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Actors From The MCU Discuss What It's Really Like To Wear Superhero Costumes!

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By Waleed Ahmed

Sept. 12, 2024

There's a compelling reason why the MCU has never given comic book-inspired costumes much attention. The only person in history to look flawless in neon spandex is Christopher Reeve. Costume designers are fully aware that nothing has come close since Superman: The Movie. Early X-Men and Spider-Man films eschewed comic book-accurate attire in favour of more lifelike portrayals, but doing so had a price.

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The actors had to wear highly uncomfortable, thick, and constrictive clothing in addition to upsetting the audience by ditching the colourful spandex. Superhero performers and the numerous brilliant actors portraying supervillains have frequently discussed this issue. What looks fantastic on screen rarely feels good on the body. The inability of Batman to turn his head, Spider-difficulty Man's using the restroom, and other problems are typical of the genre.

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This list features stories, anecdotes, and comments made by MCU actors about their superhero costumes. Some liked the look and hated the feel, while others had an opposing point of view. Check out your favorite MCU actors down below, and be sure to upvote the best comments about what it was really like to wear their superhero costumes!

1. Chris Evans Thinks His Co-Stars' Costumes Are 'All Better Than [His]'

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Chris Evans has worn various disguises throughout his time as a superhero or villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His original WWII outfit was very similar to Captain America's in the comics, and it was updated for The Avengers in the twenty-first century. It's a fairly cool outfit, but it's nothing compared to the likes of Iron Man and Thor, who both have much more advanced armour.

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Evans doesn't have the highest esteem for his costume. He was asked if he thought he wore the best suit of any superhero during an interview with Taika Waititi on LADbible TV, which was conducted at the time. I may be biassed, but it's not the truth, he retorted. He continued by adding the following:

"It's the suit for him, and it works for him, but if we're measuring against all the Avengers, let's be honest: It's not the best. S***, they're all better than mine. Whether it's Scarlett [Johansson], whether it's [Chris] Hemsworth, whether it's Tom Holland…"

2. Paul Rudd Can't Scratch His Itches In His Ant-Man Suit

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As the new Ant-Man, Paul Rudd found his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he excelled in the role. After his character steals it, he dons Hank Pym's old suit, which is a wonderful suit. Although it looks good and seems useful, Rudd shouldn't wear it.

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If you've ever had a severe itch while wearing boots or clothing that you couldn't take off, you can understand Rudd's suffering. In an interview with E!, he discussed his opinions on the suit. Red Carpet Award Shows:

"The scenes outside are always the toughest. [The suits] don't breathe. In a way, it's like taking a 15-hour flight. You know it's not going to be fun, but when it's all said and done, you do it, and you're like, alright, that was fine. And then when it's over, you're like, that wasn't that bad."

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Rudd's solution to the itching problem due to the thickness of the costume was to ask whoever was standing beside him to punch him as hard as they could wherever the itch was, so he “was just getting beat up all the time.

3. Evangeline Lilly Loves The Look Of Her Incredibly Uncomfortable Suit

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In Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly didn't get the chance to dress up as a superhero and just got a glimpse of her outfit at the very end. She thankfully donned a suit in Ant-Man and the Wasp and has been a superhero in a cape ever since.

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The actress thinks her costume is rather spectacular and enjoys the way it looks, but not how it feels. She provided the following description of her attire in an interview with BackstageOL:

"I think my suit is killer. I think my suit is so cool. I think it's powerful, I think it's modern, it's strong, sexy. And it made me feel like a superhero. Do I have the most comfortable suit in the MCU, or have men not had the life experience of being uncomfortable for the sake of looking good? This is like, normal. I wear heels to work. I'm uncomfortable all day. I'm used to it. You tune it out.".

4. Tom Holland Has Gotten Good At 'Liking Pictures With [His] Nose'

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Spider-outfit Man's is perhaps the simplest to construct of all the MCU characters. Tom Holland is one of the few actors who is actually wearing a Lycra suit, something not all actors can pull off and look well in. Thankfully, that's not a problem for Tom Holland! Even so, the actor's face is frequently out of the sight for the majority of the film due to the head-to-toe outfit.

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There are some difficulties because all of that cloth covers his fingers and everything else. During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he explained, "I'm 23. I'm always on my phone. I've gotten really skilled at using my nose to like pictures." Drinking water while wearing the Spider-Man costume is risky because an accident is not an option, he added, adding that eating is difficult with the mask on and he must sip through one of his eyeholes.

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He also spoke about his difficulties using the restroom while appearing on Live With Kelly and Ryan. "Using the restroom while wearing the Spider-Man suit is a mission. 45 minutes in advance is required for planning.

