Final Fantasy Designer's Batman Character Almost Appeared in a Game

Remember that ostentatious Batman figure created by Final Fantasy character designer Tetsuya Nomura? Well, it almost featured in a game. Speaking with Siliconera at the San Diego Comic-Con overnight, the auteur revealed that he originally started work on the flamboyant adaptation of the Dark Knight for a different reason.

“Many years ago, I worked on a different project and the concept and idea was kind of already there,” he said. “Unfortunately, that project didn’t pan out and it never saw the light of day. When the merchandise team started expanding into the DC Comics Variant figures, they approached me and said, ‘We remember you drew a sort of Batman design back then. Would you be able to share that with us?’”

Pressed for more details, Nomura continued that the project never really got past the planning stage. “It was game-related,” he affirmed. “It didn’t even start development as a project, it was just a concept and ideas, not a full game. Since the project was cancelled, I can’t talk much about it.” One thing that we do know is that it was in production before Kingdom Hearts, as the design partly inspired the armour employed by the Keyblade Wielders in the aforementioned franchise.

Still, while Nomura’s interpretation of Batman never got his game appearance, the statue will go on sale at a later date. The legendary designer’s also working on a second figurine, which is being teased by a cryptic set of footsteps in a booth at Comic-Con. They look like paw prints to us, suggesting that Catwoman may be next...