The ONE Problem With Superhero Costumes

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Whether you're a fan of Marvel or DC, there is one growing problem with our Superhero Friends, their costumes. Superhero costumes have all become the same since our heroes hit the big screen. But how did Marvel and DC get here?
#SuperheroCostumes #Marvel #Nerdstalgic
Writer - Dave Baker
Editor - Dave Sadvari

[@Nerdstalgic]

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[@princesslayah17]

What happened to your movie??

[@princesslayah17]

Can we have an update on your movie???

[@aDemonFaction]

Deal

[@HerHollyness]

No thanks. I’m so suspicious of Noom. All their ads ever say is ‘Noom is different’ and ‘We’re not about restricted eating and exercise’ which, like, what *are* they about then? The ads should give some information because less food and more exercise is basically the only proven way to lose weight. Whatever their undisclosed method is, it seems sus to me.

[@blowc1612]

Your a dimwit and your point is dumb as hell. Your channel is a joke.

[@JP-se5kf]

One of the reasons comic artist draw heroes in spandex is because it's just easier to draw, it would be difficult for an artist to draw detailed armor one every box the heroes are in.

[@carlosroo5460]

And legendary comic book artist Alex Ross once said: you are not drawing spandex, you are drawing the human figure, that that empower physique was key to show the might of the character... Or something like that, I don't remember well, but he did say something about the human figure. I think other factor is that comic superheroes also took inspiration from Greek mythology, and I think that's another reason, and if you have seem some ancient Greek art, you might think, forget pants, they didn't even like togas.

[@LucasSantana-ws8po]

I can just think of Saint Seiya, Kurumada draws armor in every single panel

[@OgIKidd]

It's not so much difficult as it is time consuming and expensive, two things that are enemies to the American market. Remove the deadlines and corporate mandates, and comics become just as amazingly detailed as Berserk or the original The Crow comic.

[@sirmel11]

@@LucasSantana-ws8po Manga artists are also overworked.

[@LucasSantana-ws8po]

@@sirmel11 yes

[@zaneriva5903]

I think they did a good job with Doctor Strange's costume. It was a pretty good mix of his comic book designs and more modern materials. I think something closer to that would work for Wanda and other magically-inclined heros.

[@raidenstark315]

Wanda already got her comicbook accurated costune

[@maximillion322]

Yeah I wish Wanda’s costume looked more like a proper cloth material or something and less like armor. Even leather armor looking would be fine, something organic that doesn’t look like it came out of a 3D printer. Let’s face it, she’s more powerful than the sorcerer supreme. If something is powerful enough to actually make it through all her magical defense, armor isn’t going to do shit to protect her.

[@NobodyC13]

I wouldn't call what Doctor Strange is wearing "modern" but it makes sense that he would be wearing the clothing equivalent of what's available at a monastery, only magical. So nothing armored, just a lot of cotton and wool robes and belts (however his boots look very militaristic). Even the Cloak of Levitation is like a patchwork quilt to give the idea of its age and the time it has weathered.

[@DonnyStanley]

@@NobodyC13 I think he means modern in respect to comic-book costumes. Meaning, use of more 'realistic' materials rather than brightly colored spandex.

[@gpaderx6105]

@@raidenstark315 yea, it was mentioned in the video, but she has the plasticky leather suit now, while Dr. Strange's costume looks like it came from a real life and it's very aunthentic. It's been my most favorite costume in the MCU for years

[@samcollins9521]

I mean Tony did say he designed everything and made everyone look cooler… And considering he made the homecoming spidey suit and the avengers outfits it would make sense in-universe for them to look similar

[@flamthrowr_]

Glad someone pointed this out. It’s important to have both an in-universe and out-of-universe reason for things. And for the heroes whose outfits weren’t designed by Tony, like Wanda, they would obviously base their costume design off of all the other superheroes’ costumes.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Stark designing Cap's suit is a funny face slap to Coulson's design, a guy whose death brought the group together.

[@jamesb.russell2942]

In-universe reasoning does not automatically make the storytelling better, especially for a visual medium where a distinct appearance for each hero is more sensible.

[@AdrianChazz]

Same with Mysterios suit, as it's designed _to look like_ the rest of the Avengers uniforms...

[@someguywhocanfly]

It's good to have canon reasoning but I'd argue it's more important to have visual interest and clarity. When you can barely tell your heroes apart in wide shot it's a problem. Even in the comics the movies took inspiration from, the colours pop a lot more because comics tend to be more colourful so they can still stand out despite a grittier design philosophy. But in the movies a dark scene can render everyone almost the same shade

[@nich6200]

Why does it always feel like he’s about to dive into greater detail whenever he “ends” the video. Like I love these videos, but they always feel like an essay with no ending. Like the last page or two of a 5 page essay is gone.

[@SerIndefinido]

I think that sometimes he has a lot more to say but he reels it in because his "brand" has already been solidified as short, ten-minute videos. Personally, though, I love longer videos so I would be very happy to see him going deeper in his analysis. But I understand that he might think making longer videos could scare off some of his viewers.

[@TMSokoya]

I thought it was just me 😅

[@Grafight23]

Agreed. The format isn't: "I researched this topic and this is my conclusion" but rather, "I noticed this thing. Why do you think that is?"

[@ericjackson1880]

Same

[@arielquinteros]

Oh man, I thought I was the only one!yes!

[@rafresendenrafresenden.1644]

If Aquaman can make all their hero costumes and villains costumes work (specially Black Manta) nobody can't say is not possible anymore.

[@dastardlywun]

Tell that to the prop and costume people that actually have to make it happen, make it look good and make it functional enough for shooting an entire film

[@mohawkmeteor7189]

Except they all looked ridiculous, Manta most of all.

[@rafresendenrafresenden.1644]

@@mohawkmeteor7189 ridiculous awesome.

[@aminzarei8078]

@@mohawkmeteor7189 manta was hilarious

[@studiogreyfox1226]

CAP!!!!!!

[@edwardswing9741]

In the cinematic universes, as in real life, we can easily distinguish Steve Rogers from Clint Barton, because they're played by different people. And humans have evolved the ability to recognize faces. But in the comic medium, the artist usually cannot create enough distinction between two blond men, so a more colorful and visible distinction - the colorful costume - is needed (note that the same thing can occur in anime, but utilizes the strange hair styles and colors). In short, comic superhero costumes are modern day heraldry, like wearing a coat of arms or carrying a shield with a symbol of three lions. They let us tell the characters apart. In the movies, the similarity of their uniforms encourages our focus on the actors themselves.

[@stevenscott2136]

There's also the in-universe practicality of spotting who's who at a glance. Soldiers can look identical because they basically are, but you don't want to confuse a speedster, a shapeshifter, and a telepath with each other.

[@thelordz33]

@@stevenscott2136 but you might want to confuse your enemy as to what exactly they are facing so it is much harder to just send the exact people they need to take out each threat.

[@ajb695]

VERY excellent counter-point. And one which I had not thought of at all, until you raised it. Thank you.