5. Loki's Costume Is '30 Pounds Of Leather And Metal'

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Tom Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is definitely one of the best. You fail to remember that he previously started a war against Earth because of how beautifully he depicts a villain turned anti-hero. He is that talented. Loki has worn a variety of costumes during his time in the MCU. While paying tribute to the comic book character and making references to him or her, each one has something unique to give.

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Hiddleston revealed his costume was made of "30 pounds of leather and metal" when appearing on ABC's Nightline. He added that his relatively bulky headgear, which weighed about eight pounds, wasn't exactly lightweight. However, it wasn't the actor's only hardship:

"When you're wearing 30 pounds of leather, then you get very hot, and then all the heat that would normally escape through your head is just kind of encased inside this steel balaclava, and your brain slowly turns to scrambled eggs, so it has its challenges."

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Hiddleston revealed he experienced further problems while donning the suit in a different interview with Collider. "I can't hear very well because my ears are covered. It gets fairly cramped, so I have to kind of act in it. However, I know it looks fantastic since I have seen a playback, so it's worth it."

6. Scarlett Johansson's Suit Was So Hot, She Had To 'Wring Out Her Socks' At The End Of Each Day

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Scarlett Johansson definitely had the most uncomfortable costume of all the main characters in The Avengers in terms of heat. Her outfit was so form-fitting that it appeared to have been painted on, and since it was black, you could tell that it was good at retaining heat. Johansson described her garment as a "wetsuit" that absorbed the heat so intensely that she experienced hallucinations while filming in an interview with Nightline.

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"It was so hot; I would wring out my socks at the end of the day." Her costume was hot, but it wasn't built well. She "shredded" her costumes while performing stunts. She said, “They're like tires. You would just go through sets of them. Every time you got a new costume, you just feel real nice, and then three days later, it's like the discount Widow.”

7. Chris Hemsworth Got So Buff, He Couldn't Fit Into His Thor Costume

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Chris Hemsworth wasn't in "superhero shape" when he was cast as Thor, but he was already in great shape. He dieted and exercised to reconstruct his body into a work of art to address this issue, and his change is astounding. Later, he increased his efforts, and by Thor: Love and Thunder, he had the physique of an Asgardian deity!

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Hemsworth's devotion to making his body perfect for Thor became problematic when it came time to put on the costume. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times:

"They kept saying “Yeah, get as big as you can, as big as you can.” And then I came back right before Christmas, just before we started the movie, and had a final sort of camera test and put the costume on and within a couple of minutes, my hands started going numb. And everyone was like, “Yeah, that’s not cool.” And I started getting pins and needles and you’d touch the skin and the blood wouldn’t return to that area so quick. And I thought, “Okay, it doesn’t fit.”

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Hemsworth's costume not only didn't fit him anymore, but it was also scorching hot (a pattern in the MCU). To keep cool in the desert heat, he had a personal air conditioner underneath. All of us had that choice. It resembled a T-shirt that you would wear with a hose that you would plug in and cool water inside.

8. Brie Larson Needs A 'Team Of Five People' To Go To The Bathroom

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Carol Danvers was prominently introduced to the MCU in Captain Marvel, and she arrived in a spectacular costume. The costume in the movie has certain characteristics of her comic book character's, but it appears much more authentic.

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She can rapidly switch up her colour scheme, which makes costume changes quite simple when it comes to colour. This is one of the most remarkable alterations. The movie pays respect to her comic book counterpart. Even though it appears excellent in the movie, Brie Larson didn't like the suit:

"It's not comfortable, it takes two people to get me into it, and it's a 30-minute process to pull it on. It makes going to the bathroom a bit of a thing - it's a team of five people just for me to go to the bathroom. That was the part that, when the movie was done, I was the most excited about. I was like, “I can go to the bathroom by myself! I don’t need to make an announcement!”

9. Paul Bettany Has A Hard Time Hearing In His Vision Costume

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When The Avengers concluded, Paul Bettany believed his acting career was done. However, he was dramatically brought back for Age of Ultron. He was given the part of Vision in all of his costumed grandeur rather than lending his voice to Tony Stark's dependable AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. Depending on the requirements of the scene, some components of his costume are created actually, while others are digitally produced.

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He hasn't voiced many complaints about what he's had to wear on his body, but he's not happy about the prosthetic and makeup demands for his head and face. Bettany described how his face is painted before a rubber balaclava is adhered in a Marvel featurette from 2015. He finds it incredibly challenging to hear while dressed up because of this plus the items covering his ears.

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He was fortunate that his Vision suit was made to withstand heat. He wore a "robot muscle suit," complete with tubes containing icy water, as opposed to bulking up like the other superhero performers. The only comfort it offers is that it keeps him cool while he wears it. Age of Ultron's suit required three and a half hours to put on, and after some prodding from USA Today, the actor said, "It's very unpleasant, it's uncomfortable."

