What's next for the batsuit?

From Adam West and Michael Keaton to George Clooney and Christian Bale -- and now Robert Pattinson -- each version of the Caped Crusader becomes the measure for a new generation of viewers. But perhaps nothing cements the reputation of Batman more than his batsuit.

From Adam West and Michael Keaton to George Clooney and Christian Bale -- and now Robert Pattinson -- each version of the Caped Crusader becomes the measure for a new generation of viewers. But perhaps nothing cements the reputation of Batman more than his batsuit.

There was the now-infamous nipple-clad muscle number signed off by director Joel Schumacher for "Batman Forever" (1995) and "Batman & Robin" (1997), the misshapen mask and demonically out-turned ears in the 1943 television serial or the extra-bulky batsuit Ben Affleck wore in Zack Snyder's 2016 version. Yet despite every modification, failed and successful, the historic costume still holds an undeniable kind of power. "As soon as you put on the suit," Pattinson told GQ magazine in the run-up to the film's release, "it sort of does something to you. You start behaving in this quite particular way."

And the story of this batsuit already stands apart from the rest, due to an unwavering focus on realism. It's the handiwork of Glyn Dillon and Dave Crossman -- longtime colleagues that have worked together on Star Wars movies "Rogue One" (2016) and "Solo" (2018) -- as well as acclaimed costume designer Jacqueline Durran -- who won an Oscar for her work outfitting the cast of "Little Women" (2019).

"This is the most based-in-reality the Batsuit can be," said Crossman on the same call, "we removed a lot of the fantasy element."