[@JLRules]

"... encourages our focus on the actors themselves." The constant, nonstop unmasking helps. Even more than the endless quipping and joking, the irrelevance of masks really grinds my gears.

[@jjju3]

I... Kind of disagree with this point? Maybe it's because I've spent years studying animation and cartoons, but I think there is no _good_ reason to throw away good character design. Strong silhouettes, good colors (which does NOT always mean bright or saturated colors) and _unique_ character designs always make for a better character. There's so much that can be done with a character, especially taking into account _who_ designed their outfit. Its fun looking at Batman costume designs because you have to think about what batman would put into his suit, how he would armour it to keep him best safe. Its fun looking at a young (non Tony stark intern) Spiderman costume, because usually he has to _make that himself,_ and sometimes seeing his costume evolve along with the story shows a brilliant character arc - and a coming into his own. And even with more metaphorical things, _shape language,_ design principles, it's why the hulk is big and square, strong, while doctor strange is smaller and lithe. Costume design is a greater extension of character writing. And more than that it's just. Its the entirety of what makes a character appealing, if your character doesnt _look_ striking they're unmemorable, and when so many characters are so uniform, the interesting aspects that worked well for cap or tony just begin to drown out all individuality. And that is the WORST thing you can do in character design! When so many comic book heroes have designs you can recognize in an instant why would you intentionally throw away how sick they can be. Costume design isn't just "visual distinction." It's the character condensed into its purest form. If i can't look at a character design and at least begin to understand _who_ they are you fucked up.

[@lrj3000]

I think you missed a part of the why: If you're a comic artist you have to draw the same characters in all sorts of positions, the less clothes there are the easier it is(oversimplification) Also, only psychopaths put ads in the middle of a video

[@5stringsire]

It felt like the ad was in the middle of a sentence too

[@jasonjacoby]

🤣😂 You're right, you know!

[@fransiscusbagus2002]

FACTS

[@Taladar2003]

That is a good point, tight clothing saves the artist from essentially doing cloth simulation (as we have in 3D software today) in their head while drawing acrobatics or similar scenes.

[@haroldnecmann7040]

What's he's trying to say again?

[@AllenLyons16]

I think you're missing one of the very obvious reasons why the suits all have a plasticy gortexy appearance. It makes it much easier to mask the CGI cut ins. CGI is much cheaper the less texture you have and a textureless model has a very plasticy look to it. If a character's costume already looks a bit plasticy the CGI doesn't look as bad

[@MaxIronsThird]

This makes no fucking sense. What about the home made suit in Spiderman Homecoming, the CGI looks 100% real, while the rubbery one always looks like an animated movie, even when it isn't CG

[@Evan-yz7sf]

Just like how drawing hero’s in spandex in the comics is easier

[@sirmel11]

@@MaxIronsThird I watched the second film and the CGI suit does not look real to me. Whatever suit he's wearing or was animated looks so fake.

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

@@MaxIronsThird people definitely disagree

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259 What i said, isn't something you can disagree or not, it just is.

[@elcacciatore5851]

Spandex: easier to show the muscles in the comics, flexibility (Spiderman wouldn't be that agile if he had to wear a heavy suit), and also some of them are basically invulnerable - what's the point of wearing an armour if you're already bulletproof? Armour: looks badass; "more realistic", and avoids the comics cliché of everyone being utterly buff just because.

[@melissaharris3389]

Look at break out scenes in Civil War. Sebastian Stan (and stunt double) are in jeans and a Henley and the man is THICK. Just gotta get an actor that can get that swoll. Apparently anyone named Chris will do...

[@adebolaanjorin7625]

@@melissaharris3389 Pratt, Hemsworth, Evans

[@batavenger1022]

This is why I prefer live action suits more. They don’t look too silly like the actual costumes in the comics. They look more realistic and, as you said, badass.

[@elcacciatore5851]

@@melissaharris3389 True. You're right, some managed to pull off the spandex outfit in films. I guess it's more in the comics that the spandex is recommended for the showing off of muscles; otherwise they'd look like robots (if they wore armours). There's also the idea that everyone has to be buff in the comics; more realistic versions of humans (or human-like creatures) would look like weirdly shaped blobs, and that's not great for characters that have to look imposing/powerful - unrealistic body standards...

[@elcacciatore5851]

@@batavenger1022 Your comments made me think of another thing. Badass suits are usually darker (e.g. the first X-men films where they swapped the blue/yellow thingy for black suits), because it looks gritty, and also there's the stealth aspect that's quite useful. Now imagine if all the superheroes had to wear dark suits in the comics, the whole thing would look like a bunch of shadows bustling around, and that's not very practical for the readers. So maybe that's why many costumes - especially the original ones - are very colourful, so that there's a bit of a variation of colours on the page - however non-badass they might seem.

[@fullmetallion7810]

I believe we ain't seen nothing yet, wait until marvel studios introduced XMEN and Fantastic 4. Definitely curious know

[@MaxIronsThird]

I almost don't want to see it, almost.

[@kchishol1970]

@@MaxIronsThird After all the complaints about the previous FF films, what's not to look forward to a production company with a proven track record of artistic quality get a chance to do the FF right. Just the chance of having Doctor Doom (Eventually) properly depicted as a Roma techno-magic supergenius king who could have believably confronted Thanos while still nursing petty grievances against his enemies will be fun to see.

[@benparrish672]

@@kchishol1970 Good point

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@kchishol1970 Well, i'd rather watch a trashfire like Fant4stic than a really bland movie like Cptn Marvel or the recent MCU shows.

[@dastardlywun]

@@kchishol1970 cause the production company isn't the one making the movie. At the end of the day it's a creative and team making it all happen and nobody has cracked the code for the Fantastic 4 in live action. The chances don't magically go up because of Disney

[@thepokekid01]

I don't agree that they all look the same or "paramilitary", but they do all look cohesive and I think that isn't a mistake. Obviously some kind of marketing thing, maybe more into making the universe believable when genre and theme can differ film series to film series, I don't know, but I do understand that criticism.

[@Carabas72]

It's not even marketing thing. It's a factor of the same people designing and building all of these costumumes. How could there not a be "house style"?

[@chujiwu68]

Yeah. I think the costumes look cohesive but distinct. I enjoyed the video, but don't a agree with most of its criticisms because I think the MCU captures the best of a more grounded approach while still retaining the most important visual elements of the source material; usually. Say what you will about all of their films, but they are a personal fav when it comes to costume design.

[@MegaManXPoweredUp]

I'm just glad they're not all in black flight suits with a single color on the lines, like in the X-Men movies. Such a shame we didn't get Wolverine in his costume.

[@thepokekid01]

@@Carabas72 I respectfully disagree, don’t underestimate artists. Check out the concepts of these movies in one of their art books if you can. They have styles and materials that vary a lot. That said, in the end what is chosen does have a cohesiveness, but don’t ever assume it’s coincidental in a multi-billion dollar franchise.

[@srayj]

I agree. I think that the cohesion is done very intentionally to show that these heroes exist in the same world, so when the Guardians cross over to mingle with Avengers or Thor is on Earth, they look distinct, but also like they all belong to the same film universe.

