This article was originally published on Kueez
When filmmakers take a classic comic and accustom it to the big screen, modifications are inevitable. Although when we say it out loud, it's obvious that comic books and cinema are very different mediums - but it's all the more apparent in these side-by-side comparisons. Let's take a quick gander at some of the globe's most iconic comic characters and their Hollywood doubles, and see what an impact a little costume change can make!
Harley Quinn's Outfit: Where's The Hat?
Yes, before people get weird about where Harley Quinn originated - we know she debuted in Batman: The Animated Series. After that, she came into the comics. But we love this character, so we had to include her on this list! Comic book lovers will know that Harley's initial costume comprised a red-and-black diamond-encrusted bodysuit and, of course, a jester's cap. Fast forward to the movies, and you'll remember Margot Robbie's Harley appearing in "Suicide Squad," Birds of Prey, and the confusingly titled "The Suicide Squad."
The costume for these films allegedly took three hours to put on and 45 minutes to take off! However, there was a short hat tilt to the original outfit donned in the comics within the "Suicide Squad" montage.
Jessica Jones Vs. Jewel
We were gutted when the gripping Netflix Series 'Jessica Jones' was axed. Superbly played by the talented Krysten Ritter, we couldn't get enough of this jaded semi-superhero. Popularly known as one of Marvel's darker characters, just like the persona heralded in the comics, the TV version of Jessica Jones was also haunted by a traumatic past. Throughout this Netflix original, viewers are given a chronicle of Jessica Jone's mysterious life.
But let's turn our attention to her look. In the comics, she's donned several superhero identities, her first being 'Jewel,' which came with vivid purple hair and a giant gemstone. Fast forward to the TV show, we laughed at how Jessica slated the look - complete with saying that 'jewel' was reminiscent of an exotic dancer's name.
We Want More Black and Yellow
We first saw Wolverine back in 1974 amidst the pages of The Incredible Hulk. It's safe to say that Wolverine is the nation's favorite X-man. As we look back on Fox's portrayal of X-Men, sadly, people's opinions fluctuate wildly. However, one thing they did well was the considerable effort they made to update the mutant's visuals. Back in the 70's Wolverine sported a yellow and black costume that, thanks to the film, became iconic in the '90s. Sadly, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine never wore this beauty!
Instead, in the 2013 version, Wolverine donned black leather bodysuits or the straightforward white undershirt and jeans combo. As much as we love the modernization of the character, we would love to see more of the black and yellow!
Aunt May Has Found the Most Effective Anti-Aging Regime
We might be running the risk of stating the obvious with this one. But Spiderman movies have shown an interesting trend where Aunt May is concerned. Starting with the Tobey Maguire trilogy that ran from 2002-2007, Aunt May was a loveable elderly woman acted by Rosemary Harris, who was then 75 years old. When the franchise rebooted with the Andrew Garfield movies, May lost a few years thanks to the 66-year-old actress Sally Field.
The latest reiteration of Spiderman sees young and fresh-faced Tom Holland as the lead, accompanied by a significantly younger version of Aunt May. In this film, 55-year-old Marisa Tomei plays a version of May. The trend is, perhaps, a little weird. In the comics, Aunt May is significantly more consistent and is always portrayed as a senior citizen.
Hope Van Dyne - In the Comics?
Here’s one for the nerds that want to dig a little deeper when it comes to finding connections between movie characters and the vaster comic cast. Hope Van Dyne is, primarily, an MCU creation and doesn’t have a direct comic counterpart. However, she does share the first name of Hope Pym, as well as parentage. Pym is a minor villain known, in the comics, as Red Queen. That's really where the similarities end.
The two characters don’t look alike in the least, nor do they share a personality. After Hope’s Debut in the MCU, the comics started introducing Nadia van Dyne, a second-generation Wasp that took inspiration from MCU Hope.
Falcon's Second Costume FTW
At the conclusion of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier show, Falcon eventually confronts Captain America in an outfit that's near-on the spitting image of what Sam Wilson wore in the comics when he became 'Cap.' That said, Marvel didn't stay true to this look for his initial Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances. In the comics, we first got a glimpse of Falcon back in 1969. Here he shone in a vivid green and orange outfit complete with a massive falcon-shaped pendant.
Fast forward to his second appearance, and we see him wearing red and white - as shown in the picture. Of course, red and white is the more 'toned down' option of the two - but rest assured, there's still plenty of superhero flare to be had!
