History Main / MovieSuperheroesWearBlack

* ''XMenEvolution'' had most of the cast in black or dark-blue uniforms. Justified though in that the X-Men usually go back and forth between dark uniforms and colorful costumes. {{Wolverine}} is notable for starting off in his classic orange costume and then transitioning to a black, maskless outfit in the later seasons.

When superheroes get their chance in the big screen, there's usually someone who ends putting more black and/or leatherish texture in their attires, and often simplifying the design while they're at it. This isn't necessarily to make the characters DarkerAndEdgier (though it can), but simply because colorful superhero costumes don't always translate well in live action. The most oft-cited example is {{Wolverine}}. Badass in the comics, but his standard yellow costume (or the brown one he wore for awhile) would look ridiculous in real life.

** Catwoman routinely wears black rubber or leather in all of her film incarnations. That includes Halle Berry, too. Prior to the first TimBurton Batman movie, and for a while afterwards, comic book Catwoman tended towards purple spandex.
** Chris O'Donnell's Robin wears a suit not dissimilar from Bruce's, with a slightly modified bat emblem on the front.

* Film/{{Daredevil}}'s movie outfit is oxblood red rather than its red comics counterpart. Elektra in the same movie wears an all-black leather ensemble rather than the red leotard from the comics. This even applies to the movie's version of Bullseye; even though Bullseye's costume is mostly black to begin with, here he doesn't have anything you'd call a costume at all.

** The ''Film/ManOfSteel'' movie sees Superman in a darker rendition of his classic suit. The trademark red trunks are also removed and some detailing is added to make the suit seem more "alien".

When superheroes get their chance in the big screen, there's usually some ExecutiveMeddling which ends putting more black and/or leatherish texture in their attires, and often simplifying the design while they're at it. This isn't necessarily to make the characters DarkerAndEdgier (though it can), but simply because colorful superhero costumes don't always translate well in live action. The most oft-cited example is {{Wolverine}}. Badass in the comics, but his standard yellow costume (or the brown one he wore for awhile) would look ridiculous in real life.

[[caption-width-right:350:My favorite is the one in black leather. [[AndZoidberg And the red one.]]]]

[[folder:WesterAnimation]]

** The production stills and concept art for ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' looks to be going more this route. The directors have ditched Cap's colorful duds from ''Film/TheAvengers'' and given him something closer to his [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/f57cbe9e3919cce338a5c245bce88fab/tumblr_mgc3hjQ6Fc1r2egjko1_r1_500.jpg Commander Rogers outfit]] from ''SecretAvengers''. The Winter Soldier himself has had his DominoMask replaced with a more practical face covering.

[[quoteright:350:[[{{Film/X-Men}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xmen3.jpg]]]]

** This trope is outright [[DefiedTrope defied]] for Captain America. Rogers asks if his original stars-and-stripes costume is too old-fashioned. Coulson replies that with the current situation, people might need a little "old-fashioned." However, his suit is more armored than the comic counterpart. It also ditches the buccaneer boots and head wings.

* In ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Deathstroke the Terminator has his trademark blue and orange costume changed to black body armor. His mask however keeps the orange markings.

* The short-lived ''Series/BirdOfPrey'' TV series had Huntress wearing a black leather trench coat rather than an actual costume and mask.

[[caption-width-right:350:My favorite is the one in black leather. [[AndZoidberg And the red one.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:My favorite is the one in black leather.]]

** {{Huntress}} also wears a black [[SpyCatsuit catsuit]] rather than her purple and white costume from the comic books.

* Dick Grayson's Comicbook/{{Robin}} suit in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has all of the green parts colored black instead. This goes for [[LegacyCharacter Tim Drake]] as well, though at least he does have several red and black costumes in the comics.

** ''Film/TheDarkKnightSaga'' Batsuits are also black but take things a step further in that they don't even have a yellow circle around the bat-symbol.
*** Even in the comics Batman's costume has been quite flexible with the yellow circle coming and going and the coloration changing from blue-and-grey to black-and-grey to all-black over the years depending on the artist.
*** Even the ''WesternAnimation/BewareTheBatman'' cartoon has taken a nod from the films and given Batman an armored black costume.
* The DVD-only [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad Email]] "comic book movie" refers to this as "Leatherquest 2000."
-->''"People may buy that our character has radioactive powers, or is from another planet, but a colorful spandex costume?! Are you crazy?! No audience will accept that! Nope, it's one color, head-to-toe leather for our hero!"''
* The PowerRangers movie didn't tone down the heroes' colors, but gave them padded, techier-looking suits. Interestingly, later series like ''Ninja Storm'', ''SPD'' and ''Operation Overdrive'' would outfit the heroes in black leather when they weren't in full multicolored Ranger form.

