In a recent interview with ScreenJunkies, Cars 3 (our review) director, Brian Fee, dropped a neat little tidbit about the movie. An early draft of the script saw Lightning McQueen at a Los Angeles party with various iterations of the Batmobile. In the deeply confusing canon of the Cars universe, the Batmobiles are actors rather than props. The Batmobile is Batman. We’ll try not to delve too far into the endless void that is speculation, but if you’ll indulge us for a moment: Does this mean every DC character is also a car?

Do Mini Coopers cower in fear of the Scarecar? Poison Ivy is definitely a Prius, right? What about the Justice League; is Cyborg half-machine half-machine?

Sorry, got a bit lost there.

From Adam West to Ben Affleck, numerous Batmans and their Batmobiles have graced screens both big and small. It would have been a treat to see West’s sleek convertible alongside Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney’s souped-up racing designs, as well as Christian Bale and Ben Affleck’s militaristic incarnation of the vehicle.

With Adam West’s recent passing and subsequent tribute in the form of a Bat-signal above Los Angeles, Batman, especially West’s hopeful take on the character, has been on everyone’s mind lately. Batman symbolizes perseverance and fortitude in the face of overwhelming adversity, and we’re always glad to see more celebration of one of the world’s greatest heroes.

The Cars series has seen a tonal shift not too different the Batman franchise. Both began as brightly-colored stories meant to entertain children and have since grown up, tackling mature concepts like aging and mortality. Granted, Lightning McQueen does not kill a bunch of thugs to save Martha Kent, but you get the gist.

The film’s story ultimately went in a different direction, which you can read about in our review.

What do you think? Would you have liked to see the Batmobiles together, sharing a cocktail? Let us know in the comments below.

Image: Pixar, ABC, Warner Bros.