Hawkeye's Look Is More Streamlined
Hawkeye was first created way back in 1964 by the legend that's Stan Lee. Look at the picture. It's safe to say that despite this character's minimal screen time, Jeremy Renner has done an incredible job of bringing the "guy with the arrows" to life on our screens. Unlike some of the characters you'll see on this list, this movie adaption is pretty faithful to the comics. Also, we've heard Hawkeye will soon appear in his own Disney+ show - yay!
One of the biggest differences between the comic and Marvel Cinematic Universe's adaptation is Hawkeye's original luminous purple costume, complete with an 'H' plastered on his forehead. However, as we can see in the snap, this has been ditched in favor of a slightly more dialed back look - of which we're big fans!
Death to the Yellow Open-Chested Disco Shirt
Like many a Marvel adaptation, we love that Netflix's hit show 'Luke Cage' referenced the character's original costume (as depicted in the comics) - even if only to mock it. During the show's first season, viewers get a glimpse of Luke receiving his superpowers for the first time. For the uninitiated, this was very similar to the comic book plot. Here, Luke got his powers during an experiment undertaken during his incarceration.
However, once he escapes prison, in authentic '70s fashion Luke dons a dazzling yellow shirt, silver tiara, and chain-link belt. We found it hysterical that he grabs random clothes during his jailbreak that just so happen to mirror his original costume in the TV adaptation.
Wanda's Gone Bland
Before WandaVision graced our screens, Marvel Cinematic Universe's Wanda Maximoff typically wore regular(ish) clothes. Not only that, no one referred to her as the Scarlet Witch, which she's so frequently dubbed by the comic books. Interestingly, this came down to legal rather than creative reasoning - namely, as Fox owned the rights to the mutant characters. That's why it was such a big deal when Wanda wore a Halloween costume on her Disney+ show that was allegedly a "Sokovian fortune teller."
However, any comic book buff could tell that this costume was just a clever adaptation of her famous comic book look. It's a very different take on the modern, streamlined version of Wanda that we're used to.
Gal Gadot's Stunning Costume
When it comes to articles about superhero outfits, it wouldn't be complete without talking about Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. This iconic character made her first live-action appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While critics didn't have much that was nice to say about the movie, generally speaking, people loved Wonder Woman! We love Gadot's updated costume. In fact, many say the outfit looks more like a plate of armor than it does a traditional superhero getup.
The suit boasts a gorgeous copper and bronze color. Not only that, but it also references Diana of Themyscira's Greek roots. It's a good look!
It Doesn't Get Better Than Christopher Reeve
Here’s Henry Cavill giving us the best all-out action-hero moody pursed-lip pose in his dark blue one-piece Man of Steel 2 outfit. We’ve never been a fan of the one-piece, be it Borat or the Spandex bodysuits of the 80s; it’s not a look that jumps out at us and screams Superhero. That aside, the Superman costume plus red cape as worn by Christopher Reeve is iconic, right?
If we had to choose between this reptilian-looking costume and the one worn by Mr. Reeve, we’d opt for the latter and say that no one can beat Christopher Reeve. He’s the one actor who really made us believe we can fly.
Bring Back The Sash!
Here are two shots of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, morphed into Captain Marvel. We can see that the costume department has taken a few liberties or used a touch of poetic license when creating this elaborate get-up on the left. To us, the supergirl outfit looks more robocop than the one seen by Marvel comic fans worldwide, as worn by Larson on the right.
We breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that image. Why? Because of the sash. This makes many an appearance in the comic stories but has been left out of the movies to the dismay of many a fan!
Aquaman's Ditched The Hideous Shirt
Arguably, out of all the legendary persona in the DC Expanded Universe, Aquaman's transformation is perhaps the most dramatic. We first saw him on our screens, albeit briefly, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Here, the talented Jason Momoa took on the coveted role. Some have described his portrayal as akin to an 'underwater barbarian.' Needless to say, the outfit he donned did justice to this kind this vibe
Although many comic puritans disagree, we think this is a much-needed change from the original blond guy we saw running around in the comic books in an outrageous orange fish scale shirt!
Black Widow’s All White Outfit Is Surprisingly Accurate
Black Widow never really got the credit she deserved *cough* *cough* Endgame. So, we were thrilled when Black Widow finally got her own origin story movie. However, we were a tad disappointed that Natasha Romanoff wore a fantastic all-white suit during the movie's climax. To us, this outfit seems to be at odds with her superhero name. However, some have said that this outfit references 2010's Black Widow: Deadly Origin comic.
The comic sort to streamline Black Widow's origin story after her Iron Man 2 debut. To help with that, the comic showcased flashback scenes set in the Soviet Union. Here, Natasha wore a notably similar suit.