* All the {{GI Joe}}s in ''[[GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra The Rise Of Cobra]]'' were put in black {{spy catsuit}}s for the movie, rather than each having a distinct, unique, and colorful uniform as they have in other adaptations.

* In ''{{Smallville}}'', Superman wore a black BadassLongcoat for a year or so, along with black pants & shirt with silver logo.

** ''SupermanReturns'' changed the suit color to a muted blue, with a burgundy cape. Supposedly, the bright red color would have interfered with the digital effects.

* In ''Series/{{Arrow}}'', Deathstroke the Terminator has his trademark blue and orange costume changed to black body armor. His mask however keeps the orange markings.
** {{Huntress}} also wears a black [[SpyCatsuit catsuit]] rather than her purple and white costume from the comic books.

** His portrayal in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse gives him a [[BadassLongcoat black leather trenchcoat]] which comes from his portrayal in TheUltimates where he was SamuelLJackson in ComicBookFantasyCasting.

** This an AvertedTrope with ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' which has the X-Men back in yellow suits, inspired in equal part by the team's uniforms during their earliest comic appearances and the ''New X-Men'' suits. Magneto also appears at the end with is trademark red costume and helmet.
*** Though they're made of more practical material than the spandex/cloth look of the comics, and there are absolutely no masks.

* {{Frank Miller}}'s adaptation of TheSpirit saw the titular hero swap his blue CoatHatMask from the comics for a black variation of the same ensemble. Then again, the entire ''world'' seemed to have made a swap of a black variation of their ensemble.

* ''CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' averts this, as Cap first wears a faithful translation of his comic counterpart's costume during the USO stage tour sequence, and then gets a more utilitarian version of the familiar costume (which is really just the 616 look and the Ultimate suit combined) later in the movie.

** And of course [[BuckyBarnes Bucky]] wears military gear instead of the colorful red-and-blue uniform and DominoMask he wore in the GoldenAge comics.

** This trope is outright [[DefiedTrope defied]] for Captain America. Rogers asks if his original stars-and-stripes costume is too old-fashioned. Coulson replies that with the current situation, people might need a little "old-fashioned."
*** Though his suit is more armored than the comic counterpart. It also ditches the buccaneer boots and head wings.
* The ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' comic strip had the character in a fairly bright blue bodyglove accessorized with oversized yellow shoulder decorations and badge, along with lurid green boots, knee and elbow pads, gloves and utility belt (complete with a red, white and blue American Eagle buckle). Both movies keep the basic outfit (in a rather darker blue or black) but the accoutrements are transformed into more realistically sized versions in silver metal or black leather.
** It's possible the accessories were downsized to avoid [[RealityEnsues problems moving in the costume]] (see also: Batman).

* ''TheMeteorMan'' features its hero wearing a black and green suit (made by his mother). Amazingly enough, it's a comedy. Allegedly.
* Justified with GhostRider and {{Blade}}, both of whom were wearing black leather in the comics around the time the movies came out. (Though, Blade's original costume was a hideous red and green ensemble, and Johnny Blaze's biker jacket was arguably blue.)
* The 90's live-action ''Manga/CatsEye'' movie had the sisters wearing black vinyl outfits (influenced by Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} from ''BatmanReturns'') rather than their colorful leotards from the anime.

* In keeping with its attempts to look like a Hollywood movie, ''DMCDevilMayCry'' replaces Dante's classic white and red colors for his hair and trench coat with black. His classic color scheme does however return when he enters his Devil Trigger form.
* Leaked photos from the upcoming ''RoboCop'' remake have him in what appears to be a generic black suit of angular pads--the helmet even replaces the iconic slot-visor with a black droplet-shape that covers the top two-thirds of his face. A leaked script even claims that "Robocop 1.0" is shown to be pretty close to the original... but is scrapped after focus groups compare him to a "toy from the 80s".

** Catwoman routinely wears black rubber or leather in all of her film incarnations. That includes Halle Berry, too.

* Film/{{Daredevil}}'s movie outfit is oxblood red rather than its red comics counterpart. Elektra in the same movie wears an all-black leather ensemble rather than the red leotard from the comics, and Bullseye doesn't have anything you'd call a costume at all.

** Catwoman routinely wears black spandex or leather in all of her film incarnations. That includes Halle Berry, too.