The movies of the MCU, the DCU, and the broader spectrum of the superhero genre all have similar issues when it comes to the costumes of their heroes. The superhero movie genre has risen from relative obscurity to become one of the dominant forces in modern cinema, consistently earning impressive sums at the box office and capturing the imaginations of millions each and every year with new releases. The movies of the MCU in particular have pioneered the genre, helping to establish high expectations for comic book adaptations that bring superheroes to life on the big screen in spectacular fashion.
Though other franchises, such as the movies of the DCEU and Fox’s X-Men franchise, have failed to achieve quite the same popularity, they share more than just a genre: they all share common problems. Bringing heroes from the pages of comics into live-action movies isn’t easy, particularly when it comes to visually representing iconic characters. Superhero movie costumes are often divisive, as they aren’t always able to perfectly represent the way a character may have looked on the page. Despite the genre’s overwhelming popularity, there are several harsh realities of superhero movie costumes.
10 Capes Rarely Serve A Purpose
Capes Are More Impractical Than They’re Worth
Capes are a common feature of superhero costumes, but it’s rare that they ever actually serve any genuine purpose. With a few exceptions, capes are purely aesthetic, but the harsh reality is that they’re also dangerous. A length of fabric hanging from a hero’s neck to flap in the breeze might look majestic, but all it takes is a single snag and suddenly the character doesn’t look so heroic. As The Incredibles playfully pointed out, capes are actually a pretty silly design choice, and superhero costumes would probably be better without them.
9 Traditional Comic Book Costumes Look Cheesy
Most Traditional Costumes Are Over 50 Years Old
Though superhero armor in comic book movies has gotten much cooler in modern movies, there are still those that took a more classic approach to adapting the characters’ comic book outfits. In most of these cases, the resulting suits come off as cheesy rather than cool. In fact, the MCU once included comic-accurate outfits in WandaVision as a sly wink to the characters’ roots, but they looked incredibly out of place in live-action media. The classic comic book looks of most characters simply haven’t aged well, which is perhaps an understandable byproduct of such a long tenure in comics.
8 Skin-Tight Costumes Can’t Be Comfortable
Superheroes Must Find Their Suits Consistently Uncomfortable
Throughout the DCEU and MCU’s movie timelines and beyond, there have been many heroes who take to the screen in remarkably tight outfits. However, another harsh reality of superhero costumes is that such form-fitting gear can’t be comfortable when fighting crime, particularly where superpowers are involved. Most heroes are still human on some level, and are likely to fill their tight suits with sweat as soon as they begin to engage in any of the physical activity involved in saving people and fighting evil. As a result, skin-tight clothing simply can’t be particularly pleasant for heroes to wear.
7 CGI Costumes Don’t Usually Look Realistic
Rendering Costumes With VFX Kills Audience Immersion
One of the more common trends in modern superhero movies is to render the heroes’ suits using CGI rather than make physically functional versions of the costume. Though this may smooth the production process somewhat, it’s also one of the worst elements of superhero cinema, as CGI is often cited as one of the least popular aspects of the genre. Though practical suits aren’t always easy to create, they look much better on screen, even if the genre appears to be slowly moving away from the idea.
6 Iron Man’s Constant Repairs & Upgrades Reinforce His Biggest Criticism
The Money Stark Spends On Iron Man Suits Could Solve Societal Issues
There are multiple harsh realities of Iron Man’s MCU appearances, but perhaps none more so than the way in which his suits of armor reflect upon him personally. The constant innovation and reinforcement of Stark’s expensive suits is something that takes up a lot of the hero’s time, attention, and money, and unfortunately, that makes him seem incredibly selfish. As one of the Marvel Universe’s richest men, Stark chooses to funnel his cash into his vanity hero project rather than tackle societal issues, reinforcing the worst criticisms of the character.
5 Only Select Heroes Are Shown Changing In & Out Of Their Costumes
Getting Into Costume Simply Isn’t A Heroic Act
Logistically, each and every hero in comic book movies must change in and out of their costumes at some point. However, very few heroes are ever shown doing so, as the act of getting dressed (or undressed) is rarely heroic. The only major example of such a moment in the MCU is Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming, serving as a purely humanizing moment. However, most heroes in comic book movies appear fully suited when action is necessary, with their time changing into costume almost always occurring purely off-screen.
4 Some Iconic Suits Were Horrible For Their Actors
Some Actors Hated Wearing Superhero Movie Costumes
Though superhero movie costumes often appear incredibly cool, they aren’t always fun for the actors wearing them. Perhaps the most notorious example was Christian Bale’s stint in Batman’s cape and cowl making Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, with the actor being quite vocal about how unpleasant the suit was, particularly with regard to his inability to take bathroom breaks during filming. Some costumes might appear iconic, but the reality of them isn’t always so glamorous.
3 X-Men’s Team Uniforms Looked Terrible, But Highlighted A Big Costume Problem
Distinguishing Heroes From Villains Isn’t Easy With Unique Costumes
Fox’s X-Men movies are often criticized on many fronts, including on the decision to outfit their heroes mostly in unimpressive team uniforms. These costumes went through a handful of different looks, but the team aesthetic was mostly considered incredibly underwhelming. However, it highlights an interesting issue: in big super-battles, teammates must need an easy means of identifying one another to avoid friendly fire, and the likes of the Avengers or the Justice League take something of a risk by not employing such a tactic, dull though it may seem.
2 Most Superhero Costumes Would Be Destroyed After A Single Use
Superhero Battles Would Make Suit Maintenance A Huge Issue
Almost all superhero movies see their protagonist come up against a powerful foe sooner or later. Epic battles often ensue, with the heroes facing overwhelming odds, or at least life-threatening peril. However, the harsh reality of this is that their costumes would be rendered all but destroyed after each use, considering they’re subjected to all manner of wounds, blasts, and other potentially harmful occurrences. As a result, movie superheroes would realistically have to acquire an entire wardrobe full of backup costumes to be ready to suit back up as soon as possible after a big fight.
1 The Need For Costume Innovation Has Killed Comic Accuracy
Reinventing The Superhero Genre Has Moved Costumes Away From The Comics
The superhero genre’s continued popularity requires an element of innovation with each new release. Though the movies themselves may not need reinventing, keeping characters fresh and exciting is an important consideration, and costumes are a relatively simple method of updating a hero for their next adventure. Unfortunately, this undermines any potential comic accuracy, as heroes are constantly being given upgrades or temporary looks that don’t match up with their comic book counterparts. Though it’s not inherently a bad thing, the genre’s need for continued originality has eroded comic accuracy even in popular franchises like the MCU and DCU.
