Captain Marvel has had plenty of costume changes over the years. It seems like every time her series is rebooted, or a new author takes the helm, a tweak or two has been made to her costume or overall design. And we can’t really blame the creative team for that. Carol Danvers has gone by many names in her career, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird...you get the idea. All of these names came with a whole new look. So she really does have quite a few different styles!
Here are ten of the most iconic Captain Marvel looks. We’re going to pull from both the comics and the movies, because why not? They’re both directly influencing each other at this point, so they really should be mentioned.
Ms. Marvel (Original)
With just a glance you can probably tell that the photo above is Ms. Marvel's original suit. It's still got the iconic red, black, and gold color palette and the Hala star is still very prominent. Even in the most recent suit you can see its influences.
This suit did leave something to be desired however, as any comic book fan will happily point out. Carol's suit has improved with time, as has her backstory and character depth.
U.S. Avenger (2012)
During the 2012 run, when Carol was an Avenger, she decided to try a more discreet costume. The goal behind this suit was to allow her to go undercover – and admittedly her classic costume wouldn't have been a good pick in that case.
To be fair, the costume does look really cool. However, it's also not very memorable or remarkable. In fact, she blends in a little too much with all of the unnamed agents running around. It's clear that this look was never going to last.
Kree Suit
When Marvel first started leaking images of Carol and her suit for the Captain Marvel movie, fans were confused. Many were asking why the suit was green, and that's a fair question. Now we understand more about what's going on.
The suit does look pretty fantastic, you've got to admit that. However, this suit also doesn't fit her character well, Especially given what was revealed during the course of the movie.
Endgame Suit
Eagle-eyed fans surely noticed the costume (and hair) changes that Carol went through during the course of Avengers: Endgame. According to those behind the scenes, they actually filmed the movie with Captain Marvel wearing the suit shown in the movie – but then decided that with such a time gap between the two timelines, she would have changed things up a bit.
The changes to the suit aren't terribly extreme. Certainly less extreme than her hair. Probably the most notable change would be the golden shoulder pads. Everything else seems to be minor aesthetic changes.
Ms. Marvel (Classic)
This is likely the outfit many fans think of when they picture Ms. Marvel... Carol Danvers' Ms. Marvel, at least! This suit was quite possibly worn the longest, and in many ways became her iconic look. Even her fans within the Marvel universe picture her in this outfit.
This costume ditched the red and the Hala star, but it is still a striking look. The gold lightning bolt against the dark black is truly standout. The eye mask is possibly not needed, since so many knew who she was. But we understand why she tried wearing one, at least.
Binary
Carol Danvers had a brief period where she was known as Binary. Her look was very dramatic, and very eye-catching. Some fans would love to see her revert back to this phase, but it's unlikely to happen. At least we still see the iconic abilities pop up now and again.
Binary is a color palette flip, in many ways. The suit is predominantly white, with black star accents, and red sleeves, while the gloves are white. It's all very bright, which is perfect considering her primary abilities during this time.
Modified Version of Original Ms. Marvel
This is probably the second-most-iconic look, when it comes to Ms. Marvel. And it's a fan favorite as well. This is a modified version of the original Ms. Marvel look. It's got all of the elements we'd expect; the red and black, the gold Hala star, the works. But it's showing a bit less skin than the original.
This version of Carol's suit even made it into Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes the animated series. So one could argue that this is the suit that the younger generation grew up seeing.
Captain Marvel Movie Suit
The modified Kree suit shown in the movie – aka the Captain Marvel suit of... well, Captain Marvel, is another amazing look for Carol Danvers. Obviously, when it comes to life action renditions of suits, we expect even more detail, and this suit is no exception.
There is more gold accenting used here than any of her other suits, but it works. The red and blue are present, of course. As is the Hala star. We're going to give bonus points for the suit being able to change colors, too, but you'll notice that the neon version of the suit did not make this list.
Apocalyptic Suit (2019)
The apocalyptic rendition of Captain Marvel's suit may have been short lived – but it was awesome while it lasted. This suit let Carol look a little more rugged and dangerous, and the face paint was a nice touch as well.
This suit fit in well with the plot that was unfolding (check out the 2019 series of Captain Marvel). While other characters may have had better redesigns for this series, Carol's was definitely high up on the list.
Captain Marvel (2012)
Last, but certainly not least: the 2012 version of the Captain Marvel suit. This was the suit that changed the game for Carol. By that, we mean that this suit changed with Carol's mantle. Here she became Captain Marvel, instead of Ms. Marvel.
There's a lot to love about this suit. All of our favorite features are included, the Hala star, the colors, the sash. But the suit is also arguably more practical as well. It has a fun feature as well: her helmet is very unique and even more iconic, with the faux-hawk that everyone is talking about.