Why Black Widow's Costume In Black Widow Makes No Sense

Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), better known by her superhero alias, Black Widow, has played a pivotal role throughout the first decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since arriving in 2010's "Iron Man 2," she has done it all — from becoming a founding member of the Avengers to playing a hand in reversing Thanos' (Josh Brolin) snap that eliminated half of all life in the universe. Her story seemingly came to an end in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame" upon her self-sacrifice to collect the Soul Stone on Vormir, however, MCU fans haven't seen the last of her just yet.

It has taken far longer than it had any right to, but the "Black Widow" solo film is on its way to the big screen. Set between the events of "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War," this interquel will see Nat face the darkest elements of her past, reuniting with old friends and facing down old foes along the way. No longer a side-character in someone else's story, the film will finally give Black Widow the spotlight she deserves and flesh out who she is, where she came from, and what led to her becoming one of "Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

As one would expect, with a new movie on the horizon, Agent Romanoff is due for some new threads. Promotional material has shown that she isn't going to stray too far from her usual attire, but there are a couple of things about her "Black Widow" costumes that don't make a lot of sense.

Various trailers and images for "Black Widow" have revealed Natasha's new color palette — trading in her traditional black jumpsuit for a white one. This look is heavily based on her appearance for some of Paul Cornell's "Black Widow: Deadly Origin" story from 2010 and is a costume that many fans have wanted to see in live-action for some time. It's an undeniably sleek look and a welcome change of pace from her typical garb, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't raise some questions.

A major action sequence in "Black Widow" appears to be a skirmish in the middle of snow-covered Russia. Teasers have shown the titular Avenger, alongside the likes of Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), taking out bad guys and making superhero landings galore. All the while, Natasha is wearing just her white jumpsuit with a rather deep V-neck to boot, apparently unphased by the frigid conditions. The fact that Yelena wears a green vest at the same time may point to the fact that the climate isn't ideal for just a thin, skin-tight bodysuit on its own, and it may require some additional layers to prevent one from getting too cold.

Perhaps Black Widow prefers not to weigh herself down with excess clothing and keeps warm by combating her enemies on her way to the nearest heated building. Or maybe her gear is made out of a durable thermal material that keeps her nice and toasty in extreme cold. Either way, she doesn't seem dressed the most weather-appropriately based on sight alone.

Nearly every single time Black Widow has appeared in the MCU, she has brought a new hairstyle along with her. When she debuted in "Iron Man 2," she rocked a longer look with curls for her first fight scene and continued experimenting from then on. She has since tried out everything ranging from medium bobs of both red and blonde, as seen in "The Avengers" and "Avengers: Infinity War," respectively, to a straightened middle-part that she gave a shot for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." 

It appears for "Black Widow" that she's doing something a bit different — growing her hair out, braiding some of it, and wearing it in a half-up, half-down style. Though it's not necessarily a part of her costume per se, Natasha's decision to wear her hair the way she does is an odd choice that's worth mentioning. We see her skydiving, riding motorcycles, and going toe to toe with highly trained opponents, which are activities that don't lend themselves well to loose hair. 

There's no denying that Black Widow has an abundance of experience on the battlefield and in combat against all kinds of opponents. Therefore, it's safe to assume that she knows how to handle herself in said situations without the aid of a hair tie or a French braid. Nevertheless, from an outside perspective, wearing her hair down seems like more of a hindrance than an advantage in these scenarios. 

At the end of the day, "Black Widow" is a comic book movie that relies on the suspension of disbelief to provide entertainment. Despite Natasha Romanoff's costume not making a whole lot of real-world sense, it's her definitive look and represents the source material well in live-action. When the film hits theaters on July 9, 2021, just remember it isn't worth getting hung up on small issues like this, no matter how illogical they may seem.