A distinctive aspect of superhero movies that deserves more credit than it’s afforded is costuming. A superhero film can have the most inane plot, with the most two-dimensional characters, and yet if they’re well-dressed and look cool, it becomes a passable venture. Marvel Studios, now heading towards Phase Four of its superhero universe, with a new Spider-man movie, and (hopefully) an all-new Black Widow standalone film, has had quite the successful run making Phase Three a visual feast. Phase Three of the MCU brought a cavalcade of well-dressed characters to audiences’ attention. It showed them the resplendent and vibrant fashions of Wakandan heroes in Black Panther, as well as continued to parade the grandeur of Asgardian looks in Thor: Ragnarok, with the help of some of the MCU's most stylish villains.
The fashion of a character is as much a part of their personality as their behavioral traits, and tells the unique story of the character over time. For some characters like Thor, the progression of his ensemble from Shakespearean extra to something like a Medieval X-Man, helps visually express his narrative as much as his trilogy of films. For characters like Okoye, her style of dress and presentation clearly distinguish her from every other female lead in Black Panther. And then there were the upgrades in armor! Phase Three gave us the films that completed several trilogies, with each ensuing battle requiring Iron Man, Captain America, and Bucky Barnes to slip into new outfits with better tech and better looks. Phase Four really needs to bring it because these best-dressed characters of Phase Three are only bound to look more awesome going forward!
26 HELA
As Cate Blanchett’s mesmerizing portrayal of Asgard’s reigning Goddess of the Underworld shows, a villain can be both deadly and beguiling. In the comics, she’s the daughter of an incarnation of Loki but in the film, Thor: Ragnarok, she is Odin’s firstborn who he had to banish to the Underworld for her bloodthirsty ways.
As appropriate for a ruler of her powers and influence, Hela sported a form fitting suit of black and jade, with majesty amplified by a sweeping cape and an elegant multi-horned headdress. She wielded the power of necromancy along with her superior strength and speed, and was eual if not more powerful to Thor and Loki.
25 BLACK PANTHER
Black Panther was an influential and critical blockbuster for several reasons, chief among them its unique and vibrant style. Introducing audiences to T’Challa’s homeland of Wakanda, Black Panther ushered in a world of great cultural distinction and the latest in high tech to the MCU. T’Challa’s suit, The Panther Habit, is a sleek Vibranium composite thread-based bodyglove to protect against damage, that charges with kinetic energy, and has retractable claws.
While superheroes like Iron Man sport armor and Spider-Man sports spandex, Black Panther’s ensemble is deadly, efficient, and looks much more streamlined than his fellow Avengers. He can also stay in communication with his tech genius sister, Shuri, with its internal communications array.
24 THOR (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR)
If you hadn’t seen Thor: Ragnarok and you only caught up with the God of Thunder in Avengers: Infinity War, chances are you were taken aback by his new look. Instead of his normal armor, which resembled a combination between a gladiator and knight, he donned a sleek, surprisingly elegant black set of armor. He retained his billowing red cape.
When Thor had been in the Grandmaster’s gladiator pit in Thor: Ragnarok, he’d had his flaxen locks forcibly shaven. And where once he had to wear an eyepatch to cover a wound, Avengers: Infinity War saw him sporting an artificial eye and wielding a shiny new battleaxe.
23 SCARLET WITCH (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR)
When Scarlet Witch first appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron, she was instrumental in evacuating civilians from Sokovia, where The Avengers had their hands full keeping Ultron at bay. Though young, with a crude understanding of her powers, her help was vitally important.
As Scarlet Witch has matured and come into her own as a full fledged member of the Avengers, her clothing has followed suit. In Avengers: Infinity War, she sports black leather pants, boots, and a dark red leather trench coat that compliments her flaming red hair. She also sports a pair of fingerless red leather gloves to match and give her a tougher look.
22 IRON SPIDER (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR)
Any young superhero worth their cowl has a dream of joining The Avengers and legitimizing their crusade for justice. At the conclusion of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony Stark (Spider-Man’s biggest hero) gives him a personal invite to come to Avengers Headquarters and become an Avenger and even gives the teen a new Spidey suit.
Though Peter Parker doesn’t take him up on his offer at the time (he wants to stay in school), circumstances force his hand and in Avengers: Infinity War, he appears wearing the custom “Iron Spider” suit Tony made for him, complete with extendable limbs that are useful when taking on Thanos and his minions.
