History Main / MovieSuperheroesWearBlack

* The costumes in ''[[Film/FantasticFour2015 Fantastic]]'' are not unlike the black bodysuits from the original ''X-Men'' movies. This proved to be a huge mistake; the movie had the misfortune of coming out in an era where colorful superhero outfits were now much more common in movies -- even the X-Men films, which ''started'' the black leather trend, were starting to move away from it -- which just gave the detractors even more ammo. Conversely, the [[Film/FantasticFour2005 previous adaptation]] gave the team dark suits, but they were still blue and thus kept the recognizable look that they are known for, even if not as vibrant as the source material.

* The costumes in ''Film/FantasticFour2015'' are not unlike the black bodysuits from the original ''X-Men'' movies. This proved to be a huge mistake; the movie had the misfortune of coming out in an era where colorful superhero outfits were now much more common in movies -- even the X-Men films, which ''started'' the black leather trend, were starting to move away from it -- which just gave the detractors even more ammo. Conversely, the [[Film/FantasticFour2005 previous adaptation]] gave the team dark suits, but they were still blue and thus kept the recognizable look that they are known for, even if not as vibrant as the source material.

** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''Film/XMen1'' when Cyclops quips that ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} might prefer "yellow spandex" instead of his black leather. And while it isn't the first recorded instance of this, it's certainly the TropeCodifier and is generally what people immediately think of when this trope comes up. Notably, a short clip is on the first movie DVD in which Hugh Jackman runs around the set in a comic-accurate Wolverine costume, and absolutely nobody is taking it seriously. The leather suits turned out not be so good at moving around in, however; James Marsden has stated that the cast hated the tight leather suits and there is a blooper scene where he and Hugh Jackman can't scale a short concrete barrier because the suit refuses to move as much as they need to. This all becomes HilariousInHindsight when ''Deadpool 3'' set photos revealed Hugh in yellow spandex [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREb59ul7X0op4CqG3-dAyrCCWD2pR0c8ToVQ&usqp=CAU looking awesome]].

** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' plays both sides. In some cases it averts it altogether, particularly in the case of Psylocke: Betsy's costume is practically a right-off-the-page recreation of the '90s Jim Lee [[ThongOfShielding Thongkini]]. Likewise, Jubilee gets to wear her classic bright yellow coat, jeans, big hoop earrings, and pink sunglasses, while Apocalypse is blue and draws inspiration from his classic look including tubes running along his head. Both averted and played straight with the X-Men themselves. They spend most of the film in black body armor similar to the uniforms from the original movies (actually flight suits they take from a military base), [[spoiler:but the final scene shows them all in colorful costumes straight out of the comics. Nightcrawler even has his trademark red outfit]].
** Magneto's new costume gains a brighter red (still dark compared to what's seen in comics and cartoons, but a lot brighter than the near-brown seen in DOFP.) and also has silver accents.

* Creator/KevinSmith's and later Creator/TimBurton's ''{{Franchise/Superman}} Lives'' project from the nineties would've shown Supes in black and silver; early [[http://screenrant.com/tim-burton-superman-lives-pictures-mikee-85389/ concepts]], show it more of a bluish-silver because producer Jon Peters thought the blue-and-red suit was "[[HeteronormativeCrusader too faggy]]". [[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman The comic book story on which it was based]] ''did'' have Superman wearing a black and silver outfit at the story's climax. It was [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks the Nineties]]. Despite this, concept art and photos of alternate designs have since [[https://io9.gizmodo.com/proof-that-nic-cages-superman-could-have-looked-pretty-1717979142 made their way onto the internet]], including a few outfits that looked ''much'' closer to the classic blue and red tights, albeit with darker hues.

** The Kelvin Timeline movies of ''Film/StarTrek'', ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' and ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' generally tried to replicate the bright colors of the original TOS uniforms, but would seem excited to get the characters into a LatexSpacesuit or other forms of excursion gear that let them wear much darker colors.

** Chris and Jill in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil RE1]]'' had [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTC2kI_2dHD9F-vq4v6X7o0VbNmS64GtwmvpA&usqp=CAU bright green and blue colours respectively]] in their S.T.A.R.S uniforms (Jill in particular had blue pants). In the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] remake [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTpenJJa_4fE_d_q6A5u1LlAlYT9gTjqgqYyg&usqp=CAU their outfits are more muted]] (Jill having much darker pants) and they have more tactical pouches.

** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4Remake'', Ada has a darker outfit than in the original game with her [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRbl-iqEgwSbdAI7pTYs41lfhMC3s0NwY9i3g&usqp=CAU red Cheongsam dress]] replaced with a [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/residentevil/images/9/93/Ada_Model_RE4_Remake.png/revision/latest?cb=20230402021117 red sweater and thigh-length black heels and black gloves]], perhaps befitting her more grounded portrayal. Inverted with Wesker in TheStinger as rather than having [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRQL3Yah42jknJAtL6whiY5EcUSAA9bWimO7w&usqp=CAU all black]] like the original, has a [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/residentevil/images/a/ac/Albert_wesker_re4_2023.png/revision/latest?cb=20230328181317 blue shirt]] similar to what he wore in ''[=RE1=]''.

** ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' and ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasyOperaOmnia'' both do this to characters from the first six games who overall had bright primary colours thanks to Creator/YoshitakaAmano’s artworks but when updated and redesigned for the new games tend to have darker or at least more muted colours. Locke Cole is noticeably example [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/d/df/Locke_SD_Art.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20220309052928 being bright blue]] in his home game but when he debuted in ''Dissidia'' he has a [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrV4X29gN7UkPs66Sp_H1H1hGsB8kA3PudQg&usqp=CAU black jacket and pants]] instead (although this probably due to him being based on a [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQCvBOhbMlEfdnkYlROPmJEybqA2TldqoNhIA&usqp=CAU Amano design]] and his bluer outfit is there as an alternative outfit anyway).

** ''Film/ManOfSteel'' sees Superman in a darker rendition of his classic suit. In most shots, even some in the broadest daylight, it looks almost black and the yellow field on the emblem looks grey, but compared to the invading Kryptonians in black armor he does stand out. The trademark red trunks are also removed and some detailing is added to make the suit seem more "alien", though this ties with the concurrent comics, where they were also ditched until ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' brought them back. Also, during an induced hallucination/dream/whatever, Superman wears a black costume with a silver S and no cape.

** Speaking of such, ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' saw this trope played straight ''twice''. First, he's introduced using a black-and-red suit with claws, defined lenses on the eyes, and a more menacing general appearance; as he was a darker figure, it helped to reflect that he wasn't as heroic or moral as Peter Parker. Later, as he descends further into his villainous tendencies, his suit was altered once more, now becoming almost entirely black, save for a creepy red spider-like chest symbol of sorts and his mask, along with spider leg-like mechanical appendages and generally looking more practical, though also more intimidating; as he was, at this point, an actual VillainProtagonist, this helped to make him look more like a villain, so that when Peter Parker returns, his return to the classic, heroic costume would stand out far more.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' teases this trope with an episode centered around the characters role playing an action packed Starfleet adventure and go from their normal, fairly colorful outfits that resemble into "movie-fied" mostly black uniforms similar to the ones from ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact''.

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' interestingly goes through a similar progression to superhero works. The pants have always been black, but with the shirts, we go from fully red, gold, or blue to indicate department in ''TOS'' and ''TNG'' but starting with ''[=DS9=]'' and ''Voyager'' in the mid 90s, we go to just color at the shoulders and black from there down. Come most of the ''TNG'' film era and later seasons of ''[=DS9=]'', the shoulders have become gray, making the collars the only color. ''Enterprise'' has navy blue uniforms with only small lines for the colors that indicate department; ''Discovery'' makes the lines that indicate department gold and silver. The "Kelvin Timeline" films do ''have'' ''TOS''-style uniforms, but seem to have a different version of the uniform for any task the crew might be performing, and bend over backwards to ditch the colorful ones as early and often as possible in favor of something gray or navy blue.

** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''Film/XMen1'' when Cyclops quips that ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} might prefer "yellow spandex" instead of his black leather. And while it isn't the first recorded instance of this, it's certainly the TropeCodifier and is generally what people immediately think of when this trope comes up. Notably, a short clip is on the first movie DVD in which Hugh Jackman runs around the set in a comic-accurate Wolverine costume, and absolutely nobody is taking it seriously. The leather suits turned out not be so good at moving around in, however; James Marsden has stated that the cast hated the tight leather suits and there is a blooper scene where he and Hugh Jackman can't scale a short concrete barrier because the suit refuses to move as much as they need to.

From the start of UsefulNotes/TheNewTens, it's become a DiscreditedTrope, in large part due to the driving force that is the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, which features many aversions, and proving that this trope doesn't always apply; so long as the costumes are made for medium that's being represented, then a little more color isn't a bad thing.

