Every Batmobile From Movies & TV Explained | WIRED

The Batmobile is arguably the most iconic vehicle in the history of entertainment. Batman historian Glen Weldon (Pop Culture Happy Hour) takes a look at every Batmobile that's appeared on television and the silver screen. Glen gets into Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher's takes on the vehicles, why Christopher Nolan transitioned from the Batmobile to the Tumbler, and why the 1966 Batmobile remains so iconic even to this day.
Glen Weldon is the author of The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture, and Superman: The Unauthorized Biography. He’s a culture critic on the NPR Arts Desk, and a panelist on the NPR podcast, Pop Culture Happy Hour.
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Every Batmobile From Movies & TV Explained | WIRED
Glen Weldon is the author of The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture, and Superman: The Unauthorized Biography. He’s a culture critic on the NPR Arts Desk, and a panelist on the NPR podcast, Pop Culture Happy Hour.

[@Sparkle_Wizard]

Shame they didn't look into the Games

[@rustydalek9654]

Yeah. The Batmobile's of Batman Arkham Knight. And they all feel different too.

[@jaybeematthewbacarro9001]

To be fair they did say for TV and Movies but I agree they missed the Arkham games, the telltale game, and injustice

[@FantasticExplorers]

... yeah I really expected that! and they have good designs!

[@billyfraiser6298]

@@jaybeematthewbacarro9001 That's Tim O'Connell's point. They only said TV and Movies, why not Games too??. I don't see your point.

[@arkoudiou]

Title says movie and tv.

[@enriquepastor3626]

I personally loved seeing Bruce Wayne driving a Lamborghini Murciélago more than anything lol

[@DJPrince2032]

Enrique Pastor I personally loved that out of all the supercars Nolan could have picked, he had the heads up to pick the Murciélago which of course is Spanish for Bat.

[@miloscott6617]

Nolan is awesome that way :)

[@alexisborden3191]

@@DJPrince2032 Its also very good cover. Of course the douchebag billionaire is gonna drive a V12 Lamborghini. Honestly any V12 Lamborghini works, but as you say for the Murcielago, its just perfect.

[@HKAMILAH]

That's so cool @@DJPrince2032

[@bunzeebear2973]

The TUMBLER version I like the best. Never could figure out why they could not figure out how to get rid of the squealing tires on take off as it is Jet Propelled. Nothing to do with tire friction.

[@ting280]

I've always believed the only point of the Snyder Batmobile was to show how impossibly strong Superman is. they just stuck fins on a battering ram and then made it plow through anything and everything you could think of with relative ease and then get crumpled like a tin can when hitting one man.

[@carolusmartellus2520]

Exactly. And tbh it worked wonderfully on me.

[@rosewatersaffron8430]

I kind of wanted this video to delve more behind the creation and concept of each design but it was more of a rendition of the reviewers own perception.

[@Malum09]

yeah, it was basically that

[@whoahanant]

If they had done that it may have been like an hour long video since there are so many batmobiles to talk about.

[@rosewatersaffron8430]

@@whoahanant totally would watch that even when more than an hour

[@heisenburgertm]

@@rosewatersaffron8430 The Warner Bros channel posted a documentary about it. It came with the Dark knight bonus features though so it is not completely up to date.

[@johnrobichaud1983]

I love the old batmobiles but the Justice League Batmobile is badass and the Matt Reeves one looks so cool

[@huawafabe]

"Batman historian"? If this is a valid job, I think there might be a suitable job for me after all.

[@name5798]

and you get paid in merchandise

[@SkyraHope]

"If Vegas was a marital aid" I literally spit my morning coffee out laughing. Thank you!🤣🤣🤣

[@dfllifuran]

Would be great if he also talks about the batmobile in the game Arkham Knight. To me it was one of the coolest designs too, futuristic, stylish, as well as practical.

