Getting the costume right is an integral part of any comic book film.
As we all know by now, fans will painstakingly dissect each and every component of the suit
to ensure that it’s up to par.
The reaction to a superhero’s outfit could make or break the movie before it’s even
released.
And sometimes, the one seen in the final product isn’t even the first design.
As creators search for an iconic look for their characters, they go through several
variations, some of which could have been a disaster.
Here are 10 most WTF unused superhero costumes of all-time.
Batman
Just about everything about Batman is ingrained in pop culture.
This of course includes the famous Batsuit, which is meant to inspire fear in the hearts
of Gotham City criminals.
But originally, the Dark Knight was going to have a very different appearance.
Co-creator Bob Kane presented Bill Finger with one possibility, which saw Bruce Wayne
wearing a red leotard, two large wings, and a typical “domino” mask instead of a cape
and cowl.
Fortunately for everyone, Finger vetoed the design and the one agreed upon is the one
viewers are still familiar with today.
Deadpool
After Fox screwed up Deadpool in X-Men: Origins Wolverine, the filmmakers got a mulligan to
do the Merc With a Mouth justice.
The Deadpool solo movie features one of the most page accurate costumes to date, but there’s
an alternate reality where fans didn’t get to see it.
During the conceptual stage, artists designed numerous suits for Wade Wilson, including
one that looked like a Jason Vorhees rip-off.
Luckily, star Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller were committed to getting everything
about the beloved character “right” for the film, and the results paid off handsomely.
If they went with something else, maybe the movie doesn’t break records.
Alien TMNT
When Michael Bay signed on to produce a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, fans feared for
the worse, and the rumor mill didn’t do much to calm them down.
It was reported that the heroes in a half shell would be aliens instead of the traditional
turtles, an unforgivable alteration of the source material.
Bay claimed that was false, but concept art suggests otherwise.
In it, the Ninja Turtles appear extraterrestrial in nature, resembling the stereotypical “green
man” alien with a turtle shell on the back.
The Turtles’ actual design in the films stirred up some controversy, but it’s worth
remembering that it could have been a lot worse.
Tech Spider-Man
Spider-Man has one of the most recognizable costumes in all of comics, so filmmakers have
a pretty good idea of what they have to stick to for the movies.
Sam Raimi’s trilogy featured a nice interpretation, as did the Amazing Spider-Man reboot.
But for the sequel, potential redesigns were considered.
One looked like something Spider-Man 2099 would wear, appearing futuristic.
The overuse of blue is definitely a contrast from the familiar color scheme, and the thin
spider logo across the front is barely noticeable.
Not to mention, the eyes look robotic.
Tom Holland’s Spidey is getting some tech upgrades from Tony Stark, but nothing like
this.
Colossus
Deadpool didn’t have too many X-Men cross over into his solo film, but one main player
was Colossus, who was designed to be more loyal to the comics than the versions seen
in previous movies.
Fans were appreciative of this, but they would have had a completely different reaction if
another version was used.
The initial look from the earlier X-Men films was meant to be carried over into Deadpool,
giving the sleek Colossus a hood to make him look cooler than ever before.
Renderings of this highlights an unfortunate comparison to Anakin Skywalker from Revenge
of the Sith, so luckily this was scrapped for what we saw in the final product.
Superman Lives
Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, and now Henry Cavill all definitely look the part
of Superman in their respective films.
The Man of Steel could have gone down a bizarro path if the planned reboot Superman Lives
had ever come into fruition.
The story is infamous by now; none other than Nicolas Cage was cast as Clark Kent, and he
got as far as costume testing.
The suit was… different to say the least.
It appeared to be made out of shiny plastic and the iconic “S” on the chest was squished
up.
It was a far cry from anything we’ve seen on-screen to date and as much fun as it would
have been to see Cage playing Superman, we’re happy this didn’t become a reality.
Falcon
Each installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe adds to the franchise’s vast roster of characters,
and one new inclusion featured in Captain America: The Winter Soldier was Falcon.
For modern film audiences, his costume had to be upgraded to be more mechanical and “Iron
Man like,” but it still maintained the general appearance of a Falcon, complete with wings.
Initially, Sam Wilson was going to resemble a plane more than a bird.
Concept art shows one variation that make Falcon look like a fighter jet, which definitely
would have rubbed fans the wrong way.
Even with the charismatic Anthony Mackie, it would have been hard to make this seem
convincing.
Batman: Year One
Before Christopher Nolan got the keys to the Batmobile, Darren Aronofsky was set to be
the auteur to bring Batman back to respectability.
His take on the property would have been very unique, with a street orphan Bruce befriending
a mechanic named “Little Al.”
The director had his own idea for Batman’s costume as well, and illustrations of it suggest
something like Victorian era steam punk.
While they do resemble the traditional Batman outfit somewhat, there are enough variations
– namely in the ears, neck, and utility belt – that make it seem like an odd fit
for the screen.
Sometimes, you can’t mess with the classics.
Black Panther
T’Challa is a reserved and stoic leader, and his simple suit is the ideal reflection
of that personality.
It’s so efficient that comics writers have seen little reason to change it over the years,
and the appearance has generally stayed the same since the character’s inception.
The original design for his costume could not have been more of a polar opposite, with
bright yellow and red colors, an elaborate cape, and even a “T” logo on his torso.
It seems like something that’s totally out of place and thankfully was changed before
the first comic was published.
Can you imagine this during the airport scene in Civil War?
Tim Burton’s Robin
Before Tim Burton was removed from Batman Forever, he did some pre-production work,
including figuring out a look for the Boy Wonder, Robin.
As one would expect, Burton had a different idea from Joel Schumacher, something that
was grounded in realism and resembled riot gear.
The outfit doesn’t look half bad, but certain elements raise and eyebrow or two.
Robin’s hairstyle seems to be pulled right from Wolverine and his mask is too close to
the comics version of Scarlet Witch.
There’s no denying this seems weird, but we have to admit, we’d take this over Bat
nipples any day of the week.
Those are our picks for some curious superhero designs that were fortunately unused.
Are there any we missed?
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