We love Zendaya, but we miss Mary Jane
Since as far back as the 60's Mary Jane Watson has been a staple character in the Spider-Man comics, her fiery red hair and spunky personality have become somewhat of a trademark over the years. However, when Spider-Man was rebooted for the millionth time by Sony, a lot of modifications were made. Not least, Mary Jane was gone! In her place was an original character played by Zendaya - Michelle Jones.
In light of that, it's very difficult to compare how these outfits have changed because we're not even talking about the same character. Talk about a plot twist!
War Doesn’t Change, and Neither Does Peace(Maker)
Admittedly, Peacemaker probably isn't the first name that comes to mind when you think of Marvel characters. However, this fourth-string superhero owes his time in the spotlight thanks to James Gunn. The American film director and producer has an ungodly talent for breathing new life into less-loved comic legends and turning them into heroes on the big screen. Just think of Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad - need we say more?
Peacemaker debuted in 1966 as a Charlton Comics character. He was later adopted into the DC universe when the company went under at the end of the sixties. The hero with his clunky silver helmet and upturned dove-logo will feature in an upcoming HBO max show starring John Cena. Avid comic readers will recognize Peacemaker in an instance. Aside from a little extra blue mixed in with his familiar red suit, all the iconic elements of this character’s design remain the same!
Mantis Keeps the Name and Little Else
Mantis might just break a record for how many times her story has been retold by entirely different companies. She was first picked up by Marvel, then DC, followed by Eclipse and Image. Most famously, she features in the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy, starring Pom Klementieff. However, this take on the character has little to do with the comics. Instead, it seems her different adaptations have more in common with one another than with the original imagining.
The MCU’s Mantis is an alien with emphatic powers who can sense and manipulate emotions. The original comics imagined Mantis very differently, as a half-German, half-Vietnamese human martial artist with a yellow and green dress. So how did they make the jump to Alien, you wonder? In the comics, Mantis has her hair shaped into two spikes resembling antennae, a feature that the Guardians of the Galaxy took more literally.
Sometimes Change Is Good
As we've already said, comics and films are two very different visual mediums with very different purposes. Typically, comic book art centers on the vibrancy of the colors and graphics, and at times it can be a little tongue in cheek. As such, what works well in a traditional comic book doesn't (always) immediately translate into a best-selling blockbuster. One such example is Quicksilver, AKA Pietro Maximoff. As you probably know, in Age of Ultron, Quicksilver wears something akin to a tracksuit.
This costume complements his character because, after all, he's rapid! It's primarily gray with a few blue highlights - a hat tilt to the original light blue bodysuit complete with the white lightning bolt he was given in the comic.
Jane Foster Vs. Thor
We loved Natalie Portman playing Jane Foster in the original Thor and its sequel, The Dark World. The character is famously a prestigious astrophysicist and, of course, Thor's love interest. However, she's not technically a superhero. Although a fantastic character, she's just a regular human who's managed to get caught up in the dramas of the Asgardian gods. When we rewind back to the comics, we first saw Jane Foster in Journey into Mystery #84, the issue after Thor's debut appearance.
In the comic books, to begin with, Jane was a nurse, but in 2014 things changed somewhat, where Jane began to become Thor himself when he became unworthy of handling the Mjolnir.
A Helmet Makes All The Difference
Of course, we're talking about Thor, played in the Marvel cinematic universe by none other than Chris Hemsworth. The Australian actor started his career in the soap opera Home and Away before taking on the role of Norse God of thunder. Fast forward to today, and it's hard to imagine that when he first came to the screen, Vulture accused Marvel of “rolling the dice” by casting no-name actors like Hemsworth.
When it comes to the costume differences for this character, we can keep it short and sweet. Hemsworth captures the very essence of Thor as a charming blond behemoth, and the majority of his comic book costume was carried over into the movie adaptation. The biggest change? They did away with the winged silver helmet. Probably for the better.
A Secret Agent Who Can Be Relied Upon for Consistency
Agent Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell, has made several movie and television appearances. The character clearly struck a chord in her appearances in the first Captain America film and the 2013 Marvel One-Shot short film “Agent Carter.” The secret agent was so popular that in 2015, she got her own animated TV series. Carter kicks butt while still staying remarkably true to her comic origins, except for a few minor differences to her costume and timeline.
The character was first introduced in 1966 as an unnamed blonde American that appears in a single panel. This mysterious character meets Steve after he becomes Captain America. However, Carter is a brunette in the screen version and meets Steve before magically developing rock-hard abs.
