Why is batman always black in the films?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Green Lantern, Sep 1, 2012.

  1. Green Lantern

    Green Lantern Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    So fine, I understand why he was in the 90s films, but he could have been in grey in batman begins.
    http://www.washingtonheightswarlord.com/77710-bigthumbnail.jpg
    Saw this picture somewhere which proves it would have worked ok. Or he could just wear a rubberish costume like spider-man. What do you all think, do you think he could have worked in grey, or do you think he's better wearing black?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 2, 2012
  2. Methos

    Methos Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    black...

    Batman is constantly hiding in shadows, using the night / darkness to his advantage... having the darkest colour for his costume makes perfect sense... having a grey or rubber costume that could show up or reflect light, doesn't make sense at all when you're relying on hiding in shadows away from people...

    M
     
  3. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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  4. Methos

    Methos Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Holy Bat-Codpieces Batman!

    M
     
  5. T'Baio

    T'Baio Admiral Admiral

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    I hate you, Christopher. ;)
     
  6. cardinal biggles

    cardinal biggles A GODDAMN DELIGHT Moderator

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    Well, guess it's back to therapy for me. Thanks a bunch, Christopher! :)
     
  7. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    I think it would work fine. I also thought Galactus should have looked like a giant humanoid and an actual muscleman should be cast as Superman for once, but nobody listens to me.

    Hollywood costumers refuse to do anything that will look silly when they're trying to do a "serious" film. Bats's original costume looks like he's wearing underwear over pants, so you'll never see that on the big screen again, and an armored bodysuit that's flat gray wouldn't look menacing or dramatic enough.

    Like I said, I think you're right. I'm just not going to hold my breath waiting for Hollywood to agree.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 2, 2012
  8. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Alan Moore did a forward to dark Knight returns where he claims that batman dressed the kid up in bright primary colours to attract the attention of snipers away from his hiding in the shadows ass.

    more so.

    From my own Brain.

    Batman doesn't just think that all criminals are cowards but considering he's using a 9 year old in his tighty greenies as a decoy he must believe that all criminals are homosexual paedophiles.
     
  9. Captaindemotion

    Captaindemotion Admiral Admiral

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    Christian Bale, George Clooney, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton are black?!
     
  10. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    You didn't know they were "passing?" Sure fooled you! ;)
     
  11. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    I remember back in the early '90s or thereabouts, I was trying to think of someone who'd make a good live-action Batman in a TV series (other than Kevin Conroy, who I think could've pulled it off in live action at one point), and my leading candidate was Michael Dorn. I didn't see any reason why Bruce Wayne had to be Caucasian -- although it could add some interesting complications from the standpoint of economic class and social status. It would certainly have added some new subtext to any story where the police were hunting Batman down.

    (Although it's unlikely any TV network would've been willing to explore such racial issues. The '90s pilot M.A.N.T.I.S. with Carl Lumbly was a heavy-handed but decent attempt to do a superhero show with a nearly all-black cast and deal with issues like gang violence and race-baiting politics, but in the weekly series that followed, the concept was rebooted from the ground up and the racial angle was entirely dropped. Lumbly was still the lead character, but he was part of a biracial cast and any racial issues were ignored in favor of doing "What if Iron Man were Batman?" And then halfway through the season, they ditched the crime-and-corruption angle and went for sheer way-out gonzo sci-fi weirdness, so that it was "What if Iron Man were Silver Age Batman?")
     
  12. Methos

    Methos Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    removed
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2012
  13. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    ^I don't think it's at all appropriate to post that image. It's blatantly racist. Please take it down.
     
  14. Methos

    Methos Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    i thought it was a bit risque, but posted it for humor, not for the racism...

    M
     
  15. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    There was no humor in it. Thank you for removing it.
     
  16. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    If we're going to discuss this seriously then I'll state that I've been dismayed at Hollywood's recent trend of recasting white comic book characters as black, because there's no reason to do it other than political correctness, as if they think black comic book fans would boycott in droves if they didn't de-white some of the superhero landscape.

    Batman has been portrayed as a white guy for seventy years. I'm Black, yet the fact that he's white has never stopped me from buying a Batman comic or watching a Batman TV show or movie, because I don't scour comics and movies for the sole purpose of looking for other blacks to "relate to." However, I would be one of the loudest protestors if someone just up and decided to make Batman black and tried to tell me that's going to be THE Batman from now on in the interest of diversity. Let Batman stay white. I don't care, and don't see why anybody who's a fan of Batman as is would.

    (In the interest of staying on topic, this subject is obviously not what the OP was talking about...)
     
  17. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    If you want a black Batman, just read Batwing
     
  18. tighr

    tighr Commodore Commodore

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    On that note, I think The Amazing Spider-Man would have been a fantastic film with Donald Glover cast as Peter Parker. Not because he's black, but because I think Donald Glover would have been a great Spider-Man.
     
  19. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    With Danny Glover as Uncle Ben
     
  20. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    Give 'em time. It'll happen. Like I said in my first post, nobody ever listens to me anyway.