21 VULTURE
Vulture came in the arresting trappings of a working class captain of industry with a charming disposition and a taste for the finer things (the sheer size of his house alone proves it). The father of Peter Parker’s high school crush, he had a salvage business that made it a point to track down all the best bits of tech that ended up as scrap thanks to The Avengers battles with various extraterrestrial threats.
With a suit constructed from Chitauri technology, the Vulture was one of the most impressive looking villains in the MCU that wasn’t from another planet. Plus, he was played by Michael Keaton, who had the ability to be disarmingly approachable until the fatal moment when he became lethal.
20 HOPE PYM
Following in the footsteps of her mother, Janet van Dyne the original Wasp, Hope Pym is the daughter of famous particle physicist Hank Pym, the first Ant-Man. The sequel of the much anticipated Ant-Man movie sees her finally taking on the mantle of The Wasp, a role her mother lost when a mission failed and she was lost to the quantum realm.
Ant-Man and The Wasp finally showcases Evangeline Lily’s character unrestrained, and audiences get to see her fighting style, know her causes, and marvel at the special suit her father designed just for her (complete with wings). She is graceful, deadly, and extremely competent given it’s a role she’s trained for all her young life.
19 CAPTAIN AMERICA (CIVIL WAR)
From the first Captain America to Captain America: Winter Soldier, Cap had been through a lot. He’d seen the atrocities of WWII, been frozen in ice and thawed out 70 years in the future, and had to readjust to modern life. Add to that he had to fight his best friend, a Hydra-brainwashed Bucky Barnes, and it’s no surprise both his demeanor and look took a dark turn.
In Captain America: Civil War, the debate of regulating superheroes and their powers drives a line between Steve Rogers and his fellow Avengers. His suit is no longer the star-spangled patriotic monkey suit it once was; he is as tactical as his mind is sharp, and the aesthetic is brutally efficient.
18 DOCTOR STRANGE
Despite having an arsenal of spells at his disposal and chic greying temples, Dr. Strange has one of the more unique superhero getups. Doctor Strange introduced a mystical aspect to the MCU, more akin to the Thor trilogy than Iron Man. It also often took place between two worlds: reality and a series of alternate dimensions.
Dr. Strange most often sported a dark blue tunic, black boots, and a deep red cape with a high dramatic collar. The cape was sentient, and often had a mind of it’s own (though it did often protect Strange from a variety of threats). Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange was dashing and romantic looking, with the look to back it up.
17 MICHELLE “MJ” JONES
Spider-Man: Homecoming was a box office success for two reasons: it played off the traditional tropes long time fans of Spider-Man had come to expect, and it updated them for a modern audience. Peter Parker was still a kid in high school, he still needed to grow into his super powers, but he was also a little more street-wise and a little less nerdy, and MJ wasn’t obsessed with him.
Michelle “MJ” Jones (not to be confused with Mary Jane Watson of previous films and comics) was a part of his debate club and a bit of an anti-social misfit. Extremely smart and precocious, she wasn’t afraid to be selective with her friendships, and she was curious about Parker for his mind not his bod.
16 GHOST
The main antagonist in Ant-Man and The Wasp, Ghost is an intriguing villain with a complex history and agenda. Ostensibly a highly trained mercenary with the skills of an elite corporate hacker, Ghost’s purpose is to take down corporate entities that they feel represents greed and gluttony indiscriminately, including the likes of Stark Industries.
Ghost’s gender was swapped in the film, so the mysterious male figure that Ghost became Ava Starr. Her svelte white suit holds a variety of high tech gadgets, allows her to walk through walls to completely conceal herself from view, and link up with databases to retrieve top secret information.
15 KAECILIUS
Before Stephen Strange trained under the Ancient One, they had another pupil, Kaecilius. A powerful sorcerer and former member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, his fragmented belief that he could save humanity from itself was over-shadowed by his belief that to do so required the opening of dangerous portals. Calling the interdimensional being Dormammu to Earth would not provide its salvation, only its destruction.
Clad in a saffron colored tunic, with his sandy-white hair pulled back and turquoise pigment around kohl rimmed eyes, he proved an arresting silhouette for a villain. Sadly, Mads Mikkelsen was underutilized in the part, and the complexity of his character fell flat. But at least he looked cool.
14 OKOYE
The King of Wakanda can only have the most elite bodyguards protecting him at all times. The captain of this esteemed cohort, the Dora Milaje, is Okoye, a warrior with a fashion sense as fierce as her combat skills. In Black Panther #1, she began her narrative as a wife-in-training to the King -- this was dropped for the Black Panther film, allowing Okoye to be more of an advisor.