[@AaronLevitz]

I think that Wanda generating a costume in line with the look she's been surrounded by for so long is actually a natural character-based decision; anything else would have been harder to justify.

[@MVPMVE]

Not really. If she made a flamboyant red leotard and tights number with go-go boots and red crown as her superhero outfit simply bc "she liked the look," or maybe even to _differentiate_ her look from what she's surrounded by, that would have been totally valid and even lent towards her characterization. Kind of like why Iron Man is hot rod red and gold-- it speaks to his personality.

[@AaronLevitz]

Earlier in the series, that look would have felt more thematically on brand for the character's emotional state. At the moment we're talking about? I'm doubling down on my "harder to justify" evaluation. (I think the fashion of those eras that she manifested during her catharsis are basically off limits at this stage in her arc, because using them comes with that baggage.) Anyway, my point wasn't so much that it had to be this, at least at the time that I wrote it. My point was that the original video's claim that this costume didn't make sense was misguided.

[@gingerdog8203]

@@MVPMVE wandavision is LITERALLY based around wanda creating things based around what she has seen in her life

[@betterlatethannever2156]

I've actually never noticed the similarities b4. They don't bother me at all tbh.

[@why_tho_]

Me too, but Shang Chi's costume seemed to bug me for some reason.

[@sirmel11]

Right? It's not a big deal.

[@vidboy7]

It would be very jarring in a cinematic universe if all the characters had conflicting styles! The reason the group scenes work is because the visuals mesh. Still image is a very different art form to the moving image.

[@melissaharris3389]

The real issue I think he's trying to criticize is that a rather small creative design team is responsible for all the costumes in the entire MCU. That is way it's all 'same-y"; but, that is clearly a stylistic decision. Likely for homogeneity: to create a 'look' for the MCU. There are a few MCU films that have strayed away from that "look". Notably Thor: Ragnarok and the Guardians of the Galaxy films There are still some similar aspects but not being set on Earth allowed the design team to expand. Really the Asgardian costumes and production design for Thor: The Dark World were on of the best aspects of the film.

[@DaWelshman]

@@why_tho_ that's because the way the criticism was delivered was designed to subtly coerce you. It subtly created an agreement between the viewer and the presenter of what Shang Chi should look like (the more Bruce lee-ish approach which is a bit of a myopic expectation when talking about kung-fu characters), and then it offered the starkly different design choice which was used by Marvel which causes a negative dissonance between expectation and reality, making the real design seem ugly. I'm not saying his point was invalid; he's right, it does seem a bit familiar. It's not a bad design though.

[@pvthitch]

Iron Fist is a costume that really pops on the comic page, but would look absurd on film.

[@parkeranimations3671]

It can work. Just fix it up a little bit.

[@aMoodyHipster]

The suit he wears in "Heroes for Hire" could translate better than his classic suit. The mask didn't look half bad in the show (for the whole two scenes it was worn in).

[@John-Doe-Yo]

Exactly

[@argo9721]

@@parkeranimations3671 so do what they're already doing?

[@parkeranimations3671]

@@argo9721 no not really. Like they can remove the slippers and maybe use sneakers. But not completely modernize it to the point it looks like leather body armor. It can also just be padded spandex too.

[@JoeAuerbach]

"All the costume design comes from this one guy." Five minutes later. "Why do all these characters look the same?"

[@bluedotdinosaur]

A core reason for the "tactical" look of current super hero costumes in movies comes down to concept work done for the first several MCU films. Marvel wanted to capture the look of the authentic characters and not distort them, but needed them to be taken "seriously". A lot of detailed conceptual painting was done by high-tier artists that established a sort of military aesthetic that still adhered to the classic look of each character. The issue is one of materials. The concept art was intended to be grounded and realistic, but getting the costumes to fit a real person is difficult in less flexible, non-spandex materials. There is actually an entire cottage industry in exotic textiles that has sprung up because of superhero movies. A reason many costumes are overly complex with tons of panels and lines, is to hide seams and pleats. The funny thing is, materials are getting better as textile makers experiment. Ironically, the materials for practical superhero or "adventurer" costumes may be a reality sooner than later thanks to the movie industry.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

Exactly! I very much agree with this. There is a fine line between altering too much (as was the case with the X-men suits in the past) and altering too little. So the MCU tries to do that well, it seems!

[@donjuanson6831]

I like Marvel's take on costumes and even their similarities. Certain materials have proven to be optimal for something and it kind of becomes its signature. Guitars are known for being made out of wood. Some aren't but for the most part they are. And only a few types of woods are generally used. We use leather for boots because its durable. Couldn't the same be said for the MCU using elements like leather or a kevlar for a suit? I think its more realistic that way.

[@nesbits22]

amen. another example would be uniforms, if you look at an 18th century European soldier he will be wearing a wool coat, whether he’s cavalry, infantry, marine, etc. if it’s the best material for the job, why look for alternatives just for diversity’s sake? it makes no sense in a utilitarian context

[@abellabryan9081]

Agreed

[@ExeErdna]

@@nesbits22 the problem is people that have no attachment overall looking the same. You can be utilitarian and look different.

[@Matt_History]

​@@nesbits22 except if you look at a lot of those uniforms they have different forms and utilities, cavalry had specialized boots, trousers, and belts, infantry often times wore baggier clothing to make aiming at the body underneath more awkward, shakos and caps, not all caps had the same profile with cavalry in the US for example having cowboy esque brims compared to the baseball like brim for infantry

[@TomCruz54321]

@@nesbits22 Your example has nothing to do with superhero costumes. Movies are a visual medium, their designs do not have to conform with military standards.

[@shadician]

As I understood it, most of the costumes are essentially Stark tech or vibranium suits designed by Wakanda. It's logical they look similar, because they are designed with the same advanced tech materials, which are the most durable and lightweight available.

[@Scientist19exe]

Only Spiderman and Vision are designed by Stark. Who did Wakanda design? Winter soldier?

[@brandondriver99]

Hank Pymn made his own suits

[@chuk9036]

Yes. There are only two designers of suits in the MCU because the higher ups got it written to be so, they made up your in-universe explanation

[@skiparsenal]

@@Scientist19exe Stark actually redesigned or modified a lot of the Avengers' costumes. Cap, Falcon, Widow and Hawkeye all have Stark gear. The reason why Tony commented at Cap's costume in 2012 was not only taking a jab at Cap, but was taking a jab at his past design choices. Wakanda has Winter Soldier and Falcon's new cap costume.

[@jeggsonvohees2201]

@@chuk9036 No, there are three designers, it was the Time Lizards who did it.

[@TheBHAitken]

Discussions of the Punisher movie aside, one fact I appreciated what that the skull logo was a t-shirt that was draped over the armor and not something that was "integrated" into the armor. It came off much more realistic that way.

[@JustKrin]

I like how they did it in the Netflix shows, painting white over a bulletproof vest and letting the design pop out.

[@ayayronm]

Agreed. The spray paint look of the skull made it look authentic to how a psychotic military trained vigilante would I guess "brand" himself on a budget

[@DoctorOctopus63]

They could also make the more skin tight Punisher outfit work by going for the same looking suit Big Boss wore in Ground Zeros that Stealth suit looked amazing all it needs is a black paint job and a white skull and you have the Punisher.

