'The Batman' will introduce a new, hot rod Batmobile

We've gotten our first look at the new Batmobile today care of "The Batman" director Matt Reeves, who shared the latest incarnation of the iconic comic and movie car on Twitter in a series of polished promotional photos showing off a muscular, retro-inspired ride. 

Like the DC franchise in which it is featured, the Batmobile has been rebooted many times. This latest take looks pretty wicked, departing significantly from the wide, hunkered-down stealth-fighter-on-wheels look that defined the Affleck-era Batmobiles. In fact, this may be the wildest departure from Batman movie norms since the Christian Bale trilogy introduced the tacti-cool themed Tumbler in "Batman Begins." 

🦇🏎 #TheBatman pic.twitter.com/qJFNprk1ut

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) March 4, 2020

This new car lacks both the militaristic airs of the Tumbler and the futuristic phallus-on-wheels look that defined most previous Batmobiles. In fact, if anything, this looks pretty conventional. Crop out the stoically posed Robert Pattinson stand-ins (we're assuming) and this could easily be a series of glamour photos for a new "Fast and Furious" hero car. 

While it may not scream "Batman!" at first blush, this new treatment may be exactly what the car needs to help usher in a new era for the franchise, which has struggled both with fans and general audiences since Bale's departure after "The Dark Knight Rises" (which also featured silver screen phenomenon Tom Hardy as Bane) in 2012. 

Consider us cautiously optimistic. Frankly, we're just happy to get some good movie-car news in the wake of an announcement earlier Wednesday that the release of the latest Bond film "No Time to Die" has been delayed until the fall due to coronavirus concerns. Whoever can resolve that crisis is the hero we need, even if it's not the one we deserve.