In any comic book movie, one of the key decisions the filmmaker must make is how best to translate a superhero’s costume to the big screen. Not only must style and authenticity be considered, but practicality also becomes a huge factor. When it works (Man of Steel, The Dark Knight trilogy), it feels just right. When it doesn’t (Batman & Robin, Green Lantern) it’s an unwanted distraction.

There are few more iconic superhero costumes than the red and blue of Spider-Man. Of the live-action iterations there have been so far, Tobey Maguire’s costume is Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is the most beloved, although Andrew Garfield’s homemade superhero attire was quite similar (if a little brighter) to Maguire’s in The Amazing Spider-Man.

We now know that the eventual suit used was not the only one considered for Marc Webb’s franchise opener. Designs for alternate Spidey suits have emerged online before - and now some new images have been revealed, courtesy of Filmpaint. You can click the images below to view them in their full-sized glory:

[gallery columns="2" ids="395752,395574,395559,395550"]

One thing that all these designs have in common is a very futuristic sci-fi feel to them, which brings the Spider-Man 2099 costume to mind. It might have been interesting to see one of these on screen, purely because they are far different to anything we have seen before, but it would have felt terribly out of place in Webb’s grounded universe.

Additionally, all three designs make small changes to the eyepieces and the iconic Spider emblem. The first design is the closest (and arguably the coolest) to the final design of the three. With that said, the webbing under the armpits is a nice homage to the comics that would have served little purpose in a live action film, which is perhaps why it didn't make the cut.

In the end, the decision to stay truer to the classic look paid off. Webb has promised a slightly redesigned suit for the sequel, which will likely push it even further towards the original, and that can only be a good thing.

What do you think of the alternate designs? Are you pro armpit-webbing or anti armpit-webbing? Let us know in the comments below.

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings into theaters on May 2, 2014. Check back here to see the first trailer on December 5.

Source: Filmpaint

Featured Image by Eddie Yang of Alliance Studios