Films, much like any artistic medium, go through multiple drafts, edits, and ideas, before they settle on a final vision. Zack Snyder is no different, producing multiple drafts or scripts, concept art, and even scenes before stitching together the final product that he (or the studio) is satisfied with to show to the audience. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has many such instances, including a particular armor that might have looked a little too eerie if it had made the final cut.
BvS had a lot of content that was otherwise cut from the film. The Ultimate Edition added some much-needed context to the story. However, there are certain things that the story could have actually done without. Concept art and keyframes of the films have surfaced, and it is safe to say, there are some ideas we are glad didn’t make the final cut.
Batman’s armor looked a whole lot more scary.
Twitter user @HeroesUnbound unearthed some incredible concept art, that they posted on X as a thread. The thread showcases key concept art from Batman v Superman. Among the many pieces shown in the thread, one piece in particular features an alternate suit for the fight between Batman and Superman. Infamously dubbed the ‘nightmare grin’ armor by the fans, Heroes Unbound made an instant connection with another suit that the bat has worn in the comics:
And finally, this AMAZING alternate design for the armour by Vance Kovacs with a red visor clearly inspired by the Batman Azrael suit. pic.twitter.com/pUEHqLhe40
— Heroes Unbound ⚡️ (@HeroesUnbound) October 20, 2023
The tweet compares the concept art to Batman’s Azrael suit. Sporting a red visor, the eerie vibe that the suit exudes would have made it a lot more menacing when fighting with Superman. Another tweet, made in response to the one above, instantly compares the suit to The Thrasher, a version of the Batsuit that was worn by Batman when he was fighting the Court of Owls:
It reminds me more of The Thrasher suit from The Court of Owls. pic.twitter.com/2grIs6Xa6F
— scott muirhead (@scotty7280) October 20, 2023
It might be scrapped but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it
Apart from the Nightmare Grin Batsuit, a myriad of other pieces are included in the thread. While not all of them would have been the right fit for the film, they can still be considered breathtaking pieces of art, with unique takes on what the characters and scenes in the film could have looked like.
An interesting set of artworks depicts an alternate statue of Superman, on which the words ‘FALSE GOD’ would be scrawled in the film:
Alternate designs for the Superman statue which is graffitied “False God” later in the movie.
Kinda love these. Super futuristic and shiny compared to what we got. pic.twitter.com/nDgFfpsF5g
— Heroes Unbound ⚡️ (@HeroesUnbound) October 20, 2023
Yet another piece of art shows the Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) facing off against a much lankier Doomsday. While this might have looked downright goofy in live-action, it is a singularly haunting piece of work, giving the Kryptonian monster a Death-like appearance, which seems appropriate given the end of the film:
A concept for Doomsday looking like a long-haired Zombie, and a keyframe of Superman facing him by Vance Kovacs. pic.twitter.com/QVbBgvpypo
— Heroes Unbound ⚡️ (@HeroesUnbound) October 20, 2023
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set up the Snyderverse perfectly. Even though it no longer exists as something fans will ever see, it is concept art and preproduction material like this that allows fans to engage with Zack Snyder’s original vision of the DCEU, without worrying about studio intervention, or box office numbers.