[@theoxyscape7057]

No wonder Cap stood out so much in the 1st Avengers movie, his suit had that old costume look.

[@melissaharris3389]

That's because Coulson designed it.They even lamp post this in the film.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

That suit made it harder to take him seriously. I think one of the suits in the first avenger movie was much better. The one who is used on most cover art of the first avenger. I am curious why they changed it into a more spandex look in the avengers movie.

[@theoxyscape7057]

@@PowerRedBullTypology That one was good, it's cool that they brought it back in the Winter Soldier. My personal favourite Cap suit is his S.T.R.I.K.E uniform.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

@@theoxyscape7057 The strike one is nice (it's the stealth one, right?). However, it looks less like his original uniform and thus I did not really include it in the comparison (because it does not try to look like his real uniform.

[@Sanpaku-san]

And it was good!

[@user-gd7ed1pc7h]

It would be stretch to even say the avengers costumes look the same. One just wears pants another has a cape and one guy is a literal suit of armor

[@MaxIronsThird]

All made with the same design sensibilities and same fabric.

[@user-gd7ed1pc7h]

@@MaxIronsThird iron man and black widow same material and capabilities for sure

[@MaxIronsThird]

@@user-gd7ed1pc7h Sensibilities, not capabilities. Also IM(with Cap's WW2 suit) is the only one that stands out in Phase 1, then his suit goes to shit in IM3.

[@Scientist19exe]

The original avengers looked unique. But now, with all the mcu heroes? Everyone having almost same characteristics (the sarcastic joker etc). Wearing almost similar customes?

[@sirmel11]

@@MaxIronsThird It's not a big deal.

[@IloveElsaofArendelle]

The only actor who didn't look silly with spandex, was and still is Christopher Reeve as Superman. And the fortunately the Movie was done right, it didn't distract but fitted in the story

[@darlalathan6143]

The Man of Steel Superman actor was definitely buff enough for his role. Hollywood learned from Reeve!

[@creed8712]

I’d say Brandon Routh also pulled off the look specifically with the Kingdome come costume

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@darlalathan6143 that actor is the one and only Henry Cavill , put some respect in that man... sadly Man of Steel was kinda shitty as a Superman movie . Not blaming the production team or the actors of course , i blame Snyder

[@teabearchurchill5600]

@@Dan_Kanerva Cavill wasn't wearing spandex.

[@DragonEdge10]

If you're buff enough and the character is strong enough/has a specific reason for it, spandex makes sense. That's why Spider-Man, Black Panther, Superman, etc look fine with spandex like suits, they're lean/buff asf and either need to be agile, are virtually untouchable, or both.

[@TayoEXE]

I'd like to see how this plays into the whole concept of professional Heroes in My Hero Academia where all the heroes are able to design and choose their costumes, as costumes are used for both functionality as well as maintaining an image for the public of security and personality.

[@tommatt2901]

In the anime we see the Deku getting redesigned and also getting upgrades in terms of armor

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

I might watch the show solely because of you now....maybe

[@jessepanosh]

There's also a subtle detail hidden in the show that a lot of the costumes share designers. If you look at Uraraka and Bakugo's costume you can see two dots on both of them, which is the signature of the designer that made them. Jiro and Kaminari share designers too, as do Deku and Todoroki

[@TayoEXE]

@@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259 I highly recommend it! It's got an English dub as well if you don't like subtitles.

[@-ix-3152]

I honestly love the way bnha presents heros and their costumes. I need to catch back up with the series!

[@WillTheGreatest]

For me I never pegged it as similarities per se, but that in trying to make them details and realistic a lot of them feel almost over designed with all these lines and angles. You can make it realistic and cool but also sometimes less is more imo

[@gedeonnunes5626]

As much as I dislike the films, I think they nailed it with Batman and Superman under Snyder. Or at least got really close to it XD

[@nothingherezero7182]

@@gedeonnunes5626 Batman Suit yes It definitely

[@maxs-lz4pn]

They're designed to death and back. I desperately wish they'd understand that boat loads of lines and random texture isn't always better

[@vickie_g]

@@maxs-lz4pn They have those lines to hide the seams - the suits are made from a ton of different materials to make some parts flexible for acting & some parts rigid for the look & the costume makers use those lines to hide the seams of where the materials change.

[@FinelinePictures]

Honestly I don't see the problem with the spandexy look of the old costumes. Just give em some padding like in Shazam and boom, perfect.

[@ooonyxxx]

Shazam had a comical tone, it embraced how ridiculous the costume looks for laughs. However, when attempting an inspirational or potentially serious tone, those bronze-age costumes just don't work lol.

[@everythingdibs344]

@@ooonyxxx the sequel to Shazam is gonna have a better suit according to the suit reveal

[@Carabas72]

Shazam wears a Marvel style costume in the movie, not spandex over padding.

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@ooonyxxx yes they do, mcus costumes are really dull

[@urielandbb9725]

Shazam outfit looks like it’s made out of dodgeballs

[@jaehurd3524]

Quicksilvers costume is genuinely my favorite. It looks like a running shirt while having a nice design to it with its colors and feels "quicksilvery" with the design of the lines and shit

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

yeah it looks iconic

[@OHCAM5]

That's because it is just a running shirt

[@jaehurd3524]

@@OHCAM5 Yeah but in the finale they gave him one especially designed to look like a quicksilver costume but as a running shirt

[@OHCAM5]

@@jaehurd3524 Again that is just a shirt. It wasn't meant to be a costume. At least in universe. For us yes it looks like his comic book costume but in the movie it's just a shirt.

[@jaehurd3524]

@@OHCAM5 Okay? Literally who cares, its still a costume that he wore in action and looks great

[@anthonyvillanueva5226]

Shang- Chi hasn't even come out yet, I don't see why it's a given that "it's a martial arts film, he should look like Bruce Lee". That's overly narrow. I hate spandex though and I think Spider- Man is the only major hero where it's more function over form, which is why it works.

[@TowDow3]

shang chi was LITERALLY marvels bruce lee. it was all the craze back then. hence Iron Fist as well.

[@anthonyvillanueva5226]

Right, but it isn't that time anymore? Making him a Bruce Lee clone would just have people call comparisons to that. Giving Shang- Chi his own image is clearly more important for the filmmakers and it's something I agree with.

[@JosephFlores-yn4yi]

Spiderman is a guy that has the speed to dodge bullets, and in a lot of stories he is a poor kid from queens so he cant aford something more protective Literally Spiderman's suit is Form over Function

[@driveasandwich6734]

@@JosephFlores-yn4yi What? No, it has all the functions he needs. Agility.

[@melissaharris3389]

Considering the full hero costume for Shang-Chi hasn't been even seen yet, just the shoulders and upper torso, it's a little early to judge.

