MCU Costume Changes Marvel Fans Will Never Forgive
There are a lot of elements one has to get right when creating a superhero, with the costume being one of the most important. It has to suit the character, stand out from the pack, and could even benefit from a hidden meaning, like other iconic superhero costumes. This also applies to live-action superhero adaptations such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2008, the franchise has brought Marvel Comics' heroes and villains to the movies, often finding great success in turning their fantastical costumes into wearable garb that doesn't look out of place in the real world.
Throughout its films and TV shows, the MCU has showcased several near-perfect costumes. Wanda Maximoff's (Elizabeth Olsen) Scarlet Witch attire from "WandaVision" is a home run, Daredevil's (Charlie Cox, who once took a Daredevil prop and never brought it back) yellow and maroon "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" costume is a fun throwback with modern touches, and Spider-Man's (Tom Holland) final swing suit from "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is all kinds of classic comic book awesomeness. Of course, as Marvel Studios has put out so many strong, source material-based outfits, it has also delivered some serious flops.
Of all the MCU costumes to date, these five suit changes have rubbed fans the wrong way the most.
Black Panther's nanotech suit falls flat
T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) makes his MCU debut in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War," donning a pretty solid Black Panther suit. It's black and silver with various regal patterns, as well as a helmet that is removed by hand. While he again wears this suit at the start of 2018's "Black Panther," it's soon replaced with a more sleek, form-fitting suit made from nanotechnology. With its purple glow upon taking damage and subtle detailing, one would think the suit became a hit with MCU fans. Surely it has its supporters, but those against it are numerous, and so are their complaints about it.
"The Civil War suit's patterning & texture was just so much better compared to the nano suit, which just looks too flat & rubbery & makes the CGI look rubbery too, which nobody wants," wrote Redditor u/brucejoel99, with several other MCU fans chiming in to agree. As if the unrealistic nature of the CGI nanotech suit wasn't bad enough, u/Legitimate_Way9032 pointed out that the brow of the helmet is just a bit too pronounced, further detracting from the look. As for u/Josh11502, they wish the nanotech suit didn't abandon much of the silver detailing present on the previous one.
Hulk's Avengers: Endgame outfit is uninteresting
Though he's not generally known as a Marvel hero with an expansive wardrobe, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) rocks a few different looks in the MCU. He starts out wearing the tattered remains of his Bruce Banner clothes before transitioning to clothes designed to accommodate both of his forms. He armors up while acting as a gladiator on Sakaar, and once he returns to Earth, he and Banner become one. This leads "Smart Hulk" to wear more casual clothes, as well as a gray, white, and purple jumpsuit seen in "Avengers: Endgame." Surprisingly, this look has caused quite a stir among MCU fans, and not a positive one.
In a thread about the outfit's inclusion in the "Avengers" video game, MCU fans on Reddit let loose regarding their dislike of the look. "It's a perfect adaption of the suit. The problem is just that the suit is super lame lol," said u/GreatParker_. In their comment, u/khrucible compared the outfit to pajamas, while u/MiseryBrick finds it and many other MCU suits to be overdesigned and a big swing and a miss when it comes to representing the source material. Multiple commenters even said that they preferred the glasses and sweater attire for the character and would've been happier with it being in the game.
Sam Wilson's second Captain America suit already has fans up in arms
Sam Wilson's first Captain America costume is comic-accurate perfection. Its predominantly white and blue color scheme with red and silver accents is as heroic as can be. Coupled with silver, blue, and red wings and Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) shield, you have a look fit to lead a new generation of Avengers. Unfortunately, it seems that Wilson's next Cap suit is a massive downgrade compared to his "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" one, at least in the eyes of many an MCU fan. This is especially tragic since, at the time of publication, this suit hasn't actually made it to the big screen yet.
Images of Cap's new suit for "Captain America: Brave New World" have leaked online, and folks aren't impressed. One Reddit user, u/Reddragon351, commented, "I never got why they even gave them suits in the shows if they immediately change them when the movie comes out," highlighting the MCU's constant outfit changes from Disney+ series to movies. "It straight up looks like he's just wearing Steve's suit and not his," added u/DarkBomberX, and they're not wrong. It very much evokes Rogers' "Avengers" suit with its simple texture and vibrant blue. u/lkodl theorized that he could have to resort to using Rogers' old suit during the film's story, but still, it's sad to see his awesome "Falcon and the Winter Soldier" outfit disappear so soon.
Kamala Khan's Marvels outfit is a huge step backward
Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) burst onto the MCU scene via her own self-titled Disney+ series, where viewers witness her go from an average high schooler to a full-on superhero. As she learns of her abilities and the bangle that allows her to utilize them, she embraces her identity as an up-and-coming do-gooder. Part of that is making a costume for herself. The suit, featuring a domino mask, scarf, and red, blue, and gold color scheme inspired by her idol, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), is a near-one-to-one translation of Kamala Khan's comic book look. Sadly, she drops it in favor of a maskless, more simplified ensemble in "The Marvels."
"Her suit from the show it was perfect adaptation and had a beautiful in universe reason why she wear it, this suit is ugly and overdesigned," said u/AggressiveRegion1502 in their Reddit thread about the costume. u/Iana_is_bae, a self-proclaimed massive fan of the Kamala of Marvel Comics, seemed to agree with these points: "As someone used to her comics appearance, this just looks beyond bad. Smh." u/UnsocialComet72 was especially irritated over the lack of a mask — a trend in modern superhero movies — and posited that it has to do with actors wanting their faces shown on screen as much as possible.
Iron Man's Mark 50 armor is a visual disaster
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) wears loads of different armor suits throughout his MCU tenure. Tony Stark is always seeking to improve on his designs, branching off the shoddy Mark 1 suit he developed while trapped in the Afghanistan cave. Most of these suits are beloved in MCU circles, especially the early ones that combined practical elements with CGI to create cinematic mechanical marvels. However, some of them are seen as disappointments within the community, with the bright red nanotech Mark 50 from "Avengers: Infinity War" standing out as the one that receives the most flak.
"In terms of the main suits Iron Man used in a given movie? I would say the one in avengers infinity war. As it looked super CG at times," said u/The_Camster in a Reddit thread on Tony's worst MCU looks. Several Redditors chimed in to agree with the sentiment, with u/The_Camster then highlighting that the initial suit-up and the scenes on Titan don't present the suit in the best way. It's not that everyone is against Iron Man in nanotech armor, as u/the_zelectro thinks the Mark 85 in "Avengers: Endgame" looks comparatively better, it's just that the Mark 50 falls short. It may not be the Iron Man armor that's too gross for the MCU, but it's still a clear visual step down from previous suits.