Yelena Belova Is a Departure From the Comics, but We Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way
Florence Pugh truly stole the show in 2021’s Black Widow movie. The actress plays the fierce Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff’s half-sister. But, unfortunately, the character’s background bears little resemblance to the comics. Yelena is a Red Room assassin who takes the Black Widow and hunts down Natasha. Later, she becomes an ally. However, despite the many creative licenses, the movie version of Yelena does bear some resemblance to the comic version.
In the comics, the assassin is also a blond woman with short hair. However, the movie swapped out her black crop-top for a more detailed and practical full-body suit. Yelena’s white suit in the movie does, however, appear in the comics as well.
Nebula’s Resemblance to the Comics Is Foggy at Best
Mantis isn't the only character adapted into the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy with a significant revamp of her comic origins. The two characters are entirely different, even if later comic appearances run closer to the movie version. The live-action role played by Karen Gillan is more defined by her relationship with her sister Gamora and her father, Thanos. She's also a bald cyborg. Whereas, the character's comic debut sees Nebula very differently: A ruthless and ambitious space pirate with significantly more hair.
Nebula almost destroys the whole universe by causing a second Big Bang with the assistance of the famous Infinity Gauntlet. Much, much later, she becomes a cyborg in the comics. The only similarities between the movie version and the comic are the blue skin and vaguely purple costume.
Valkyrie No Longer Bears Much Resemblance to Thor
Both MCU and the comics take inspiration from Norse Mythology when it comes to their portrayal of Valkyrie. According to Scandinavian myth, such a creature is tasked with carrying men that died honorably in the battle to Valhalla, the hall of the dead in which warriors shall forever fight and drink. The comics see this concept translated into a more generalized superhero with much in common with Thor himself. She's big, blond, and muscular.
In the cinematic universe, Valkyrie first made her appearance in Thor: Ragnarok. The character is played by Tessa Thompson, introducing a multicultural look with Thompson’s Afro-Panamanian, Mexican and European background.
The Ancient One’s Costume Isn’t So Ancient
Casting British Actor Tilda Swinton as Doctor Strange’s mentor was a surprising choice. The Oscar winner could be expected to carry the role of 'Ancient One' in the 2016 movie without a doubt. However, there were a couple of notable changes that made her unrecognizable from the comics. Namely, the original Ancient One was a Tibetan man. In Doctor Strange, the Ancient One was magically transformed into a female Celtic mystic.
Rumor has it; the decision was rooted in Marvel’s wish not to antagonize the enormous Chinese market, which has been known to reproach references to Tibet - a contested region. While Swinton played the role admirably, of course, the decision also raised issues surrounding whitewashing.
Groot Has Become Cuter Since His Comic Book Days
The vast majority of audiences likely only know Groot as the adorable and peaceable dryad from MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The character became an immediate fan favorite for his amiable nature and charming baby form. However, those audiences might be surprised to learn that Groot was an astonishingly different character in the 1960’s Tales to Astonish, volume 13. His debut saw him as a talkative and enormous tree from Planet X. More surprising still: Groot was a villain and got burnt up in the very same issue.
Many, many decades later, the Flora colossi joined the rag-tag group of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He's voiced by Vin Diesel, who delivers a marvelous performance in the movies saying nothing but “I am Groot.” We can only suppose that the directors felt the original character had too much to say!
Marvel’s Winter Soldier Is Perfect as He Is
Captain America: The Winter Soldier was one of Marvel’s most acclaimed movies. And we have no doubt this has a great deal to do with the astounding debut of Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier. Before they separated, Bucky was Steve’s childhood friend. He's brainwashed by HYDRA to become a super soldier and assassin. The movie hits dark themes and tackles them well, which is why it's no surprise that Marvel chose to reprise most of the original comic’s costume for the character.
If you look at the comic costume and the live-action adaptation, you’ll find a few differences. Most notably, Bucky is no longer wearing the black domino mask. Instead, his outfit's colors have shifted more towards black than blue.
Gamora Said “No” to the 70s Nostalgia Trip
When Guardians of the Galaxy director and writer James Gunn adapted Gamora for the MCU, he paid close homage to the original character - at least in some respects. Out of all the Guardians mentioned so far, Gamora stays most true to her original backstory. In both the comics and the movie, she survives a cataclysm that happened to her people. However, the movie adaptation further complicated her relationship with Thanos, her adopted father by making him the culprit of this misfortune.
She's adopted by the famous villain in both comic and film versions and turned into a weapon to serve him. Both characters also end up members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The most notable change is in costume. The movie adaptation brought Gamora out of the 70s and revamped her scandalously deep-cut green and yellow bodysuit. Now, Gamora looks distinctly more punk, and we like her better for it!