[@whitneystarling351]

I think the main reason why the costumes are all made from the same materials and textures is for technical reasons. Part of the reason Iron-Man's suit wasn't made from actual metallics is because the studio lights reflected off the suit too much. They had to start from scratch and add reflections in-post. Certain costumes would also look out-of-place or contrast too much with others on-screen. Certain materials reflect lighting differently, as well as blend with shadow more/less. They needed to be sure that all these characters show up in the same way on the same scene. Comic books have the advantage of being able to control the lightning on each individual character, making them show more/less in each frame. Cameras can't do that without heavy editing.

[@colewrld901]

My problem with costumes isn't them looking similar. It's how do the heroes get dressed so fast when they see a crime taking place? lol

[@thirdplanet4471]

Quick change technique

[@felipereyes1440]

I mean it depends on the hero. For example spiderman basically just wears it under his clothes all the time and can just put his mask on. Even if he wasn't wearing it all the time, a spandex suit isn't that hard to put on. Also, he has superspeed lol.

[@jaycrews3707]

There's a secret power that all super heroes have it's called plot convenience

[@MrGrimlocke]

Some of them do it with super speed, other heroes are able to transform with magical abilities or the use of technology

[@felipereyes1440]

@kobeftw2400 Yeah, but in his case in doesn't really matter that much because he is so fast he could go home, put the suit on and come back in a second

[@movieblocks9164]

It’s because people see bright color spandex and just think, “AHSHDHWJAIN SUPERERO MAN COSTUME LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!”. To be honest I don’t see that they look the same at all.

[@jaycrews3707]

I completely agree

[@kryptonitespider-bitedynam7305]

I agree as well

[@ooonyxxx]

They don't look the same, but they have the same outdated tone that doesn't appeal to a modern-day audience

[@movieblocks9164]

@@ooonyxxx like what? Alex Ross supersuits are the outdated type with the cloth fabrics. That’s largely changed and looking on how Superman’s costume has changed I’d say that they evolved quite well.

[@sahandkhavari7070]

Agreed, he’s run out of things to whine about. So he just made up something.

[@darkmyro]

I think part of it is to make it look like a cohesive world, like they're all drawing from the same tech. I mean take black panther irl his costume is the same leather/plastic that the other costumes are, but Its supposed to be vibranium tech. On top of that I think your average joe isn't gonna be focusing to much on the costume in motion. That being said I think there is only so many ways you can make armor cause at the end of the day it's either there to deflect or to stop. Though also also the armor does seem to do much cause the heroes all seem to get hurt anyway, i know its to heighten tension, but still it's weird that tho9rs armor doesn't protect him from an axe or. Caps armor can't seem to stop him from getting cut.

[@thegirlinthefireplace]

I can see the value from a story telling stand point that the fabrics, silhouettes, and overall design of the costumes be different. Not every character in universe would have access to the same resources, so I wouldn't expect them all to seem like military gear. I don't know where the balance should be, between the original costume designs and realism. But I would love to see a bit more color and fun callbacks to the parts of the costume that make it stand out and feel like the character that wears it. I know that balance is extremely difficult though...

[@robertcagatin3690]

Agreed

[@branram13]

"The Problem with *MCU* Superhero Costumes" is the better title.

[@Pinefreshe78]

The modern DC suits have basically the same design language though

[@unorthodoxbox]

@@Pinefreshe78 I agree with you to an extent that when Snyder was in charge of the DCEU he had a big say in the costume designs. Now though I think that’s changing. If you have kept up at all with the Flash film in development the director has been dropping small teases of various superhero costumes and each does look and feel different to an extent. Also Shazam costume’s for the sequel has been changed from what I understand to bring it more in line with Black Adam. I think depending on how far WB and DC go with their future projects and having different teams working on the films we could see a diverse set of costumes but that is a wait and see what comes out of this kind of situation.

[@jonasfelisilda5777]

@@Pinefreshe78 no it's not, since Snyder is no longer in charge of the DCEU.

[@branram13]

@@Pinefreshe78 I'm not talking about DC though. All he literally talked about was MCU. He talked in the beginning about all original costumes but his video was about the problem he had with *MCU* costumes. He could've added DC but didn't because DCEU suit look more different from each other I think but still feel in the same universe. Just pointing out why I said that.

[@pizzatime4204]

@@Pinefreshe78 How? Superman's costume looks alien, Flash's costume looks fire resistant and techy, Batman's costume looks comic booky but worn and damaged, and Wonder Woman's looks like old greek armor

[@Jacksabbath44]

the plastic leathery look or super techy armor is so fixed in general audience's mind that when is not used people complain and say is cheap, remember the disdain a lot of people had for Spiderman's costume on Civil War? it was the most accurate translation of the comicbooks and people hated it because they kept comparing it to the past movies

[@theonlooker6727]

That was probably because his entire costume was overlaid with CGI in that movie, so it really looked unnatural (just like all the CGI Ironman armors).

[@Jacksabbath44]

@@theonlooker6727 people said it was because it looked "flat" and not texturized and "movie-like" general audiences don't care about authenticity, they want it as overdone as possible, that's why Fast and Furious keeps going

[@remakethestars2683]

I honestly never heard anyone complain about Pete's suit; I thought it looked cool, and I like it more than the one he designed in FFH 😅

[@robertcagatin3690]

Because the past movies looked more realistic and real whereas the mcu Spider-Man looks like he's an animated cgi cartoon in live action

[@reganator5000]

@@Jacksabbath44 which is always a hilarious comparison given the Fast & Furious films frequent obsession with actually doing a lot of their more absurd stunts. I think the issue is that audiences in general don't actually know how reality works, which is why people will say that the fast & furious 'drop cars out of a plane' sequence is unrealistic (despite it being composed primarily of footage of the real cars they really dropped out of real plane) whilst noting a different entirely CGI sequence as 'more realistic'. I'm not saying you were making this comparison- I'm noting that having more texture on superhero costumes is the exact same issue, where people expect texture that probably wouldn't be on a real suit because super-visible texture is, in real life, primarily the domain of knitwear. Plus the weird obsession with leather being 'realistic' combat armour- it's not, and never has been. It's o.k. if your opponent is a stretch of tarmac moving past at high speeds, but while useful for bikers, it's inferior to padded fabric in combat. A leather outfit might be seen as more 'realistic' to audiences, but a spandex suit would be far more useful to superman, and having Shang-Chi in actual martial arts gear would make him better at doing martial arts because it's designed for that very thing.

[@DodaGarcia]

Eh this feels kinda fluffy, not sure any point was actually made

[@acronvron9665]

Most of his videos feel that way. Half made points or just a generic essay channel.

[@Dan_Kanerva]

you could just say "i dont agree" and watch another video instead of hating

[@justmakemeaname]

@@Dan_Kanerva then whats the point of any conversation

[@Dan_Kanerva]

@@justmakemeaname he didn't came to have a conversation , let alone debate the point... his comment is just a re-skin of: /watch?v=Hnd8NC4YRmA

[@justmakemeaname]

@@Dan_Kanerva and your original comment is kind of a re-skin of "this is not a positive comment so it must be hate" i mean.. of all ACTUAL hate comments you couldve replied to you chose this one.. how can he say "i dont agree" if he thinks there wasnt a point made to begin with?