[@vigsaminathan5910]

IMHO Most iconic Batmobiles 1. West's Batman Version: Mid century aesthetic meets cartoony/pop art. It's a big toy car. 2. Burton's Batman: Such a beauty. SR 71 in car form. 3. Nolan's Batman: A beast of a machine. Very intimidating. The other cars seems to be a mish mash of these iconic designs. But im liking the new Matt Reeves Batmobile. A muscle car is a fun choice. Hope it's as awesome as it looks

[@PeterParker-uh1vp]

Everyone talks about the Batmobile but what about the good ol' Spidermobile

[@DynestiGTI]

And the Thanos-copter

[@MrDevillive]

Parker... you deliver pizzas on a Vaspa scooter 🛵.

[@misterlyle.]

Seems like there are more toy Spidermobiles than Batmobiles. For a superhero who never drives a car.

[@mistingwolf]

I grew up with the 1992 Batmobile. It is my favorite not just because of nostalgia, but I genuinely like the shape and concept. Like Glen said, it's got a timeless appeal. Plus it has a jet engine and that's just awesome. XD

[@chickencurry7642]

'The Batman' tells the story of Batman's 2nd year as a vigilante and just like in the comics his batmobile is still in the development phase....perhaps by the end of this movie we might see a more upgraded version of the batmobile

[@obedbhiziki]

The Dark Knight one is by far my favourite

[@chris95review]

Personally I love the 1989 Batmobile just because when I first saw in the theaters it was so slick and dark looking.

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Where's Arkham Batmobile?

[@vennoydsouza6766]

it was more than just a car

[@muhammadtauqeer472]

arguably one of the best looking ones

[@Mysterialic]

Tank mission PTSD

[@BrokeBoy912]

Michael Keaton's 1989 Batmobile #1 Best Batmobile ever !!!

[@beatsbykana]

the matt reeves batman is the first DC movie I've been excited about since the nolan films

[@ryan7613]

dude maat reeve's bat mobile looks more simple cuz the version of batman in the movie will be like he's very new to being batman, like he's in his year 1 of being batman

[@kekedong]

It is ridiculous to say the Nolan version of the batmobile is all function with no style, anyone can see it is stylish, can you imagine drive that in the real world?

[@johnrobichaud1983]

Even if you don't like Batman v Superman you gotta admit that warehouse fight was the best live action Batman fight ever

[@sauravmehra4503]

Yeah that fight scene is sick... It's my best live action batman scene after all the dark Knight scenes lol😅 & batman begins chase scene & his first appearance as batman in begins😍😍

[@HelloTardis]

Yeah. Can’t deny that. Too bad about the rest though

[@MrRizeAG]

Not like there's much competition.

[@handthatfeedsmusic]

May I just say that Glen Weldon is and absolute delight in everything.

[@Spider-Man_234]

He hit the nail on the head with the Reeves Batmobile. A perfect synthesis of light and dark.

[@breathexhope]

Couldn't do a video without throwing shade at the DCEU. Hope shines bright when it's the darkest. And choosing to be good even with the doubt of the world is brave.

[@carolusmartellus2520]

Precisely, the dude even misses the whole message about Batman's arc in this movie, that he's sporting a machine-gun becausehe's lost hope in humanity, only for it to be rekindled at the very end because of Superman

[@thearthound]

Faith Alfred... #RestoreTheSnyderverse

[@nicholascrass2555]

The Schumacher batmobile was turned into a toy which could transform into the batmobile, batboat, and batplane. It was my first batmobile toy as a kid and remains my favorite.

[@gozolino]

You are one of those who were responsible for that tragedy in the history of cinema and comic books. You sponsored the corporate murder of Batman's reputation until Nolan came to the rescue. You should be ashamed of yourself and I will never respect people like you!

[@nicholascrass2555]

@@gozolino calm down. I was 5 when that movie came out. I didn't say it was my favorite batman. Just a favorite toy batmobile.

[@gozolino]

@@nicholascrass2555 I am just kidding xD

[@Spider-Man_234]

@@gozolinono, you definitely weren’t. You switched it up when you realised how stupid you looked. You still do btw.

