In the course of adapting their comic book properties to film and TV, Marvel has made
some pretty big changes to their classic characters.
While some changes have been for the best, others have risked losing the magic that made
those characters great in the first place.
Crack open a longbox and take a look at how these Marvel characters should really look.
Daredevil
Netflix's Daredevil series keeps to gritty, street-level heroics instead of the usual
globe-trotting Avengers fare, so naturally, producers were nervous about undermining this
realistic approach with simple red spandex.
Daredevil spent most of the first season fighting crime in cargo pants and a black handkerchief
mask, all without his famous double Ds.
When he finally donned a superheroic costume, the comics' vivid red color scheme skewed
more maroon, and most notably, the traditional skintight costume was ditched in favor of
reinforced leather, accented in black.
It's more armored than what we've seen in the comic pages, probably because getting
hit by nunchucks and swords really hurts.
And by the end of the first season, Daredevil finally gets the bright idea to wear a horned
helmet instead of, well, nothing.
Let's not even touch this guy's ridiculous first comic appearance...which pretty much
proved he was totally blind.
Elektra
The biggest problem with comic book Elektra is that no self-respecting female warrior
would be caught dead fighting in a skintight swimsuit in the real world.
And Elektra, for some reason, is usually drawn covered in so many wafting scarves that she
looks like Steven Tyler's microphone stand.
She's the very definition of an impractically dressed assassin.
She never even has a place to put her sais.
Give the poor woman a holster or something, at least.
Jeans, a sleeveless shirt, and a mask to hide her identity?
That's far more in line with practical assassin gear, and live-action Elektra wears it well,
opting for the same real-world practicality as Matt Murdock.
Though we'll see how crazy things can get if Elektra somehow returns for season three.
Luke Cage
He may have never adopted the skintight getup popular with other superheroes, but Luke Cage's
original outfit was still pretty goofy, featuring a silver headband and a yellow blouse open
to the waist.
While that look undoubtedly killed at Studio 54, it didn't outlast the '70s.
By 1992, it was considered so cringeworthy that Luke was shown tearing it to pieces on
the cover of his own comic.
However, it does get a fun shout-out in the TV series, which sees Luke grab a yellow shirt
to wear while still sporting the metallic headpiece and cuffs from the experiment that
gave him superpowers.
Live-action Luke Cage prefers darker clothes and hoodies, which wasn't simply an aesthetic
choice.
Star Mike Colter told MTV News that the dark hoodie was...
"...symbolic because of Trayvon Martin.
We talked about that specifically, what that would mean to people and the feelings it would
evoke in viewers.
[...] What this show says politically resonates profoundly."
Kilgrave
The nemesis of Jessica Jones, the Purple Man is arguably one of Marvel's most terrifying
villains.
Originally a spy named Zebediah Killgrave, a chemical accident turned his skin purple
and gave him the ability to command complete obedience.
In Jessica Jones, Kilgrave keeps his mind control powers and the suit, but loses the
comic book backstory and purple skin.
His "Purple Man" nickname is never mentioned, and even "Killgrave" turns out to be an alias
used to hide his sinister true identity: Kevin Thompson.
Without purple skin, Kevin looks like everyone else, hiding his nightmarish powers in plain
sight, which is arguably much more terrifying.
Plus, it's easier just to make him look like a perfectly unremarkable evil British guy,
who kind of looks like he's a candidate for being the next Doctor Who.
The Punisher
It's kind of hard to mess up the Punisher — just dress an angry guy in a black T-shirt
and hand him a gun.
Luckily, Jon Bernthal not only looks the part, but does a spectacular job of portraying a
damaged soldier mentally spiraling downward in the wake of immense tragedy.
Anybody in a skull shirt and leather can pass for a decent Frank Castle, but to be able
to make The Punisher believable?
That's much harder to pull off.
Bernthal might not always sport the iconic skull, but even without it, the guy is unmistakeable.
"Now I can ask you face to face.
Who was there that day?
Who killed my family?"
The Kingpin
Kingpin's traditional purple pants and white jacket never made it beyond a quick reference
in the first season of Daredevil, probably because the outfit is completely ridiculous.
Comic book Kingpin's ascot also seems to be an upper-crust fashion relic that didn't make
it into the new millennium.
In its place around Vincent D'Onofrio's neck is…nothing.
Not even a tie.
Instead, Wilson Fisk wears the finest suits.
Then again, he could be wearing clown shoes, boxer shorts, and a tank top, and he would
still look like Kingpin.
There are few actors on Earth who'd look better in the role.
Netflix and Marvel must thank their lucky stars everyday for the gift that is D'Onofrio.
"And when one comes across someone with such talent, with such a gift.
Well, you don't let that go to waste."
"No.
No, you don't."
The Owl
Leland Owlsley underwent the biggest comics-to-screen change of any Daredevil character.
In terms of personality, both are financiers of criminal enterprises, but beyond that they
differ wildly.
Netflix's Leland is a bespectacled and bow-tied walking suit.
Comic book Leland, or the Owl as he's better known, looks so much like Wolverine that it's
not difficult to mistake the two animal-themed weirdos.
Older versions of The Owl look a lot more whimsical, sporting a green, Sherlock Holmes-like
Ulster coat, and occasionally, he wore a big ridiculous red bowtie around his neck that
made his head look like an extravagantly wrapped Christmas gift.
It's also not clear if Daredevil's stuffy, nerdy Owl had hollow bones, deadly talons,
or the ability to glide...but we're guessing not.
Thanos
The evil alien overlord Thanos has already made a big impact in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, despite standing up for only about 30 seconds.
His love of sitting is very true to the comics, where the character's inventively named "Space
Throne" can travel between dimensions.
Compared to the comics, Thanos' costume has been updated to give him a more armored look,
replacing skin-tight space spandex.
The blue-and-gold color scheme remains, and his helmet is now a separate piece instead
of being connected to the neck plate.
The character's traditional purple complexion actually did make an appearance in The Avengers,
but was replaced with a milder blue by Guardians of the Galaxy.
Maybe he just needs to work on his space-tan.
Loki
Tom Hiddleston's Loki has mostly stuck close to the source material, although he's yet
to match his comic equivalent's gleeful mischievousness, like turning Thor into a frog, for example.
His costume remains fairly faithful to the comics, and even his famous horned helmet
makes a few appearances.
The main change is the same one most comics adaptations make: switching Loki's classic
skintight catsuit for something a little less revealing.
The costume has also been toned down a little, with darker greens and less vivid gold trimmings.
That said, Loki is a shapeshifter, spending notable periods of the comic as a child, a
woman, a magical unicorn, and he can even pop off his own head when he feels like it...so
it's hard to say for sure what the character should really look like.Thanks a lot for being
totally unpredictable, Loki!
"No, thank you."
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