Why Black Widow's Age Of Ultron Costume Makes No Sense

One thing fans look forward to with each new Marvel movie is seeing the updated costumes that Earth's Mightiest Heroes add to their wardrobe with each new world-saving adventure. It's something that comes straight from the comics since the writers and artists will often come up with a new suit or look to fit the tone of that specific story line. Sometimes this creates an iconic design that turns into something bigger (Spider-Man's black suit, for example). The symbiote costume came out of the "Secret Wars" event, only to later transform into the Venom character when it bonded with Eddie Brock.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a pretty solid job of adapting the costumes from the comics in a semi-realistic way for the big screen — emphasis on "semi-realistic" because Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) nanotech armor is definitely in the realm of science fiction. However, other suits are a little more down-to-earth, like the ones worn by Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). That's mainly because she's essentially a black ops agent who doesn't constantly rely on fancy weaponry, although she obviously wields a few handy gadgets.

Natasha Romanoff has had several different suits over the years, first appearing in a dark-blue SHIELD suit in "Iron Man 2" before upgrading to a sleek all-black look in "The Avengers" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." However, Black Widow's "Avengers: Age of Ultron" costume makes no sense. Here's why.

Black Widow's "Age of Ultron" suit completely goes against the character's nature and skill set. This is a hero who has spent years of her career operating in the shadows and using stealth to gain an advantage over her targets. Fans have been talking about the bizarre wardrobe choice for quite some time, with one Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange thread dating back to 2015. Fan Petersaber asked, "Why would someone who's focused on stealth have glowing stripes on their uniform?" It's a fair question.

Given her talent for stealth operations, it seems bizarre that she'd let Stark — or SHIELD — outfit her suit with blue electric cables that power up her gauntlets. Yes, the practical nature of the electric piping makes sense, but it's not exactly subtle for someone whose skills typically rely on sneaking around. The bright-blue electric cables are a beacon against her black suit.

On the other hand, there's an argument to be made that Natasha becomes a very public figure in the years since the Battle of New York in "The Avengers" as well as the Battle at the Triskelion in "The Winter Soldier." She even testifies before Congress after Hydra is discovered inside SHIELD. With that in mind, it's possible Natasha went along with the idea since she no longer works as a secret agent and instead operates as a fully fledged superhero. Either way, it's clear she tries to get back to what she does best when she goes on the run in her own solo movie, "Black Widow."