Marvel has featured some of the best costumes in all of comics, but sometimes, a redesign really takes a character's look to the next level. Over the years, Marvel has taken some bold risks when redesigning the costumes of iconic heroes and villains, with some working out and others completely missing the mark. However, there are a few costumes that stand out among the best Marvel redesigns of all time.
New redesigns happening don't necessarily mean the old costume was bad. Costumes can be changed for creative and story reasons, or just to inject some new life into a character. There have been hundreds of redesigns over the course of comics history, so choosing the best of the best was difficult. Some honorable mentions that didn't make the list but came close include Spider-Man's symbiote suit from Secret Wars, Psylocke's redesign in the Marvel Now! era, and Moon Knight's turn as the suit-wearing Mr. Knight. Five costumes stand out as the best redesigns Marvel Comics has ever done.
Spider-Woman
Back in 2014, Spider-Woman's costume made the news cycles after artist Milo Manara did a variant that was so unnecessarily sexualized, it was shocking Marvel ever approved it, to begin with. It was never released to the public. While the variant wasn't what led to Spider-Woman's redesign, it did help emphasize that Jessica Drew's skintight costume probably needed a change. Enter Kris Anka, who redesigned Spider-Woman's costume and modernized the character's look.
The costume was practical, swapped out her usual mask for glasses that could transform into a mask, and featured an amazing yellow spider logo on her chest. The costume paid tribute to the look before it while adding something completely new. Unfortunately, Marvel didn't keep the costume for very long, as Jessica would soon wear her old costume again. Considering the overwhelmingly positive reception to the look, it would be a shame if Marvel never brings it back.
Captain Marvel
Rarely does a costume redefine a character, but when Carol Danvers went from being known as Ms. Marvel to Captain Marvel in 2012's Avenging Spider-Man #9, it changed who the character was forever. Carol's costume as Ms. Marvel will definitely be remembered for being nostalgic and isn't awful - but it was the prime example of a female character wearing a skin-tight costume that effectively was a one-piece bathing suit. Thankfully, when the character would become Captain Marvel, Jamie McKelvie redesigned her suit into an incredible, striking new look.
McKelvie's design was immediately iconic, as the new look was contemporary, badass, and gave Carol a much-needed costume revamp. The jumpsuit with the red, blue, and gold elements looked immediately fresh, while it also retained elements from her old look - including the sash around her waist. One of the most brilliant design choices was Carol's space mask, as the mohawk design might be the single best design element in a modern suit. It just looks cool. It's no surprise that when Captain Marvel was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they chose her most recent redesign. McKelvie's design is Carol's best costume and it's not close.
Daredevil
Daredevil's yellow and black suit helped introduce the hero to the world, but his red suit would ultimately define his look. When Daredevil was first conceived by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, he had a radically different design to what readers are used to today: He wore a yellow suit and mask, with what looked like a black wrestler's uniform featuring a single D on it, and red gloves and boots. He wore the look for six issues before it was changed by legendary artist Wally Wood. It was made all red, with two Ds on his chest. The change made sense logistically, as Daredevil stood out like a sore thumb in his yellow costume. For a hero who tries to operate in the shadows, wearing a mustard-colored suit was never going to fly. Daredevil still wears a red suit (with a few minor variations) to this day.
Falcon to Captain America
Sam Wilson's original Falcon costume was a product of its era, as its design was over-the-top and was ultimately pretty forgettable. He went through a few redesigns which improved his look in the early '70s. Over the years, he would receive a modern Falcon costume which is pretty top-notch, as Falcon's 2000s-era look retained the best elements of his old ensemble while looking more tactical and contemporary.
However, when Steve Rogers was aged into an old man and couldn't continue on as Captain America, Sam Wilson took the role. With it, he gained his own Captain America costume which remains his best look ever. Wilson has some of the elements previous Captain Americas have had, including the star on his chest, and variations of the stars and stripes on his costume. But, this bold look was fairly unique, It featured goggles, less blue and more white than Rogers' Captain America, and of course, Sam Wilson's wings. The look was so impressive, the MCU adapted to live-action in The Falcon and Winter Soldier with only a few minor changes. Wilson has worn a handful of costumes over the years, but it's unlikely his Captain America suit will ever be topped.
Hawkeye
Classic Hawkeye has a memorable suit, as the sharpshooter's pointed mask, H on his head, and purple accents throughout made for an iconic look that served the hero well. In this case, simplifying Hawkeye's costume is what really made him stand out. While he first lost the mask when he was part of The Ultimates universe, when Matt Fraction and David Aja took over the Hawkeye title in their excellent run on the Avenger, they kept things even more simple. The outfit is pretty much just the basics, as Hawkeye has a quiver, a utility belt, as well as black pants with a black t-shirt with a purple logo on it. Keeping things more casual, Hawkeye looked cool, while ditching the flashier elements of his original look.
Honestly, the simplicity of Hawkeye's costume really is what makes it stand out. Like most successful redesigns, it keeps some elements that helped define the character's look but tried something completely different from his first appearance. The look is likely to appear in the MCU in the upcoming Hawkeye series starring Jeremy Renner, which is based on the Fraction and Aja comic.