[@CPS2]

The first Schumachermobile was killed for me by the waggly, plastic fin. How difficult would it have been to put a metal strut inside that thing? Great video, man. Awesome insight.

[@TRON0314]

Long time comic reader. BvS is fantastic. It's like the the guy didn't even read The Dark Knight Returns. Snyder building an actual arch for Supes to become who he is instead of "I'm happy just because."

[@ronit8067]

what ever you say about the movie but Batfleck was the best version of batman after the original animated series

[@Torpedex10]

i like how every so often he takes a break to insult the dceu

[@francoisthomas4930]

Rightfully so

[@DenniWintyr]

@Kim Yo Jong's Sandwich He literally said that Zack Snyder fundamentally doesn't understand heroes

[@levik.sounds]

@@DenniWintyr I mean......zack snyder doesnt.

[@TheBlond49]

Such mindless haters.

[@HermanVonPetri]

Nolan & Snyder both made sure that the audience could barely see the batmobile on screen. Either the camera only showed the batmobile for 1/2 second before cutting away, the angle was so extreme that you couldn't see its proportions, or there were deep shadows on the car and bright lights shining into the camera. And then they were trashed at the end of their scenes. The only reason I know what those designs look like is due to the publicity photos that were taken to actually show off the car. Say what you will about the 1960's show, or the Tim Burton films - at least you got to actually see the car for more than a second and got to know it a little on screen.

[@fbj1223]

i love how the 66' and 98' batmobiles looked.

[@DuranmanX]

21:00 the 60s was a good decade for fictional cars

[@areyousureyouenteredyourna85]

And real life ones, too.

[@michaelhawthorne8696]

Loved the 66 version of BM..."Somedays, you just can't get rid of a bomb" 😂 "Robin, pass me the Shark repelent bat spray" 🤣

[@furatinhus]

So, you forgot the Frank Millers Dark Knight animated MOVIE batmobile. One of the best and verry important for Kristopher Nolan version

[@jstohler]

"Aerolethargic" is my new favorite word.

[@mistermatix8241]

I see the Matt Reeves batmobile, and think "cobbled together" "scrapyard" and "this film is going to bomb", my favourite will ALWAYS be the 1989 Keaton, I saw Batman in the cinema, and I'll always remember before I saw the movie, getting sticker books and bubblegum cards and having the image of that batmobile etched into my consciousness. I own the massive hot toys model of it, the 1:18 Hot wheels elite and numerous small versions. I absolutely adore it. The 1989 Batman phenomenon, wow, remember it like yesterday. Even hearing a snippet of the Prince soundtrack album brings up mental images of that movie.....a masterpiece.

[@Hunter_UT]

19:12 - I'm always call this Batmobile "Tumbler-styled" Because, he looks like Tubmler, but, mor shapes like Keaton Batmobile.

[@MAandS]

@21:02 The Mach 5 making number 2 on your most iconic list? respect.

[@justincarawan-carawanco.pu1639]

17:10 "At least tell me what it looks like!" (tank zooms by) "Nevermind."

[@FabulousKilljoy917]

He’s very polite, I enjoy that

[@carolusmartellus2520]

Eh, except when he takes the time to bash the DCEU for basically no reason when he's supposed to talk about freakin Batmobiles ...

[@Spider-Man_234]

@@carolusmartellus2520he’s talking about the DCEU batmobile and you’re suprised he’s talking about the DCEU? I think you need to check up on your media literacy bc every single version of the batmobile is as much a product of the character of batman as his world.

[@Pwg1985]

89 batmobile will always be my favorite. Then TAS. The 66 is cool for its time. But I grew up in the 90s

[@johnsapp798]

The Tumbler and the 1989 batmobile were the best.

[@dustinerickson1253]

gotta say i appreciate your take on the various live action vehicles. all of them really represent their era looking back now.. I'm really not a Burton fan but i gotta say that version is the bat mobile i think of when i hear "bat mobile".

