The Evolution of Superman's Super Suit
Writer: Dhivakaran Jude
Kal-El has been on Earth for a long time now as Superman, but which is your favourite suit? |
Two of DC Comics most adored superheroes, Batman and Superman will go head to head when they meet in the upcoming "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice".
Superman is one of the longest adapted superhero characters on film as he was around since the 50's, but Batman has been in film even before the son of Krypton. So who has the upper hand?
Henry Cavill's Superman in "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" appears to be similar to the one in "Man of Steel", but if you look closely, it is not the same suit! Previous actors who have played Kal-El have re-used their suit for other productions, but director Zack Snyder had made some improvements to the suit for his latest film.
Let's take a look back across the history of Superman's sometimes awkward and sometimes incredible appearances on film and TV.
Do take note that there have been other Superman TV adaptations since the 1940s, but we'll be looking at the most popular ones starting from George Reeves' Superman in 1951.
Take a look at all the suits worn by Superman over the years!
"Superman and the Mole Men" (1951)
Why it's Cool: George Reeves' super suit only had two tones, black and blue, although the poster for the film was coloured. Also it looks pretty simple with its long sleeved top. There is a cape connected to his collarbones and his high waist trunks matches his boots and cape.
Why it's Not: Considering the technological advancements at that time, the material of the suit was visible as only a plain non-textured cloth on screen (which is kind of a bummer) but at least the actor wearing it was great!
Superhero Fashion Police: 2/5
"Adventures of Superman" (1952-1958)
Why it's Cool: Luckily TV screens had colour by this time, which made George Reeves' suit look even more iconic. Plus his high waist red trunks complemented the suit as it blends with the red of his cape and doesn't really resemble underwear, since underwear have lower waist lines.
Why it's Not: However, the suit looks identical to the previous suit and instead looks more comfortable than heroic.
Superhero Fashion Police: 2.5/5
"Superman" (1978)
Why it's Cool: Christopher Reeve's super suit with the "S" emblem on the chest is much bigger and bolder than previous suits, making him appear more intimidating. The red, blue and yellow colours used for this suit are much brighter. There is also a proper belt connected to his red trunks.
Why it's Not: His suit is relatively the same as previous super suits in terms of its design. The small changes are only the tailoring of the suit to fit the actor and the use of brighter colours. His red trunks now turned into lower waist trunks, making him look less masculine. The costume team used the same suit for all four of Christopher Reeve's "Superman" films, but it would have been cool if they had made new suits.
Superhero Fashion Police: 3/5
"Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1993-1997)
Why it's Cool: Dean Cain's version of Kal-El ran for four seasons where his suit for the TV series had a "S" emblem on his chest with a slightly different design.
Why it's Not: The waist level for his trunks got even lower this time, looking closer to an underwear! The suit had a darker blue tone that made the shadowed parts resemble a shade of purple. Not to mention the material used for the suit had a shine to it and also visible wrinkles whenever he moved around. Plus, his boots look like he stole them from Phua Chu Kang and painted them red!
Superhero Fashion Police: 2/5
"Superman Returns" (2006)
Why it's Cool: The colours used for Brandon Routh's super suit were much different as the red was a darker shade that looked more like maroon, and the blue was lighter than the one seen in the TV series that ran from 1993-1997. This is the only suit to have mini "S" logo embedded/imprinted onto the whole suit, giving it texture. His boot also had "S" logos on its sole and heel.
Why it's Not: His trunks got even smaller, not sure why, but it does not look "Super" one bit!
Superhero Fashion Police: 3.5
"Man of Steel" (2013)
Why it's Cool: In the movie, Superman's suit is passed down from his late father, which means it is alien material. But in reality, the suit is just molded rubber with a muted palette and textured web imprint. Director Zack Snyder had removed the red trunks for this film as he did not see it fitting on his Superman played by Henry Cavill. The red and blue of Superman's suit does look darker here which is probably from the details, but it does look badass nonetheless!
Why it's Not: There is no reason to bash the suit, considering the amount of research the design team put in, this is a fantastic 'Super' suit!
Superhero Fashion Police: 4/5
"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016)
Why it's Cool: There is not much difference here from the "Man of Steel" suit, but the shade of blue on Superman's suit does appear to be brighter. The team also made some minor changes to the details on the side of his torso and wrists, making him appear more defined than before. His belt buckle is also a new one with a little "S" logo carved into it.
Why it's Not: There are no pictures of the back of his cape yet, but since this version of Superman is looked upon as God-like, there should be a big "S" emblem on his cape too, right? But if there isn't, it's still not bad, just that it would've looked a whole lot cooler.
Superhero Fashion Police: 4.5/5
"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice: comes to cinemas this 24 March 2016.
Cinema Online, 22 March 2016