power comes from his incredible physical strength and fighting skills, not from armor. The director Zack Snyder wanted him to look as much like the comic book version as possible — to be respectful to the original source. As for the Wonder Woman suit, well she has never been seen in a film before, so there was nothing to compare it to! There is of course the costume from the TV show. Zack wanted our character to be a fierce and intimidating warrior — gritty, battle-scarred and immortal."

Small Easter eggs hidden in the suits:

"Zack had a great idea to have some kryptonian script subliminally included in the details of the suit, so we made that happen. There is ancient Greek script on Wonder Woman’s weapons too. My favorite details of the batsuit are the brass knuckles on the gloves."

The cast’s reaction to their wardrobe:

"From the moment Ben had the suit on in the first fitting he was hooked. He liked the way it made him feel – powerful and intimidating.The cast for the film were all amazing. Everyone was so excited to be working on such a cool, high-profile project. I wanted them all to look as impactful as possible. The fitting room was a very upbeat and inspiring environment."

Collaborating with Zack Snyder:

"Zack was there at every step of the way — initial meetings, concept design, prototyping, fittings, camera tests. His energy and passion were phenomenal. It was the fifth film that we have done together, so by now we pretty much finish each other’s sentences!"

A couple of cast members didn’t want to part with their wardrobe:

"It was pretty hard to get Jason to get out of his Aquaman costume. It really became part of him. And Amy was rather attached to her winter coats and trenches."

Surprising facts about the costumes:

"I think that most people would be surprised to hear that my approach to designing the costumes for Batman v Superman is similar to my approach on a film like American Hustle, even though the genres of the films are so different. I work out what ideas and mood I want to convey to the audience for each character, and aim to capture them using color, texture and silhouette. The choice of fabric and materials is absolutely crucial to my process. I always try to make bold, surprising, sophisticated choices when it comes to sourcing materials and using technology."

When March 2016 arrives, it’ll be amazing to see these suits in action. With Zack Snyder’s knack of creating extremely stylish aesthetics, you can definitely expect a surreal experience in seeing our most beloved comic book characters come to life.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Official Synopsis: Fearing the actions of a god-like super hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has a United States release date of March 25, 2016. It will be directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio from a story by David Goyer and Zack Snyder, and will star Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Superman, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves, Holly Hunter as a United States Senator, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg, and Callan Mulvey, Scoot McNairy, and Jena Malone in unspecified roles.

Next: Batman v Superman: What rumored crime does Luthor commit?

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