[@waywardmind]

This guy knows more about Batmobiles than I know about . . . well, anything. Please bring him back for future episodes!

[@rubbers3]

The 1989 Batmobile is my Batmobile. When someone says that word, it's this one that comes to my mind. I still have the toy of it I got when I was 5, 20 years ago. But my favourite? It has to be The Tumbler

[@Ryanstuff]

This was incredibly well put together. I figured it would be something like a BuzzFeed clip show but no way.

[@Master_of_Merol81]

After seeing the behind of the scenes of Batman Begins, I was surprised with the Tumbler, despite its appearance it is really fast and maneuverable. By the way, what about Batman Arkham Batmobiles, both Asylum and Knight.

[@mrfriendlyguy]

Now do an analysis of every Iron Man armour.

[@pleakhouse]

Joel Schumacher knows how to tell a story. He directed Falling Down.

[@TFCRAFTER]

Glad they put in the Lego Batmobiles.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

The 1966 Batmobile is my favorite. Who else has the classic Batcave Lego set? *I’m Batman*

[@AntAir]

This guy talked more about what movies he likes than he talked about the Batmobile.

[@fanman8879]

Delorean wasn't mentioned as most iconic cars so I'm gonna fight him

[@HillelWajsberg]

Where's the Dark Knight Returns Batmobile?!

[@TRON0314]

By this guy's takes on Superman, he didn't read it.

[@justincarawan-carawanco.pu1639]

10:15 This is where I come in! I was born in 1989, but this was my introduction to Batman! I immediately fell in love with the Tim Burton version on VHS, and I didn't learn about the Adem West version until years later on "Huboom!": "The Hub"'s retro TV block before "The Hub" became "DiscoveryFamily".

[@Hellware]

Would have liked to see the Rocksteady version mentioned

[@derheadbanger9039]

Better than the official documentary about the Batmobile!

[@CobraChicken858]

While I hated Batman V Superman as well as Justice League, I absolutely loved the Batmobile. I actually saw it in-person at the Toronto auto show.

[@andrearoach7505]

Batman can lose all his super powers with an IRS audit.

[@davidkosach3095]

The 66 Batmobile is in 90% of all these vehicles !! Simply the jet turbine in back 👍🏻

[@zackmorgan2244]

Honestly the new battinson batmobile is my favorite. It’s not a tank but an actual car, it looks like the 70s comic ones mixed with the btas and other new designs. It looks functional and I can’t wait to see it evolve over the trilogy

[@bogdannicolas6359]

The bvs batmobile was the better,it is a mobile AND a tank!

[@leepascoe443]

Really interesting video - well worth watching Interesting, intelligent, well written and well narrated Recommended - I’m off to look for Glen’s book now 🤩

[@TUkrLad]

I came here for Batmobile breakdowns. Not some guy telling me his love/hate relationship with the Batman character

[@Spider-Man_234]

There’s 20 other videos on KZbin for that. I don’t understand bitching about this one.

[@JimmyTurner]

Art deco is timeless.......

[@ulisesgil4209]

Please do the suits next

[@guyinthewhiteT]

Appreciate the dig at the Snyderfication of superheroes.

[@perna6770]

Every batmobile in videogames and comics

[@stevenclark2188]

I'm partial to season 1 The Batman. A big engine, some wheels, and a seat glued to the road with some sort of insane active traction control for maneuverability. It's stylized but fit for purpose.

[@kalb157]

The BVS batmobile is the best one yet.

[@DrMambo21]

Dark Knight Returns tank was awesome too

[@jcataclisma]

Man, what a freakin´ GOOD video! I´m pretty sure this is one of the very best "Batman stuff" related compendiuns I´ve ever saw. THANK YOU!

[@jamesrivettcarnac]

I'm fine with that famous car rating

[@poodn4559]

The '89 batmobile is my batmobile

[@oumtjackawillie]

If he was gonna skip the Dark Knight Returns he could at least have motivated his choice. Christopher Nolan's dark knight would never have happened (neither the Batman nor his car) without Frank Miller.