[@OgIKidd]

I think the problem is mostly that the sameiness of the costumes just kind of breaks the suspension of disbelief a bit. A costume can go a long way to naturally showcase world building without having to explain it. Shield and Military background characters wearing gear that looks like it's military in nature makes sense. Thor on the other hand should be wearing stuff that looks more akin to Norse armor. They did a little better with Wakanda's costume designs, but they still ultimately felt a little too similar to the over all MCU aesthetic. The best way I can articulate it is if everything in the world seemed like it was designed by Gucci and no other brands existed with their own unique touch and approach. Even the characters you'd expect to be rockin Nike or Derelicte sheek are still drippin in gaudy high fashion wear. But that's also the problem with the Spandex era. What can be stretched to make sense for Superman (an alien wearing an alien costume made of alien materials) just doesn't work for someone like Oliver Queen or Bruce Wayne. But to be fair to the MCU, this is something that is a problem with Hollywood costuming in general. Especially where action movies are concerned. A visual aesthetic gets picked up and latched onto super hard until the dead horse gets replaced with the new "look." We went from cammo/black military pants with an open, sleeveless, or no shirt, to black leather and trench coats, to this....

[@louisg8581]

This is a reason why James Gunn’s Suicide Squad looks great - - comic-accurate costumes that look absurd but mixed with modern cgi and general looks of a superhero blockbuster. It feels fresh and fun!

[@games_on_phone89]

we'll have to wait and see

[@anomienormie8126]

Bit miffed that he calls traditional East Asian attire “pajamas” while asking for martial arts-y costume, and instead brings in the actual pajama-like Bruce Lee’s so very American adaptation of martial arts films, complete with a leotard. Also Stark, a *Soldier*?

[@MNSweet]

I'm glad you made a short of this. It was nice to rewatch.

[@jasonschlierman412]

The Spider-Man costume from the Raimi trilogy was on point!

[@bushesbakebeans2063]

Imo TASM 2 had the best spidey suit, but that doesn't save it's awful writing LMFAOO

[@jasonschlierman412]

@@bushesbakebeans2063 Both TASM films sucked. The costume in the second one was the only thing it had going for it. Still like the Raimi suites better. They felt cinematic.

[@bushesbakebeans2063]

@@jasonschlierman412 I think the webbing doesn't look good, it's just personal preference but both TASM suits are my favorites

[@kveld9893]

it was decent but it wasn't all that good in every scene he's in. the mask sometimes looks absolutely ridiculous. i love what they did with his costume in the mcu, they made it possible to incorporate his expressive mask from the comics in a way that made sense and looked good. definitely my favorite live action spidey costume.

[@jasonschlierman412]

@@kveld9893 The expressive mask is the only thing the MCU costume has going for it. That would have been a nice addition to the Raimi films.

[@MLDeS100]

There's a thematic in universe reason for this and that is most of these suits are designed by the same people like stark, shield, and wakanda. It's why doc strange is so different, none of those had a hand in the aesthetic

[@mcknightmareb4u494]

That's true, no-one's saying that it doesn't make sense, it's a percectly reasonable explanation. However, it's still just an excuse as to why they all look so similar. The point is, whether it's explained or not, it's still very monotonous. You have all these super cool and unique costumes, but you go for indistinct military gear for most of them. It's obviously intentional, it's just that the intention isn't that great.

[@MLDeS100]

@@mcknightmareb4u494 personally id rather my costumes make sense then look flashy.

[@mcknightmareb4u494]

@@MLDeS100 Would them wearing more interesting costumes not make sense?

[@MLDeS100]

@@mcknightmareb4u494 how could they be more interesting? Frankly this is all absurd to me as they all already look pretty interesting but what more do you want? More pockets? Brighter colors? 15 different symbols?

[@DoctorPhileasFragg]

@@MLDeS100 Probably need more distinct silhouettes.

[@deeeenisttv]

I honestly cannot see the similarities at all. Every MCU costume looks very distinct to me

[@hntrl8880]

Agreed. I personally think Nerdstalgia is missing the point

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

@@hntrl8880 I don't think he's missing the point, I can kind of see where he's coming from but the suits are all distinct enough to be unique.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Agreed, but the Eternals should be far more Kirbyesque than what's presented.

[@yungjose3369]

Ok, as an example can you name in detail what Gamora wears exactly from memory?

[@deeeenisttv]

@@yungjose3369 no, but I can't do that for any costume. I still remember what they look like and if you showed me the costume I would instantly recognise it as (X) hero's costume. I'm just bad at clothing description lol

[@ArtemisMoon12]

I dunno, as a seamstress and a costume buff, frankly the costumes don’t seem “all the same”. There are similarities, but I don’t want intensely comics accurate outfits. There is a stylistic vein of similarity for the MCU films, but I don’t have trouble telling two heroes apart. The issue for me is when they don’t look like them can inhabit the same world. Like, most Artic people all use long fur & waterproof animal hide & have a similar silhouette to their outfits- it’s because certain materials and forms work. So I don’t mind an abundance of structure, leather, and Kevlar. Shang-Chi is fighting magical attacks and Ten Rings of untold power- and you want him facing it in just a jumpsuit? I’d say the magic users who can generate shields make the most sense to not wear armour. So Wanda. But I also want these characters to all look like they inhabit the same world. Don’t be Defenders Costuming where only one character has a secret identity & therefore one one shows up to the final battle in a Kevlar devil suit & the others are in jeans and a hoodie. That being said- the one in the Kevlar would visually fit better on the big screen. Infinity War had more visual cohesion & I still could tell who was who even with a number of darkly coloured jumpsuits. So, overall I think your argument is overblown and not so much a problem as, “could be better.”

[@nemonomen3340]

“Costume’s a bit much. It’s so tight! But the confidence! I can feel the righteousness surging!

[@moarwillpower1922]

Vocal pineapple of Twitter said it best. It’s either bodysuits for girls or bmx armor for guys

[@carrottopevans]

Ohhh man this is gonna be so good! Thanks for another banger, Nerdstalgic!

[@airotiv7916]

Super packed with information as always, I LOVE your channel and it really helps for those new to the comic/super hero world in general 💜🌌

[@colonelsanders1617]

I think one thing to remember is especially towards the end they are sharing technology with each other like Stark’s nanotech or vibranium woven armor etc

[@andrewgarfield9898]

I think the real problem is the over-saturation of superheroes in general. It’s basically a “here we go again” type thing.

[@shapeshifterk]

One concept that became familiar to me is "over designing" as in the design has been worked on too much and misses the marks it strives for. This was actually introduced to me through pokemon, notably generations 5 and 8 (generation 8 is less so, but it still applies) one of the ways people have tried to demonstrate this concept is by remaking the pokemon back in the style of generation 1 sprites. Some pokemon like inteleon really transition quite well. Typically the ones who don't work well as gen 1 sprites are over designed. I get this is a weird comparison, but it helps if you see it for yourself, and it shouldn't be too hard to google. This isn't the end all be all for pokemon designs, it is just a way to convey an idea that really works well to visually understand. For things like pokemon, simplicity usually explains more than complexity

[@NobodyC13]

Or search the video of Stan Lee roasting Todd McFarlane and Rob Liefeld for making a busy 90s superhero design that's practically a caricature called "OverKill."

