The 10 Superhero Franchises With The Best Costume Design

This is very much the era of the superhero franchise. Of course, the comics that have gone on to inspire this empire of capes have consistently come up with visually stunning and innovative attires. Yet, in the world of movies and TV, costume designers have had to adapt these looks and find their own voice.

One of the most crucial aspects that any superhero franchise has to get right is the costuming. A large part of any production, these suits are even more important within the genre, as they are the suits of armor that these iconic characters wear into battle. They have to be symbolic of the hero’s core message yet practical and memorable. It’s certainly no easy feat to accomplish.

10 The Incredibles

When thinking about the most fantastical costumes from the genre, it’s easy to look to the comics first and trace the line from source material to screen. Pixar on the other hand decided to create their own family of powered individuals, who are perhaps just as iconic as anything from DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, or various other properties.

While Edna Mode is certainly the woman credited with these inventive costumes within the world of The Incredibles, it’s the talented animation team and concept artists who have forged these sleek superhero outfits. Both the original film and the sequel play off retro imagery while also bringing a flavor not seen within any other franchise.

9 Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe covers a huge array of heroes and villains from the source material. From the Netflix heroes to the shows seen on Disney+ and ABC, alongside any other franchise linked into this ongoing superhero serial, the costumes have simply gotten better with time.

Through diverse colors and bold choices, Marvel Studios has pushed the boundaries of what’s expected from the wardrobes of characters within their superhero landscape. The costumes designers of the MCU are the best of the best.

8 The Boys

The Boys was Prime Video’s take on the superhero series, which can originally be found amongst the pages of Dynamite Entertainment comics from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. While the costuming across the board is impressive, the most visually stunning pieces are within the team known as the Seven.

Influenced by the source material and the Justice League, the vibrancy of the colors, the armored detailing within the garments, and the combination of both comic book and authentic elements within these designs make the work of Laura Jean Shannon really stand out. The end result is both contemporary and somehow classic.

7 Jupiter’s Legacy

Jupiter’s Legacy is Netflix’s own original superhero show, inspired by the work of Mark Millar at Image. The first installment of the MillarWorld properties, visually, the show had to knock it out of the park, especially in regards to bringing these characters to life.

What makes these costumes pop is that they play with familiar themes but twist them in new ways. Lizz Wolf joined the project to capture the essence of each of these characters within their suits and it shows. She notes that the totems were a vital aspect of the designs.

6 Invincible

Another animated feature and a Prime Video project based upon the work of Skybound Entertainment and created by Robert Kirkman alongside Cory Walker, the costumes of Invincible feel as if they have been established for some time.

The TV show visually pulls directly from the source material, with very little room to really play around with the designs. The original work put to the page is perfect for bringing into the realms of animation. The costumes carry a kinetic energy that might be difficult to imbue in live-action, especially amongst the Teen Team.

5 Kick-Ass

There are plenty of movies about powerless vigilantes, but one of the most notable is the Mark Millar-inspired Icon and Image Comics Kick-Ass. What’s special about these designs is that they had to feel homemade in a way that none of the others do on this list.

Created in a world where heroes and villains are relatively new, these costumes have to be practical first and foremost because this world is as realistic as it gets. The authenticity of the designs on screen is courtesy of Sammy Sheldon, who found the more nefarious costumes far more complex to create.

4 Power Rangers

Power Rangers is a TV show that has been going for multiple decades and yet continues to reinvent itself every couple of years. All of the costumes throughout the show pull from the same thread of ideas, while also combining brand new themes and the familiar colors of the characters.

SPD, Dino Rangers, Pirates, and of course, the original designs are all memorable iterations, but the most shocking thing about these suits is that they continue to be completely versatile despite all coming from the very same foundation back in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. 

3 Worlds Of DC

The DC Universe some of the most iconic costuming of all time. The imagery amongst the pages of those original comic books is completely timeless. Amongst the brand’s new Worlds Of DC franchising is some truly incredible on-screen work.

Depending on the reality involved, there are some genuinely realistic attempts to bring these suits to life and some over-the-top, incredible designs that pay great homage to the source material.

2 The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is far from a normal superhero TV show. While the show sometimes plays around with the visual elements involved in the original comic, the work of Dark Horse and creator Gerard Way is still very much intact on screen.

It isn’t easy to take some of these concepts and breathe life into them. A basic uniform could play off as boring, and a fish bowl head may be too complex. Designer Christopher Hargadon knew he had to play into the eccentric personalities of the characters for their wardrobes to really work.

1 The Tick

Before Invincible and TheBoys, Prime Video and Amazon attempted to bring an almost impossible series to the small screen: The Tick. Wacky, outrageous, and almost laughable, it would have been easy to hold back on the costuming for these outlandish characters.

In spite of this, Ben Edlund’s original newspaper mascot was given new life, alongside the franchise’s many villains and allies. The animalistic elements of the characters were heavily leaned into and what could have been dulled down was instead made even more fun thanks to Colleen Atwood’s eye for detail and desire to push her stellar work.

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