10. Robert Downey Jr. Was 'Absolutely Blinded' By His Early Helmet

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From the beginning until the end of the Infinity Saga, Iron Man served as one of the most crucial characters and served as the MCU's catalyst. By the time the film was finished, Robert Downey Jr. was dressed in a motion capture suit, and his armour had been digitally inserted during post-production.

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However, that wasn't how things started out. Instead, he donned a physical outfit that had been altered after the fact. Downey said how his vision was practically rendered impossible by the suit:

"Initially, everything was really there. They wanted to spend as little as they could on CG replacement, so I remember this helmet went on, and there’d be a shot, and I’d be in this whole suit, and they’d say: “All right, Robert, it's like you landed on the roof, so when we say action, just go like that, like you just landed, and then start moving forward.” So I put this helmet on, and it slammed closed, and I couldn’t see anything, and then these LED lights went on and it was like The Manchurian Candidate… I was absolutely blinded."

11. Gwyneth Paltrow Called Her Male Co-Stars 'Crybabies' After Sporting The Armor

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In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Gwyneth Paltrow wore suits and dresses the majority of the time, but that changed in Iron Man 3. In the movie, Tony's beachfront house is attacked and destroyed by the "Mandarin." Tony Stark reacts swiftly to protect Pepper with his armour when the missiles strike, sparing her life in the process. She only briefly dons the Iron Man outfit, although it was a moment in the MCU when others had worn the armour suits and complained about them.

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She swiftly answered when asked about donning the difficult outfit, "It was nothing - it was just nothing at all. Men and women have quite different strengths. Oh my gosh, what are they complaining about, I thought. Although it's a costume, it's not as comfortable as a pair of yoga pants.

12. Tessa Thompson Has Described Her Valkyrie Costume 'Not The Most Comfortable Thing To Wear'

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In Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson made her MCU debut as Valkyrie. She wears a few different costumes throughout the film, but her signature superhero outfit is saved for the very end. Except for her hands, neck, and face, it is an utilitarian outfit that also looks beautiful. She doesn't find it particularly comfortable, like her co-stars, but she likes the look, as she stated to ComicBook.com while on set:

"The designs are incredible. I mean, they're so detailed. This [costume] is made entirely with plastic, so it's not the most comfortable thing to wear, but I think it's really strong and gives a really bold look and is something that - later in the film in the third act - it becomes kind of a centerpiece of Valkyrie at that moment."

13. Chadwick Boseman's Co-Stars Agreed His 'Suffocating' Costume Was The 'Worst Of Any Marvel Character'

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One of the better MCU costumes to pay respect to comic books while looking realistic is Chadwick Boseman's. Although the entire Vibranium and nanotechnology theme is the result of computer effects, Boseman had to wear a real outfit, which was difficult for him to perform in. Boseman claimed that the suit was "Hot. It's quite hot. Listen, it's sweltering. Seriously, I've never been that hot in my life."

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Co-stars Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen discussed how oppressively hot the Black Panther suit was. He has the worst suit, Olsen observed, and then Renner said, "It's the worst of any Marvel superhero... When Cap would gripe about his cowl, someone would respond, "Dude, he's got three on!" If it takes you 30 minutes to use the restroom while feeling terrible and perspiring, there is a problem.

14. Don Cheadle Said His War Machine Costume 'Ain't No Lightweight Thing'

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In Iron Man 2, Don Cheadle donned the War Machine outfit for the first time. Like Robert Downey Jr., Cheadle's costume has evolved from a complicated physical monstrosity into an entirely digitally created CGI masterpiece. He initially struggled with his armour in each movie. When asked about the outfit and whether he got to wear it during an interview with the Huffington Post, Cheadle responded as follows:

"You say it like it's a gift [laughs]. No, I have to wear it. At some point, I have to put that suit on. I mean, a lot of it is motion capture, and there are other ways that they pull it off. But at some point, you have to practically put the suit on, and it ain't no lightweight thing."

Immediately after being questioned if it was made of plastic, he replied, "It's quite heavy. I believe it is made of fibreglass. But it feels like it's some special alloy that they made in a torture chamber that Torquemada created. I'm not sure what it is.

15. Jeremy Renner Said Filming 'The Avengers' Was Like A 'Halloween Party'

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Of all the Avengers, the one with the most practical and easy-to-wear costume has got to be Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. His costume is more of a military/tactical outfit than a colorful superhero, reflecting his status as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent.

He clearly didn't have much to complain about, and during an appearance on Nightline, he didn't complain about his costume. He said that "It's like a Halloween party. It's a really good time." In fact, he must love the costume because he borrowed it to wear at his daughter's school and “probably won't give it back.”