One of the first discussed aspects of any potential comic-to-movie superhero adaptation is the costumes. Marvel especially has paid close attention to the reception of their costumes, and while some have been celebrated by fans, others have received flak from fans. Marvel used to spend a large portion of its budget on practically creating the costumes. However, in recent years, the studio has increasingly relied on its VFX team to bring superhero attires to life.
Some cite the soaring budget as the reason for this shift. But it might only be partially correct as many actors have hated wearing these costumes for extended hours on set. According to these actors, no superpower in the world can fully prepare you to sport a superhero costume.
Also Read: Marvel Honors DCU’s CEO James Gunn One Last Time After He Leaves MCU to Spearhead the DCU Reboot
Scarlett Johansson – Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson sported her all-black costume throughout her Marvel movies, without any major changes. However, the Lucy actress was not very comfortable with her suit, especially during the filming of The Avengers. Johansson revealed how her suit became a “wetsuit” on hot days. The Her actress would even wring out her socks at the end of the day after the shoot. The severe conditions almost made Johansson hallucinate while filming the climactic battle in The Avengers.
Michael Chiklis – The Thing
The Fantastic Four character has an orange, rocky hide all over his body as a result of exposure to cosmic radiation. Ben Grimm aka the Thing was played by Michael Chiklis, who described his costume as the “Seventh Circle of Hell”. In a poor choice by the studio, practical effects were used to create the suit for the actor instead of a CGI suit. In an interview with Archive of American Television, Chiklis shared,
“It was just physical discomfort. But perfectly put: it was a distraction, you know, one of those things.”
Chiklis loved playing the character but absolutely hated the suit.
Mark Ruffalo – The Hulk
While others complained about wearing a superhero costume, Mark Ruffalo felt awkward not wearing one standing alongside his The Avengers co-stars who sported grand costumes. He described himself as “a trained actor reduced to the state of a Chinese checkerboard” to Slashfilm. However, he felt really uncomfortable wearing mo-cap outfits and a bunch of dots on his face. Although CGI Hulk looks fantastic, Ruffalo found his on-set appearance pretty ridiculous.
Rebecca Romijn – Mystique
The X-Men actress didn’t have the luxury to wear any outfits for her character Mystique. Instead, Rebecca Romijn had to apply makeup all over her naked body. The whole process took four women and eight hours to complete, putting Romijn through a hellish experience. Consequently, the shapeshifter was uncomfortable and moody on the sets. She told EW,
“I’ve been in denial about the nudity. I kept checking with the rest of the cast, ‘You guys, I’m totally covered up, right?’ And they’d tell me, ‘No, Rebecca, you’re naked.'”
Subsequently, her successor, Jennifer Lawrence, also had to wear hours-long makeup, but she was later given a body suit.
Tom Holland – Spider-Man
Tom Holland struggled with his fully covered superhero suit, which didn’t even have a mouth. He had to drink water through a tube inserted through the costume’s eye socket hole. The Uncharted actor revealed that he only wore a thong under the suit and had to disrobe entirely to use the restroom. The more he drank water to keep himself hydrated in the hot suit, the more he had to pee, thus Holland had a vicious cycle of problems on hand with his Spider-Man suit.