* In ''Fanfic/CaptainMarvelPhalanx'', ComicBook/CarolDanvers' undercover suit is black, burgundy, and copper. Justified in that her standard colour scheme is rather recognizable, and it serves as a Shout-Out to her Ms. Marvel suit.

* ComicBook/SpiderMan’s black suit aka the symbiote costume might as well be the Ur-Example when it comes to comics as it was a drastic change from his usual PrimaryColorChampion look when he first appeared in ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' and even after he ditched it upon learning it was alive, Black Cat got him a cloth one anyway because the look was so popular. Notably DarkerAndEdgier story arcs such as ''ComicBook/KravensLastHunt'' or ''Back in Black'' feature Spidey in the black suit

* ''ComicBook/MidnightSons'' are notably one of the big Marvel heroes teams whose outfits aren’t particularly colourful at all to empathise their AntiHero DarkIsNotEvil nature. The only exception was Doctor Strange who dressed in his usual primary colours, although modern runs have the doc dress darkly to match the rest of the team. Another exception would be Moon Knight who wears white but his gritty ultra violence as TheCowl makes up for it.

** In ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome'', Spidey himself wears an all-black stealth suit provided by Nick Fury, in order to not arouse suspicion from his classmates (which ends up being dubbed "[[AtrociousAlias Night]] [[SecondSuperIdentity Monkey]]" by Ned, and then by the press following his lead). [[spoiler:The new suit he creates just before the final battle in London replaces the blue fields of his traditional outfit with black.]]

** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' sees Spider-Man in several different costumes, one of which sports a black and gold color scheme. [[spoiler:He averts it completely in the ending scene, where he's made a new costume inspired by his alternate universe counterparts; it's a dead ringer for his classic red and blue suit in the comics, even sporting a larger spider symbol.]]

** Speaking of Jason Aaron, his run on ComicBook/{{Thor}} greatly popularised the darker look for the God of Thunder which had been instigated by J. Michael Straczynski‘s 2007 run which took the blue and yellow out of Thor’s outfit and replaced it with black and silver with only the red of his cape remaining. Aaron’s run went even further with Thor’s outfit being mostly black besides his helmet and armoured thighs.

** ''Film/ManOfSteel'' sees Superman in a darker rendition of his classic suit. In most shots, even some in the broadest daylight, it looks almost black and the yellow field on the emblem looks grey, but compared to the invading Kryptonians in black armor he does stand out. The trademark red trunks are also removed and some detailing is added to make the suit seem more "alien", though this ties with the concurrent comics, where they were also ditched until ''Comicbook/DCRebirth'' brought them back. Also, during an induced hallucination/dream/whatever, Superman wears a black costume with a silver S and no cape.

*** While the title character previously sported warrior outfits with very muted green, gold and brown tones during his appearances in ''[[https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/113509/6240736-1429675859-1541-.jpg Batman v. Superman]]'' and ''[[https://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11/113509/6240731-1391695633-Aquam.jpg Justice League]]'', the new film sees him don his [[https://www.slashfilm.com/aquaman-costumes-comic-con-2018/ iconic orange and green costume]] from the comics in time for the final battle, albeit with the colors taking on a more metallic tone. [[Film/AquamanAndTheLostKingdom The sequel]] sees Aquaman don a stealth suit that’s primarily dark blue and gray/dark silver, loosely based on the character’s short-lived ''Comicbook/PostCrisis'' ocean camo look.

** ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' is pretty faithful to the comics with the exception of ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, who wears a dark leather suit with no mask as opposed to his purple superhero costume, though this is basically Ultimate Hawkeye's costume anyway. 616 Hawkeye started wearing something like the movie costume shortly before the movie's premiere, although it's still pretty purple. Also, while {{Film/Thor}} wears a battle suit, it's still much darker than his comic costume and has the appearance of leather in some places.

** ''Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever'' zig-zags with [[Comicbook/SubMariner Namor]] (he still wears a green speedo, but adds some muted green and gold accessories to the WalkingSwimsuitScene) and Characters/{{Ironheart}} (the primary color of her armor is a red reminiscent of a sports car, but all the secondary parts are black, making for an amalgamation of the Iron Man copy she first wore and the pink, gold and black armor she eventually adopted). And, similar to ''Civil War'', the new Black Panther suit has intricate gold detailing that actually breaks up the mostly-black look of the comic design.

