You might think that it’s very easy to design a costume for a superhero epic. The comics themselves provide an awesome template, and many characters have had multiple examples over the years that would allow a costume designer to get crafty. And yet, for every winning design, there are far too many superhero costumes that mail it in (looking at you, X-Men franchise), leading comic book fans to scratch their heads and wonder why we had to wait until Deadpool and Wolverine to finally see Hugh Jackman in a proper Wolverine costume!
Costumes matter. They can detract from a superhero movie, or elevate a feature to make it one of the 30 best comic-book movies ever made. That’s how important we consider them. Which is why we’ve put together this list of the 15 coolest superhero costumes ever featured on film. We limited it to film, understanding that exquisite work has been done in genre television as well. For now, these are the ones that stood out the most, capturing the spirit of the character and taking the necessary steps to bring the comic book vision to life on screen.
15. The Mighty Thor (Thor: Love and Thunder)
Marvel Studios has done OK with the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), though his high point probably occurred in The Avengers, and the studio has done everything it can to change Thor’s physical appearance from film to film (haircut, eye patch, problematic weight gain). So imagine my surprise when the MCU introduced The Mighty Thor – giving Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster a chance to shine – and the design was near perfect. The “chef’s kiss” addition was the wings on the helmet, something that eluded Thor for years, but looks fantastic on Jane.
14. Aquaman (Aquaman)
Aquaman became a bit of a punchline, both inside the DCEU and outside of it. Some of that had to go with the running gag in Entourage. But even when Zack Snyder introduced the character (as played by Jason Momoa), there were jokes about him talking to fish – or, doing more to fish, if you believe John Cena’s Peacemaker. Snyder opted for a muted, brown armor in his DC movies. But James Wan embraced the orange and green color scheme of the classic DC comics. And so help me, Atlanna, the costume worked. It looks good in the heroic reveal scene, and added style to the fight sequences in Wan’s first movie. The DCU is going to have a tough time matching this one.
13. Frank Castle (Punisher: War Zone)
How hard can it be? The Punisher wears all black, and has a bright white Skull on his chest. That’s it. Go. However, the symbol of the vigilante was de-emphasized when Dolph Lundgren played Frank Castle in the dreadful 1991 thriller, meaning all Punisher: War Zone had to do to improve on it was include the skull. They did. Now, if we’re being honest, Jon Bernthal’s take on Castle is the epitome of vengeance. He looks amazing, and I’m thrilled he’s returning to the role. But that’s television, so for this list, the late Ray Stevenson gets the nod.
12. Elektra (Elektra)
Let’s keep it in The Land Before the MCU, when comic book movies had very few rules, and adherence to the comics was basically optional. 20th Century Fox had some success with Daredevil (starring Ben Affleck), and wanted to capitalize on the popularity of Jennifer Garner, who was killing it in Alias. So they spun her Daredevil character, Elektra, into a standalone movie… and gave her a much better costume than the boring black leather she wore in the initial movie! The film is terrible… really terrible. But Elektra’s suit in Elektra is remarkable, and basically comic accurate.
11. Iron Man's Hulkbuster Suit (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
The MCU started with Iron Man, so shellhead has had more than a few iterations in live action. As such, he appears more than once on this list, because Marvel Studios wisely refined his look from movie to movie, often to fit the needs of the narrative. Such is the case with the magnificent Hulkbuster armor deployed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Everything about this suit was cool, from the way Tony summoned it from space to the way it constructed itself around an existing armor. And then seeing it in action against a rampaging Hulk ranked as one of the coolest MCU set pieces… still to this day.
10. Batman's Dark Knight Returns Suit (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)
Here’s where the list starts to get controversial. Heck, we already made a list of Batman suits ranked by coolness, and Christian Bale’s suit ranked the highest. For my money, however, it doesn’t get cooler than the Frank Miller-inspired Dark Knight Returns suit that Ben Affleck wears when he takes on Henry Cavill’s Superman in Zack Snyder’s sequel to Man of Steel. Everything about Affleck’s Batman speaks to his preparedness in the face of overwhelming odds. He’s petrified by the arrival of the alien, Kal-El. He needs something formidable to survive. To me, though, it’s the glowing white eyes that push this one over the top. And a lack of nipples, of course.
9. Deadpool (Deadpool 2)
Given how important Wade Wilson has become to the MCU as a whole, it’s hilarious that Ryan Reynolds basically had to leak test footage of the character in action to get a Deadpool movie greenlit. And from the jump – even back in that leaked footage – his costume looked pretty great. The big black cutouts around his eyes match his comic book. The strategically placed weaponry that accompanies Deadpool into battle. All of it looks great. The design of the Deadpool suit has been tweaked, but not drastically altered, so we might eventually put the Deadpool and Wolverine suit on this list. But for now, it looks best in Deadpool 2.
