10 Best Live-Action Superhero Suits
5. Wonder Woman – Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Appearing first in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costume was designed by Michael Wilkinson as a form of Amazonian battle armor, rather than a traditional superhero outfit, evocative of the character’s appearance in the New 52 line of comics.
It is made of a bronze, gold and red color palette, with the materials resembling metal and leather, giving it a more ancient and warrior-like feel. This approach grounds the character in her mythological roots, emphasizing her role as a warrior princess from Themyscira.
Breaking down the costume, the knee-high boots add to the practicality, allowing Wonder Woman to skid on her knees during combat, which makes her action scenes fast paced and fun to watch. Furthermore, the chest logo cleverly doubles up as a W, in line with the characters branding, and an eagle as a nod to Zeus and Diana’s god heritage. The costume has been widely praised for striking a balance between strength, practicality and femininity.
Unlike some earlier portrayals of female superheroes, this costume avoids over-sexualization, reflecting modern sensibilities about woman empowerment in an effort to redefine how women superheroes are portrayed in cinema.
4. Spider-Man – Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Most people agree that the modern superhero blockbuster came to prominence with X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002). While the former took note from The Matrix with its all-black leather costumes – even including a line of dialogue to poke fun at the comic book costumes – Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man embraced the eccentricities of the source material. And its 2004 sequel only further cemented that.
Differences between Spider-Man 2’s costume and that of the first film’s are minimal but noteworthy. The costume features a deep, rich red and blue colour scheme, faithful to its origins. The unique fabric gives it a sleek and shiny appearance that really pops during the web-slinging sequences. The logo is also noticeably bigger, embracing Spider-Man’s iconography.
One of the most distinct aspects of Raimi’s Spider-Man costume is the raised webbing. This three-dimensional element adds depth to the suit and makes it stand out compared to other Spider-Man adaptations. The webbing is meticulously designed to flow seamlessly across the suit, enhancing the visual appeal. This also makes the suit one of the most cinematic on this list, as it lends itself to good lighting. The whole mood of any given shot can be enhanced by the reflectiveness of the suit’s webbing.
Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland have some great suits too, but it’s Tobey Maguire’s wall-crawler who takes the lead on this one.
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3. Batman – The Batman (2022)
As one of the most popular fictional characters ever, there have been numerous feature film takes on Batman. This has naturally led to a plethora of Batsuits, and many to pick from on a list such as this.
Michael Keaton’s Batsuit was gothic, with its stiffness intentionally like that of a gargoyle. Christian Bale’s was more militaristic and tactical, which matched Christopher Nolan’s more grounded approach. Ben Affleck’s successfully took note from the bulkier designs of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns”. Robert Pattinson’s batsuit is markedly different – it’s patched together and rough around the edges, and yet the final product emits a darkness and sophistication that is perfect for what we understand of the Caped Crusader.
Designed by Glyn Dillon and David Crossman, the black and grey is a nice change from the usual all-black look, and the shorter cape subtly indicates a younger and less-experienced Batman. Echoing the art of Lee Bermejo and representing the clear influence of the ‘Arkham’ games, the suit is textured and can be easily segmented, adding to that ‘put together’ feel. The practicality is at an all-time high for Batman, with his most flexible suit yet and even some newfound functionality, such as the emblem doubling as a detachable blade.
In many ways, it’s the ultimate Batsuit, with several nods to previous interactions. Like Christian Bale’s suit, there’s influence from tactical gear, while the stitching around the forehead and nose of the cowl is similar to that of Adam West’s costume. In addition, the openness of the cowl’s chin area gives Pattinson’s overall head shape a skull motif, which would feel at home in a Tim Burton film. This openness also allows Pattinson to be more emotive – granting us a better look into his psyche.
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THE ULTIMATE BATSUIT!!! <333