[@sirmel11]

All the Pokemon look fine and they're designed by some of the same people who designed the originals. lol

[@shapeshifterk]

@@sirmel11 have you seen grimmsnarl?

[@blu3260]

Idk I liked gen 5, I never understood the aversion to their designs. The most common one I see people talk about is trubbish and it feels kinda unfair to just point to it and say "gen 5 bad", though of course I'm not accusing you of doing that. But yeah, just felt to me like another generation with its own theme, sorta like how you can always feel a specific vibe from sinnoh or hoenn mons, in a good way. Prolly nostalgia, idk, I'm open to being wrong.

[@sirmel11]

@@blu3260 Here's a good rebuttal to those stupid arguments. The Pokemon from the first generation are rocks, magnets, and other things. Why don't those get the same hate?

[@SaiTurtlesninjaNX]

I noticed that you crossed over Spider-Man in this video. The one character who it is practical for him to be in a all spandex suit. Like I know the 1970 suit was brightly coloured but all it really needed was to be a darker shade of red and blue to translate perfectly into the real world. Yeah I know in the Sam Raimi and Mark Webbs films is essentially the same pattern but with the darker colour and texture fabrics. But it’s still mortal the same suit from the comics. Spider-Man didn’t get a bright costume until he ended up in the MCU but when he did that they had to give him a bunch of crap on a suit.

[@racool911]

A bunch of crap on a suit?

[@oakleyhasafoot7878]

@@racool911 the black line stuff. (Idk what to call them)

[@racool911]

@@oakleyhasafoot7878 Isn't that in all of the spiderman costumes?

[@elgenialbap]

The spiderweb pattern?

[@SaiTurtlesninjaNX]

@@racool911 The back bans on the suit.

[@joshuajouet]

Great video, thank you. Reminds me of the stroke of genius the movie Alien (1979) made regarding its design. Everything to do with the human crew was Ron Cobb, with the Alien itself and most of its associated artefacts designed by HR Giger. This approach ensured that the two areas (human and alien), were totally at odds in terms of design aesthetic. Brilliant. Perhaps the MCU needed to have adapted a similar philosophy with costume design. Great vid, really enjoyed it.

[@Sercil00]

I remember Tobey Maguire's Spiderman costume being possibly the first one that really stuck out. It looked much less like a children's costume. Now how Peter Parker, someone with no time, no money and no costume making skills just keeps whipping out insane suits like these overnight is a question we'll never know the answer to. But it's a great costume.

[@commietearsdrinker]

We're months into the next phase, and almost every hero is getting their new costume (Wanda as cited, Spiderman in the most recent movie, Falcon also got a new one, as did Hawkeye) so I don't think this is as much of a concern as it was before, plus a lot of people here raise good points regarding the suits. While they are a reflection of each character's personality, it would make sense that they would have similar design/material choices, as to achieve the most optimal and practical uniform possible, specially considering a lot of them worked on the same team. At the end of the day, we can always rely on these characters to have distinctive fighting abilities and personalities to distinguish them.

[@brodee0]

I always wondered how batman has the most strategical mind in the universe, but wears a spandex suit when fighting villains like bane, who's known for pretzeling people

[@draco_1876]

He wears armor not spandex

[@Jokin_Jake]

It's always a good day when a Nerdstalgic video releases

[@Arkthus]

Why Shang-Chi has an armor? Maybe because he has to fight his father's army, and needs to have body protection? I don't know... that would feel very off if he was in a kimono while being in close-combat with an army of other kung-fu fighters...

[@krp6680]

4:10 Jason Statham as Hawkeye in Pink costume. I cant unsee that now!

[@DeterminedVeteran]

Recently found the channel and really enjoying the content

[@The_D0C70R]

One thing I’d like to note is that spandex looks great with Spider-Man. The suit is TASM 2 is damn near the best live action adaptation of a costume EVER.

[@aidanklobuchar1798]

I'd argue for the influence of Morrison's _New X-Men_ over the _Ultimates_ as it came out a year earlies (and Millar is a hack known for stealing from Morrison). It definitely influenced the first batch of X-Men movies which passed on the influence to the MCU and other superhero movies. Though _Ultimates_ definitely had a huge impact as well.

[@tooply6739]

really well made video, love the editing!!

[@camo5023]

love your content man. one of the few things that i look forward to in life

[@CaptainTae]

You skipped Neal Adams and just jizzed over the Ultimates. Pretty weak.

[@kchishol1970]

Agreed, it was Adams, an artist of undeniable drawing talent, who made the first serious attempt to visualize Batman as he could have existed in the real world.

[@duoandaone3223]

This is one of things that DC got extremely right. The costumes actually do look like they are from different parts of the world, from different cultures and unique to every one of them. They dont look like one person made all the costumes of every character

[@DamianLewberg]

i love the nerdstalgic channel! keep it up!!

[@ThatoGololo]

Great video and very interesting take and I know this isn't your job because I cant come up with one either right now but I wish I got to hear whether there are any solutions to this issue. I completely agree that the costumes are a problem in some points but what alternatives are there to try make the suits comic accurate as well as fit the theme?

[@grimfin3214]

I actually really like the similarities in costume, because it kind of implies that different characters from different worlds and cultures would come to find somewhat similar solutions to really basic challenges. The devil is n the details then

[@bonsloweffect1449]

They do feel the same but look that’s a stretch but… also look at the times we are in how they modernised the suits perfectly

[@senonimoustv2497]

I have been waiting for years for somebody to bring this up.

[@KnowYourCraft]

Thank you for answering a question out loud that I've been asking myself in my own head.

[@snowy2242]

I like how spiderman is the only super hero who can be well translated into the MCU because in the comics, he also wears spandex

[@theomnigamer9177]

Which is a shame because all of Tom Hollands Spidey suits are a CGI-Fest. That isn’t to say I don’t like them, but it’s because they have real versions of the suit and that Holland wore on set. However it gets covered by all the CGI. If there is a villain that will get translated very well because of trying to be “grounded” and armourery, while being recognizable, it will most likely be Dr Doom. Dr Doom looked great with the mask and hood in Fantastic 4 (2005) film, he could’ve done better with the robes given what we got. In Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) he looked more like himself, only the colours were very muted and practically absent. Given the MCU’s direction with design I think Doom will look fine. They just need look at what he’s looked like in the past 15 years of comics. (I’m going to die on the inside if they ruin their consistency just in time for Doom)

[@chancekuehnel8448]

The obvious problem is always "how do they go to the bathroom" 😄

[@JustKrin]

As Christian Bale put it, that's the most important thing in accepting the Batman role

[@lonewalkerproductions]

Always happy to see your videos!

[@luna-lp6qg]

I think they’re starting to change with Moon Knight, his suit is very unique to him. I thought it was brilliant to use mummy-like wrapping for his suit. I think we will see wanda’s outfit change as well in multiverse of madnesss, in the trailer the suit looked a lot of fabric-y.

