10 MCU Costumes That Are Better Than The Marvel Comics Version

The MCU may have been created to adapt the stories of heroes from Marvel Comics, but many of its on-screen characters have costumes better than their comic book counterparts. The characters of Marvel Comics rank among the most iconic in the world, and since the very beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise has sought to faithfully adapt their stories to the big screen. This has established the MCU as the biggest and most successful franchise in the world, with numerous stories concerning various heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, all comprising the interconnected narrative that makes up the MCU.

Across the timeline of MCU movies, one thing has remained clear: not every character looks identical to their original comic book design. The reasons behind this typically vary, as some costumes are changed to better communicate a difference in the character’s story, while others are given more modern redesigns to better suit the aesthetic of the franchise. Though altering the appearances of characters’ costumes brings the potential for controversy for the adaptations, many of these changes are actually welcome ones. Though the reasons behind each may vary, here are 10 MCU costumes that are better than the Marvel Comics version.

10 Star-Lord’s Casual Outfit Is More Apt Than The Comics

Though he may have roots on Earth, Star-Lord is a space-faring hero, so his design could plausibly take on any number of variations. Despite one of his more traditional comic book costumes being a simple set of black and red robes with a metallic helmet, his MCU look went in another direction. The MCU’s Star-Lord wore a simple red leather jacket, with a helmet that served only to protect his face rather than his whole head. It’s certainly more in keeping with Chris Pratt’s goofy, laid-back performance and the character’s Ravager upbringing, making it a marked improvement.

9 Falcon’s Tactical Gear Is Better Than Spandex &-Wings

Although upcoming MCU movies will see Sam Wilson act as the franchise’s new Captain America, he started life in the MCU as Falcon. In the comics, Falcon’s suit is a simple white and red affair with large feathered wings, but his MCU counterpart looks far better. Anthony Mackie’s iteration of the hero came equipped with tactical gear and mechanical wings, putting a more believable spin on the character. Having the former soldier come equipped with military-grade gear makes far more sense given his background and lack of any supernatural powers or enhancements.

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8 Ant-Man’s Detailed MCU Look Fits His Sci-Fi Origin

As one of the longest-serving Marvel heroes, Ant-Man has gone through a number of changes in the comics, but his look has typically stayed roughly the same. The MCU’s adaptation of the iconic hero’s suit is largely faithful, but with a few key improvements. The MCU costume is simply far more detailed than that of the comics, giving a visual boost to the character’s sci-fi background. The explanation of Pym Particles affecting the size of the hero is aided by the more high-tech-looking suit, though it also still manages to look like something of a throwback compared to other Avengers, perfectly capturing the essence of the character.

Yondu is hardly one of Marvel Comics’ most well-known characters, but his appearance in the MCU helped to change that. Originally introduced as one of the comics’ first Guardians of the Galaxy, Yondu was a spiritual warrior with a rather simplistic costume. However, the MCU reworked him to act as the leader of a Ravager faction, and with his new backstory came a significant redesign. The MCU’s Yondu has a costume that captures his space pirate essence, while still incorporating his traditional blue skin, red head fin, and whistling arrow. It’s a radical change, but it works perfectly for the MCU.

6 Captain America’s Military-Inspired Suit Is A Far Better Concept

Captain America is one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes both in the MCU and the comics, but the character’s live-action adaptation has seen him undergo a handful of costume changes. Though Captain America’s live-action suits change over the course of the MCU, they have one thing in common: they are clearly inspired by military gear. This is something that his traditional stars-and-stripes-inspired comic book costume typically lacks, making the MCU version decidedly better. On a conceptual level, the suit makes more sense given Rogers’ pride in his service in World War II, with the more militaristic costume a perfect fit for the MCU hero.

5 Nick Fury’s MCU Look Is So Good It Changed The Comics

The director of SHIELD has undergone one of the most noticeable changes of any Marvel hero in the comics, and it’s partly due to the popularity of the MCU. After his appearance in 2008’s Iron Man, in which Fury was played by Samuel L. Jackson, the comics actually began to use the costume and look of the MCU character as Fury’s canon appearance. Instead of the character’s unremarkable blue combat gear, the MCU’s Fury dons a black leather trench coat, Jackson’s bald head, and Fury’s traditional eye patch. It’s a simplistic look that communicates Fury’s no-nonsense persona, and it suits the character perfectly for both the comics and the MCU.

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4 Vision Looks More Like A Synthezoid Than A Person In Makeup

The backstory of Vision is relatively consistent across both the comics and the MCU, but his costumes could not be more different. In the comics, Vision dons a green and yellow suit with only his red face showing, but in the MCU, greater efforts were made to highlight the character’s synthezoid nature. As a mechanical being brought to life with the Mind Stone, Vision’s MCU look makes far more sense – though the comic book version has roughly the same backstory, he simply doesn’t look like an artificial life form, but rather a person wearing red makeup. The MCU costume is simply a far better visual representation of the character.

3 Hawkeye’s SHIELD Gear Suits Him Better Than Purple Spandex

Hawkeye may have played an important part in the Avengers’ history, but his original comic book costume was relatively ridiculous. Full-body purple (and sometimes blue) spandex with a large H and tall pointed brows on his mask was never a particularly good look for Hawkeye, but the MCU’s adaptation of the character wore a far simpler (and better) costume. Simple dark SHIELD gear made Hawkeye look like the agile field agent he is, dropping the more ostentatious parts of his costume to better match his personality. Hawkeye is one of the MCU’s less complicated heroes, and his on-screen costume perfectly reflects that.

2 Scarlet Witch’s Less Revealing Costume Makes Much More Sense

Over the years, the Scarlet Witch has worn a handful of comic book costumes, but they traditionally have one thing in common: they’re rather revealing. The MCU opted to avoid this dated approach to the character by giving her a number of more reasonable costumes, most notably the one Wanda adopted when embracing the power of the Scarlet Witch. As one of the MCU’s most powerful magic users, an overly revealing costume wouldn’t necessarily be fitting for the franchise’s Scarlet Witch, with her dark, flowing robe better communicating the influence of the Darkhold over Wanda.

1 Vulture’s Scavenged Suit Works On Multiple Levels

In the comics, the Vulture is a long-standing enemy of Spider-Man, so his introduction into the MCU made sense. The comic book version of the villain is a scientist who created a bird-like suit (complete with feathered wings) to commit crimes. The MCU version of the villain, however, runs a salvaging company and makes his suit out of scavenged items found after the Battle of New York. Not only does the technologically-based concept seem far more imposing, it actually makes more sense. By incorporating scavenged tech into his suit, the Vulture name continues to make sense, making it one of the smartest costume adaptations in the entire MCU.

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