She cuts a striking figure in her vibrant black and orange armor, with a series of gold bands around her neck. Like all members of the Dora Milaje, she carries a spear and shaves her head. Though it would seem aesthetics wouldn’t matter to a warrior of her caliber, her regal bearing suggests impressions matter.
13 THE GRANDMASTER
When Thor: Ragnarok premiered, audiences weren’t prepared for its colorful explosion of ‘80s-inspired pageantry. The Thor movies had always been a bit self-serious, with a superhero lead who, while self-effacing, often spoke like an understudy for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The much more light-hearted third installment in the trilogy about the Asgardian God introduced several characters specifically designed to lend it comic relief. It was like a breath of fresh Asgardian air that The Grandmaster appeared, played by a posturing Jeff Goldblum spouting double entendres and flashing painted nails. He wore makeup. He had a party yacht. He was an intergalactic casino owner. Every outfit he wore was trimmed in gold. What’s not to love?
12 RAMONDA
Ramonda, queen mother of Wakanda and the mother of T’Challa and Shuri, exudes a majestic strength that is tempered by her boundless compassion. Throughout Black Panther she wore a parade of cascading gowns and headdresses that reflected the native dress of her people. She is fiercely protective of her country and her son, whom she supported when he took up the Black Panther mantle from his father.
Though Erik Killmonger exiled her after usurping the throne from T’Challa, her resourcefulness drove her to a rival’s lands to unite them in the goal of deposing their common enemy. She was also able to attend to the wounds Killmonger had dealt her son with the Heart-Shaped Flower, ensuring the Black Panther would fight again.
11 VALKYRIE
Though most of the fashion in Thor: Ragnarok seemed to be reserved exclusively for Hela and the Grandmaster, Valkyrie emerged a strong contender for best dressed. Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie got to appear in two memorable outfits consisting of sleek leather armor, a blue half cape, and elaborate face makeup. Her battle outfit was somewhere between historical and science fiction, which is a unique take on the valkyrie of typical Norse mythology.
The contrast of Valkyrie’s no-nonsense, beer-swilling disposition with the ensembles she was given to wear created a fun paradox that made her character more interesting than it might have been otherwise.
10 THE WINTER SOLDIER
When Captain America came face to face with the Winter Soldier in Captain America: Winter Soldier, it wasn’t superhero versus foe: it was Steve Rogers staring into the eyes of his former brother in arms and best friend, Bucky Barnes, now a brainwashed pawn of Hydra. After the ensuing battle between them, Cap was able to convert Bucky to the good guys side, and he became an Avenger.
When Bucky Barnes appears again in Avengers: Infinity War, gone is the metal arm sporting a bright red Soviet star. He has a sleek gunmetal-gray arm, and a dark blue uniform. Instead of the hodgepodge outfit he was given by his former enemies, his allies made sure he was dressed appropriately for the team.
9 SHURI
Black Panther’s spunky teenage sister Shuri never gets left behind on her famous big brother’s missions -- she’s a vital part of their success. With her knowledge of engineering, chemistry, and the latest emerging technology, she’s been able to create fantastic gadgets, weapons, and vehicles for his use in fighting crime. She’s even been known to upgrade his suit from time to time to make it more “fashion forward” while still retaining its lethal components.
Shuri’s sense of style incorporates the traditional dress of her tribe, reflecting centuries of ancient customs, but is updated with a modern flair. And when she isn’t wearing street-style meets Wakandan Royalty, she’s dressed in battle armor, braids, and warpaint to help T’Challa take on his enemies.
8 MANTIS
Though the Mantis character introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 differed somewhat in appearance from the comic iteration (a notable lack of green skin), her distinct aesthetic was kept intact. The bodysuit she wears when Star-Lord and his crew come in contact with her was made from a material that shimmered like the wings of a beetle, giving her both an insectoid and extraterrestrial appearance.
Not many people can pull off looking like an insectoid with both choice of clothing and two antennae sprouting from their head, but Mantis succeeded because of her friendly disposition and willingness to accept outsiders as friends.
7 AYESHA
Ayesha has gone by many names in the Marvel comics, originally known as “Paragon” when she was created to be a superbeing by the Enclave in their Citadel of Science that resembled an intricate beehive. First having the appearance of a powerfully built human male, she overthrew her masters, sunk their citadel, and cocooned herself before emerging as the incredibly tall, willowy female form she would later be associated with.
When she hires Star-Lord and his crew to protect a valuable energy source for her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, she is depicted as a member of the Sovereign race. A royal figure, she is clad almost entirely in gold, from her skin to her garments, and is revered for her beauty and grace.