8. Superman (Superman II)
Another hero who absolutely needs to be on this list? Superman, the Man of Steel. And yet, over the years, the Blue Boy Scout hasn’t had the greatest designs for his on-screen look. It’s almost like Richard Donner nailed it on the first try with Superman back in 1978, and everyone else has made changes just to differentiate themselves. I do like Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel look, but ultimately, I’m also a “trunks” guy. So I’m giving the edge to Christopher Reeve as the titular hero in Superman II. Slight improvement over the original film.
7. Captain America (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)
Cap, like his iron cohort, has shown off multiple versions of his iconic costume over the years. They reflect different color shadings, but still represent the requisite items: the stripes around the stomach, the wings on the sides of Cap’s head, the shield. As much as I love the dark blue, Brubaker-esque costume Captain America wears in the opening mission of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I’m going ahead with the traditional Cap suit he rocks in the final act, which is one part throwback to the innocence of First Avenger, and one part inspiration for Civil War (also a beautiful suit).
6. Iron Man's Mark XLVI (Captain America: Civil War)
My personal favorite of the Iron Man movie suits. It’s so streamlined, so smooth and effortless. It boasts all of the features Tony has been implementing since the cave in Iron Man: repulsor blasts, a unibeam chest repulsor, rockets, boot thrusters, etc. But the emphasis on red over the gold makes it feel more comic accurate to me. It appears to be more durable, sustaining numerous hits in battle. And it’s the suit Tony wears when Steve surrenders his shield… a seminal moment in the MCU.
5. Spider-Man's Final Swing Suit (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
Now we’re getting serious. The Top 5. And I’m going with Spider-Man, who is my favorite character, but also has enjoyed the most success with regard to his comic-book costume translating into film. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man gets knocked, gently, by fans who call him Iron Boy thanks to Tony Stark handing him his costume in Captain America: Civil War. And I might have gone with the sweatsuit costume that Peter rocks in Spider-Man: Homecoming… if not for the brief shot we got of this beauty as Spider-Man: No Way Home concluded. I love it for what it symbolizes: Peter on his own, an underdog facing off against the world. And for the way it looks, a blend of Steve Ditko and John Romita Jr. Perfection.
4. Doctor Strange (Avengers: Infinity War)
Doctor Strange is a product of the 1970s. His look begs for psychedelic immersion. His powers command a suspension of disbelief, and an embrace of the mystic arts. How do you even attempt to make his cloak a character? Well, that’s what Marvel Studios has managed to do so far, assisted by the brilliant casting of Benedict Cumberbatch in the role. I’d argue that Strange looked his absolute best in Avengers: Infinity War, taking on Thanos’ minions on the streets of Manhattan before matching up with the Titan himself in the final act. The costume he sports in IW is aces.
3. Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman)
The best DC Comics costume put on the big screen… for now. I say that because James Gunn is preparing to relaunch the DC Universe, and will give us fresh interpretations of all the classic DC characters, beginning with Superman. But no matter what happens to Diana Prince, the costume that Gal Gadot got to sport in Patty Jenkins’ period piece will hold a place as an all-timer, an exquisite translation of her Amazonian garb that looked majestic when set against the bleak backdrop of Europe during World War I. Just look at the way the colors pop in the legendary No Man’s Land sequence. The costuming truly helps Wonder Woman stand out as a Goddess walking our planet. It’s a shame that Wonder Woman 1984 spent almost all of that creative goodwill.
2. Spider-Man (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
You can claim Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man costume from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2. I’m not going to argue with you. For me, however, peak Spider-Man costuming occurred in one of the most disappointing efforts: The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Borrowing the big white eyes and the tight web pattern of a Mark Bagley, this costume looked lean and cool and perfect on Andrew Garfield. It looked even better when he brought it back to fight Electro and the Lizard in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Garfield’s ASM 1 suit looked like something he made from Dick’s Sporting Goods rejects. The ASM 2 suit is absolute perfection. Fight me.
1. Black Panther (Black Panther)
The best superhero suit we have seen so far. The Black Panther suit is so remarkable, it won genius costume designer Ruth E. Carter her first Academy Award (after being nominated for Spike Lee’s Malcolm X and Steven Spielberg’s Amistad). That’s history being made. But I love T’Challa’s upgraded suit from his introductory Captain America: Civil War suit, which played as practical and mechanical and necessary. But the upgrades evident from Wakandan tech elevated the Black Panther suit, and it fit Chadwick Boseman so well that it looked a little odd on Letitia Wright. We’ll see what the future holds for this Marvel Studios legend, but for now, the King remains on the throne of Superhero Costumes.
Will anyone from any upcoming Marvel movies knock Black Panther off this esteemed pedestal? Or could it be someone from James Gunn's DCU?