Hawkgirl Now Flies on Wings Of…. Leather
There are many instances where comic book costumes simply wouldn't cut it in live-action adaptations. Thor’s silver-winged helmet is one of them, and Hawkgirl’s glaringly yellow costume is another. Luckily, actress Ciara Renee didn’t have to squeeze herself into the yellow suit when she debuted as Hawkgirl. Also known as Kendra Saunders, in the Flash, before continuing to become a regular on Legends of Tomorrow. In the original comics, Saunders is a reincarnation of the Ancient Egyptian priestess Chay-Ara and could grow wings from her back. Hence the moniker!
In contrast, the screen adaptations of this character put Hakwgirl in the same muted leather outfits that are now so iconic for most superheroes - which, to be fair, we think is a wise choice!
Sif Is Friend-Zoned but Remains Otherwise the Same
Jamie Alexander has reprised her role as the heroic Lady Sif a few times. She appears in both movies, including the original Thor, its sequel, and the upcoming Love and Thunder. She also starred in TV shows Agents of SHIELD and Loki and is the only character so far to appear in ABC Agents of SHIELD and Disney+ shows! Sif is another character from the Thor comics that finds its origins in Norse mythology.
In the myths, she was Thor’s wife, and the comics maintain her as his love interest. Whereas the movies depict her as a teammate. The character’s design stays virtually the same, however, with a red and silver color scheme.
It Took Ten Years for Pepper Potts To Get Her Armor Out the Closet
Pepper Potts spends her time in the MCU as an impressive businesswoman and the only one capable of effectively controlling the whims and tempers of her boss, Tony Stark, aka Ironman. Aside from this, Pepper doesn't see much action in the movies. However, in Avenger’s Endgame, released in 2019, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts finally gets a chance to wear the Rescue Armour that her character received in the comics as early as 2009.
The difference between the original comic armor and the movie version is minute. The armor started out as red and silver in the comics, whereas the movie turns this towards purple and silver. The screen version was inspired by the animated series Iron Man: Armored Adventures.
Batman’s Costume Isn’t the One We Deserve, but It’s the One We Need
At this stage, it’s difficult to count the many live-action versions of Batman that have regaled us over the decades. However, Batman has a longer history than you might think. Before the famous 1966 TV show starring Adam West as Batman, there was a 1943 serial simply called “The Batman,” marking Lewis Wilson as the very first Batman on the big screen. Batman’s costume has subtly evolved throughout the movies, though the core theme of his outfit stays the same.
In all variances, he has the bat-eared mask covering his eyes and nose, a black cape, and the iconic bat symbol on his chest. As you can imagine, newer iterations of the films added more leather, definition, and padding.
The Flash Abandons Fuzzy for Sleek
The Flash has a complicated comic book history, partly because there have been many heroes given that name dating back to 1940, and all wear different costumes. HOWEVER, the DC hero who first debuted on-screen in a 1990s TV show as John Wesley Shipp is the most famous one. The character is best known as Barry Allen and Wally West, with most fan attention given to actor Grant Gustin in his lead role in “The Flash” TV show in 2014.
DC’s take on the speedster hero has always involved a tight red suit with a lightning bolt for decoration. The original suit was spandex, but live-action adaptations opted to abandon that material in favor of latex. For some reason, spandex appeared fuzzy, which didn’t lend itself to Flash’s sleek, streamlined design.
Vision Today Is, Well, a Vision!
Paul Bettany started out as Vision in a voice-over role for Tony Starks’ computer system Jarvis. Now, over a decade later, the character has taken on much more of a presence. Both in actual physical existence and in the hearts of fans. Vision is an android with a soul stone who might yet return to the screen even after his tragic latest appearance in Wanda Vision. His original costume can be seen in the acclaimed show’s Halloween episode
The outfit is truly garish with clashing greens, reds, and yellows. The basic design concept remains much the same in the MC version, but they gave a much-needed revamp to the color scheme. Now, everything is toned down to make the likable android less clown-like.
It’s Hard To Tell One Ant Apart From Another
Paul Rudd first debuted his role as Antman in the aptly named 2015 movie “Antman.” The actor’s natural charm lends itself well to the roguish ex-thief superhero Scott Lang. Family is an important theme for the character both in the comics and the movie because Antman only dons his tight minimizing power suit for his daughter Cassie. But, he obtains his good-dad status a little differently from the comics compared to the movies.
In the original, Scott wants to rescue a doctor who can help with Cassie’s heart condition. Whereas the movie version sees him hoping to pay child support. Visually, the movie doesn’t take away much from the comic suit. Instead, they give it a sleeker, more modern look with a higher tech-looking helmet that ditched the silly antennas.