** Downplayed example in ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw''. Comicbook/SheHulk's outfit has a large amount of black on the torso, but still incorporates the white and purple color scheme she's known for sporting in the comics.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManFreshmanYear'' sees Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} in a black costume with some red piping, inspired by the BetaOutfit the character wore in the first and third seasons of his [[Series/Daredevil2015 Netflix series]].

* Franchise/SpiderMan’s black suit aka the symbiote costume might as well be the Ur-Example when it comes to comics as it was a drastic change from his usual PrimaryColorChampion look when he first appeared in ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' and even after he ditched it upon learning it was alive, Black Cat got him a cloth one anyway because the look was so popular. Notably DarkerAndEdgier story arcs such as ''ComicBook/KravensLastHunt'' or ''Back in Black'' feature Spidey in the black suit
* ''ComicBook/JasonAaronsAvengers'' overall has Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in much darker and muted outfits and colouring than usual (the only exception being Iron Man). She-Hulk rather than her usual white and purple leotard gains a purple and black outfit, Thor, Cap and Carol have much darker shades of blue in their outfits and the same run debuts Namor in his black scaled armour. Not to mention that the already dark dressed Black Panther, Black Widow, Blade and Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider feature prominently on the team.

** Leon and Claire in original 1998 ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 RE2]]'' had Power Ranger-level [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQ8O9M_QBF0J_fqOzbOT2VvkQ0J71Ljkxfeg&usqp=CAU bright blue and pinkish red police and biker outfits]] respectively. In the 2019 remake [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcThFKg_VsTwxNj0ZDLKBAcYZka-3WHdzLsU6g&usqp=CAU they’ve got muted and grungier colours]] with Claire having her red/pink shorts traded out for demin jeans. They’re also attired with Lienfeld-esque pouches.

** Averted in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' — with justification, given it's a OriginStory. The X-Men wear kevlar-like yellow and blue suits reminiscent of the comics. The villains (aside from Emma Frost) do wear black, even if Shaw has a white tux at a certain point. Meanwhile, Magneto adopts his classic red and purple costume from the comics in the final scene, but this suit ended up not being used in future films because of the {{Narm}} reaction from audiences.

** Spider-Man’s suit is far darker and more muted than the comic version Rami version and the lenses are gold instead of white. This was changed up for the sequel (which became his default look as seen by ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' into a more traditional costume though its colours are still duller shades of red and blue than usual.

** In ''Film/SpiderMan3'', Harry Osborn as "the New Goblin" is primarily black, with only a few very dark green highlights. Peter's Symbiote Suit is a ''very'' dark gray version of his regular costume, instead of the pitch black suit with big bright white spider on the chest and back from the comics. The same suit transfers to ComicBook/{{Venom}}. (The weblines and spider emblem remain black, but they’re shiny so it’s still visible.) Averted with Flint Marko/Sandman, who wears the classic green pinstriped T-Shirt.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''

** Electro in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' has his often mocked [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Electro_%28Max_Dillon%29.png garish green and yellow suit]] from the comics swapped out for a [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/d/d1/Jamie_Foxx_as_Electro.jpg black bodysuit]] and his lightning shaped-headpiece is taken out completely. PlayedWith in ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' though he still has a darker outfit Electro’s lightning [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ru/d/d1/Jamie_Foxx_as_Electro.jpg is yellow and even forms around his face like his headpiece does in the comics]].

** In ''ComicBook/XMen2019'' Professor X now wears a black bodysuit and the Cerebro helmet making look like a bit like the Maker (Mr Fantastic’s EvilTwin from ComicBook/UltimateMarvel) or alternatively “a crap astronaut” according to his son David. This likely symbolic of Charles’s now more AmbiguouslyEvil nature as the leader of Krakoa and complete willingness to make sure his race prospers even if it means intimidating humanity. Besides Charles, a lot if the X-Men wear more darker colours in this era. Averted for the ''ComicBook/HellfireGala'' where everyone dresses more colourfully and [[RuleOfCool fabulously]].

** Leon and Claire in original 1998 ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 RE2]]'' had a Power Ranger-level [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQ8O9M_QBF0J_fqOzbOT2VvkQ0J71Ljkxfeg&usqp=CAU bright blue and pinkish red police and biker outfit]] respectively. In the 2019 remake [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcThFKg_VsTwxNj0ZDLKBAcYZka-3WHdzLsU6g&usqp=CAU they’ve got muted and grungier colours]] with Claire having her red/pink shorts traded out for demin jeans. They’re also attired with Lienfeld-esque pouches.