[@lexibailey999]

I came here FOR THAT

[@theodorehaverson5079]

The way that you make fun of the 1966 Batmobile is sad. I believe that that is the car that paved the way AND inspired the subsequent Batmobiles of the later generations. Have a little respect! That was THE coolest Batmobile and it always will be!

[@ASteveSeeley]

I don't understand the hate for the Snyderverse batmobile. Say what you will about the films - I love them, personally - but the batmobile design is fantastic. It's a mix of the Burton design (my personal favorite) with the tumbler's construction. It makes number 2 on my favorites list.

[@NissanS-Cargo]

You are missing a couple bat mobiles

[@natenetzley8192]

This is a Glen Weldon appreciation comment.

[@imicca]

That moment when animated Batman has best batmans ever

[@BrendanBeckett]

I had no idea there was a Batman movie in 1943!

[@MetalGod-id8st]

You missed the Arkham knight version.

[@loreenec8045]

Holy crap, what you say about Batman going through cycles, I've noticed this, that it does seem to me that the minute there's a Batman extended family he goes back to being the dark knight

[@marky3609]

You skipped Batman Arkham Asylum 2009 and you also missed Batman Arkham Knight 2015

[@henrychua7451]

To my mind, there will always be just the three cars: the '66, the Burton and the tumbler. Everything else is a derivative of the three.

[@rossmcavinew7015]

It's good to have a mind and thoughts but I digress. Everything is not absolutely derivative of those. Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns. If anything Burton and The Tumbler are derivative of that, not the other way around.

[@TheTrueGamerWarrior]

Top 5 cars and you don't include the DeLorean. Your opinion is invalid.

[@sciencebrainwiz7051]

This feels strange yet amazing. being the first one

[@dub88acc]

Titans batmobile is underrated...as soon as you see it you know what it was and where you were at

[@robtank8385]

Tim Burton batman films the best ever!

[@P37R1X]

This video was really great, but did you film yourself with a potato or do you have some filter on?

[@GalenGTV]

You missed The Dark Knight Returns Batmobile

[@electrojones]

Spot on with all of this. I'm wondering what Warner and HBO are thinking doubling down on Snyder, by the way.

[@taw510]

Rugged individualist capitalism, perhaps?

[@carolusmartellus2520]

The number of fans that were disappointed by JOSStice League guarantees them enough revenue with the Snyder Cut. Like it or not, Snyder is liked

[@user-qz4bn2ui5t]

I like the part where batman

[@lexibailey999]

I like the part with the vehicles

[@user-qz4bn2ui5t]

Lexi Bailey yes me also I did

[@rustydalek9654]

Great video. Thank you. I loved you're arc of Batman & his ties to the car. Like you I grew up watching the 60's Batman. My personal favourite? Burton's. But that may change next year.

[@kwallas777]

This is serious. This is manly. This is butched. This is no fun at all. This is Christopher Nolan. God I felt that.

[@gclowne174]

One thing i think the newer batmobiles lack or ruin is that they make batman into a crime fighter/ brawler. But i feel the original tone of batman was more of a detective a la shrlock holmnes or hercule poirot.

[@davidchen2140]

didn't know i needed to watch joerg sprave's body double talk about batmobiles for half an hour but here we are

[@levimata9053]

My fav batmobiles The Animated Series, the tumbler, and The Arkham Knight

[@abhirupbhattacharjee6105]

"This is no fun. This is Christopher Nolan" 😂😂😂

[@trylobyte07]

Isn't the JL batmobile the same as BvS batmobile?

[@carolusmartellus2520]

Yeah, but the guy literally had a paycheck jutting out of his pocket that mandated him to trash BvS and applaud JL. Seriously the bias was so obvious even a blind man could see it.

[@TheSpartanL106]

"It's not black its not red its not blue its grey" also Bruce: "does it come in black?"