[@markoliver2877]

Also worth noting! The same-ness between everyone comes down to palette, everything is a grey version of the comic counterpart, and that’s BEFORE running it through the Marvel blue-grey filter. Always bugged me. Great video as always

[@mastergoose1035]

The one costume which I think fits real life perfectly is Daredevil's black costume. I think it even looks better than the red suit.

[@LynnHermione]

Spandex is comfy and doesn't catch on things, if i was Invulnerable I'd wear spandex too

[@someguy2315]

I wish this idea was taken more with Superman. So many looks nowadays try to make him look dark and cool which kinda undermine the point. He's supposed to appear friendly and easygoing. Like, why would he need to be intimidating, he's goddamn Superman. If anyone could get away with spandex, it should be him

[@IR088Y]

The new suicide squad did good with the goofy costumes actually like it gives them more character

[@kickmuse]

Nolan's batman was first on having a grounded costume for the movies

[@HydroniteTB]

To be fair almost every gadget and part of Batman in the movie was very grounded

[@ChateauLonLon]

X-Men started the trend, even if it wasn't *really* that realistic. Though I guess you could say Burton's Batman started it too.

[@havoc14]

Only if you ignore Blade, the Rocketeer, the X-Men, Daredevil, the Punisher... even the Mystery Men had grounded costumes before Nolan's Batman

[@l0u13__3]

I love some of the ultimates designs I had an idea of a Spider-Man prototype suit that had been created from free running and sporting athletic gear from a sports shop just adding a pair of swimming goggles or something and a spider logo onto a hoodie with a felt tip

[@Nicholash69]

This was great! Specific and interesting topic.

[@TheFiddleFaddle]

I think Steve Rogers is a perfect example of the counterargument here: his best looking suits were the most rugged, realistic ones, like his outfit from WWII. His Avengers costume was as close to comics accurate as we got...and it really did do nothing for his ass.

[@thomaswindisch6057]

Lol he's really trying so hard to have a meaningful conclusion. The MCU costumes are not all the same. He starts by explaining why copying the comics doesn't work and then complains that they aren't copying the comics anymore. Like....

[@christophelombardi7810]

Interesting video but not what I was expecting. If someone were to ask me what the ONE problem with superhero costumes was, my first though would be: what do they do in case of a toilet emergency? Lol

[@simoneklund9393]

i really enjoyed this and would love to hear more of your thoughts on the topic its very interesting

[@JoshuaGonzalez-sr7xy]

I kinda like the goofy look. At least they had a good time. Not down and dead inside. Bring spandex back!

[@kennisonkeys7419]

Love your commentary

[@func_e]

wow, this is really cool! I love learning about obscure history of stuff like this

[@capthappy8884]

Im hoping you get to the primary reason for form-fitting costumes from the first few decades of comics...its easier and faster to draw and redraw accurately if all you have to worry about is drawing the human form. Im an illustrator and thankfully, the industry has seen a willingness to put the extra time into making the outfits more practical and therefore, more believable. You hit most of the points/reasons for the change well and accurately, but it surprises me sometimes how often the real reason is overlooked or not conceived of in the first place.

[@arischannel5200]

Omg finally someone talks about this. I've been thinking the same thing for years. One my my biggest issues with these costumers is the over detailed lines of leather and plastic. I think they look really cool but they fail to explain their functions or why they're even necessary. Aside from that I am tired of everyone in the MCU who wears a helmet just disappears off in stead of doing detailed functional mechanism or just simply taking it off. The helmets just now vanish off the characters like if they all had nano tech which is lazy and lackluster in my opinion. It's a pet peeve and I know it's probably due to budget but damn.

[@jamesmacleod9382]

Yeah what is Cap carrying in all those little pouches on his belt anyway? Personally I hate how everyone rips their mask off at the first chance,so they can emote (I'm supposing).Comic book Spider- man never takes his mask off except for the change to civvies.

[@rakoonshampoo2608]

@@jamesmacleod9382 Do they ever explain how Spider-Man breathes in that thing?

[@rakoonshampoo2608]

It’s really hard to do CGI for helmets coming on and off in outdoor or ambient conditions because the cast shadows never look right, so they try to get through it as fast as possible. You’ll see this kind of thing in Iron Man 2 on the race track, they just speed through his helmet closing so they don’t have to worry about the cast shadows.

[@LordMooshroom]

How can you complain that lines on a costume have no use? They exist to look cool. The whole costume is meant to look cool, in universe.

[@PabloKMorillo]

somehow cosplayers are able to make comic accurate costumes work with not even 1% of a studio's budget. the matrix had such a huge impact everything became plastic/leather and dark for decades since its release. maybe one day there will be some color & material variation beyond the kick ass films

[@JustKrin]

But cosplayers don't have to do 50 flips and go under the conditions that exist in a movie set. I love cosplayers but that is a bad comparison

[@PabloKMorillo]

@@JustKrin check out the @batinthesun channel on utube because there have been fan films with similar stunts, it's a fair comparison. plus wearing the costume all day at a convention for 3 days at a time vs having scene specific versions of a costume for shots at a time in a major motion picture still makes it seem like cosplayers are doing more with less.

[@JustKrin]

@@PabloKMorillo I remember a couple of fan films with incredible suits that's true. Then again there's a lot of behind the scenes stuff I don't know anything about. But the movies suit need to be wear for months, they have to work with specific lighting, weather, they need to do suits if the main one breaks and also to the stunt doubles.

[@PabloKMorillo]

@@JustKrin facts, krin. facts. i think ultimately though we can agree that studio and fan productions both work hard and the costume design choices in films is just that, a choice, and not because comic accurate costumes can't be done right?

[@JustKrin]

@@PabloKMorillo one hundred percent agree. At the end of the day I think everyone wants to do the best job they can

[@Me-wx1mt]

it's funny to think how robin's costume evolved going from spandex tights/collared shirt with no pants to battle armor and a bow staff. it's funny to think how spider-man's costume would look if it was translated that way. if he had armor instead of just spandex lol

[@divine4fi244]

Audio quality is amazing.

[@apedestrian3899]

Although I would definitely be interested in them taking more risks with their costumes, I don't see this pattern as a glaring issue. Just like the difference between golden age marvel and ultimates marvel, there is a distinct style to their universes. The MCU is it's own Marvel universe, so having their own costume homogeny is simply continuing the trend we've always seen in comics.

[@donstrong9195]

Yeah, I've always felt like you could make the costumes a bit more comic accurate and a bit more unique

[@MRossiron]

Amazing video Amazing analysis Keep up the good work, shout out from Brazil

[@OHCAM5]

Not really

[@qjitsu]

I think just like in the comic books where brightly colored spandex was how you identified as a "super hero" , the new aesthetic is simply a visual language which identifies an article of clothing as a "super hero costume". On another note how do you go from spandex and campy 80's attempts to ultimates without so much as a mention of the evolution of costumes during the 90's with looks like Jim Lee's X-Men and pretty much everything Rob Leifield came up with?