Fans want to know: what comic book costume will Marvel Studios adapt when they finally bring Wolverine into their Marvel Cinematic Universe? The Disney/Fox merger is only a matter of time, and those in charge of the studio have confirmed that the X-Men will join the Avengers universe. And where there's a Wolverine reboot, there's a Wolverine re-design.
From the very first X-Men movie, Logan was used to mock the idea of superhero outfits. When Wolverine looked at the black leather X-Men suit he'd been given, he was unimpressed. "What would you prefer," Cyclops quipped, "Yellow spandex?" It was a deliberate reference to Wolverine's most iconic comic book costume, and firmly established Fox didn't trust that superhero films could work if they embraced a true comic book aesthetics. Now that Wolverine could be headed to the MCU, that's about to change.
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Ironically, Fox's doubts are Marvel's gain, since they've always been reluctant to repeat what's been done before (which is why they have closed the book on origin stories for Spider-Man or Hulk). Fox's reluctance to use the most beloved X-Men costumes means Marvel can draw upon them with impunity. So let's examine some of Wolverine's best looks, and examine how Marvel could adapt them to suit the MCU.
8. Uncanny X-Force
Wolverine's X-Force costume is essentially a stealth version of his traditional blue-and-yellow outfit, with a gray-and-black color scheme. It's perfectly suited to black ops missions, while the eye-holes - usually shown as blood-red - give it a strong sense of savagery. Although it was never specified, these could easily indicate a sophisticated sensor package incorporated into the eyes, perhaps including heat sensors and the like. It's easy to imagine a scenario where the MCU adapted this costume, sending Wolverine on a dangerous mission where stealth is essential. and with S.H.I.E.L.D. just one mysterious government organization already in-canon, all black might be the best way to go.
7. X-Men: Second Genesis
This is usually viewed as the 'classic' Wolverine costume, associated both with the popular "Second Genesis" comic book era and the 1990s X-Men animated series. It's a blue-and-yellow uniform with distinctive shoulder pads and the iconic mask, with visible sheathes in the gloves for the claws to *SNIKT* through. In truth, it's almost guaranteed that Wolverine will wear a version of this costume at some point; the fan demand for it is absolutely intense (so much so that even Fox came close to letting Hugh Jackman wear Wolverine's yellow suit).
In the comics, Wolverine wore this outfit for quite some time; it's worth remembering that's unlikely to happen in the MCU, of course, where costumes change every film (partly to take advantage of new merchandise opportunities). However, a number of Wolverine's alternate costumes are clearly adapted from this one, so it would make sense to adapt it first as a clear sign of fan service.
6. Team X
Designed by Jim Lee, this was the outfit Logan wore while he worked as part of a black ops team alongside Sabretooth and Maverick. The jet black bodysuit works perfectly for stealth purposes, even if the bright gold bands and padding never made much sense. It would probably be wise to adapt this a little, turning the metal into a duller metal/bronze. Although many of these Liefeld-esque designs have dated somewhat, the Team X ones still work.
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This is hardly one of Wolverine's most famous suits, and has only ever been seen in flashbacks. Still, it's possible Marvel could draw upon this idea - depending on how they plan to introduce Wolverine into the MCU in the first place. It's not hard to imagine a situation where Marvel start things off with a few mutants in the background, establishing the MCU version before truly launching a new X-Men franchise. In that scenario, they could even conceivably introduce Team X - including a Wolverine who has yet to undergo the Adamantium bonding process.
5. Brown and Tan
Another of Wolverine's most famous uniforms, the brown-and-tan design is an adaptation of Logan's classic costume. It's associated with a period where, in the comics, Wolverine was a little more savage and a little more unruly (even for him). Again, a variation on this design is sure to make its way into the MCU sooner or later, simply because it's so popular.
In fact, depending on the character arc Marvel choose to go with, it's possible this could appear before the iconic yellow-and-blue. In terms of character progression, it would make sense for Logan to start off with a more fierce-looking costume and then move on to something that actually resembles a superhero. And since even Hugh Jackman has teased Wolverine's brown suit, simplicity sells.
Page 2 of 2: Wolverine's Top 4 Comic Costumes For The MCU
4. New X-Men
Frank Quitely's New X-Men design may be the most unlikely to ever make its way into the MCU, not least because it was partly created as an answer to Fox's X-Men movies. Marvel was taken aback by the success of 2000's X-Men, and hired writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely to find a way to make the comics work in light of the blockbuster hit. In Morrison's view, there was a massive gap between the films and the comics, and Wolverine was a symbol of that.
As he observed in his so-called "Morrison Manifesto," he argued readers should be able to open a comic and get the same "sexy thrill" from Wolverine as from Hugh Jackman's portrayal. The Quitely costumes - which are actually quite controversial among X-Men lovers - have a major influence on the upcoming Dark Phoenix outfits. Which is both a compliment to the strength of the design... and the main reason it could be ruled out of the MCU altogether.
3. Weapon X
This can hardly be described as a 'costume,' but it's still one of Wolverine's most iconic and memorable looks. This is Logan when he's just gone through the Weapon X Project, with his bones and claws coated with Adamantium and his mind suppressed so he's little more than an animal. This version of Wolverine is fierce and feral, wearing no clothes at all; the (strategically placed) equipment is there to monitor his actions and life-signs, and to control him through electrical surges.
Related: A Brief History of the Weapon X Program
As classic as this design may be, however, it's one that Marvel is unlikely to use. As previously noted, Marvel don't tend to repeat ideas that have been used on the big screen before. This "costume" is the only comic book design for Wolverine that has made its way into the Fox X-Men movies, where it was seen in X-Men: Apocalypse.
2. New Avengers
In the aftermath of the Morrison/Quitely era, the X-Men decided to ditch the black leather and go back to a more 'classic'superhero costumes. Wolverine returned to variations of the classic yellow-and-blue, modernized to be a little more realistic. This is one that he wore while working as a member of both the X-Men and the New Avengers, and it possibly hints at the way Marvel Studios could adapt the classic costume to work in the MCU. Notice the prominence of the "X" logo, signifying the strength of Wolverine's allegiance with the X-Men by this point.
1. Wolverine Resurrected
This final costume is Logan's most recent, associated with his ongoing Return of Wolverine resurrection arc. It's an unusual design, essentially just something Logan put together based on uniforms that happened to be on hand at the time. That said, it still works well; there's an interesting contrast between the blacks and the red patterns upon the uniform, creating a sense of ferocity.
Notice the recurrence of the "three" design, that fits well with Wolverine's three claws; there are three markings on the belt, three stripes along the side, and three buttons on the chest. It's doubtful that this outfit will ever be considered iconic - it's sure to be ditched pretty quickly - but it's certainly an interesting one, and its aesthetics would work well in the MCU.