Marvel Pictures first ‘Captain America’ film was set in the 1940s. In next year’s ‘The Avengers’, Steve “Captain America” Rogers, is living in modern times and his retro Captain America costume has been jettisoned in favor of a sleeker more modern incarnation. Now that a few great set photos have leaked showing actor Chris Evans in the updated Captain America outfit, let’s take a look at how the costume has changed to fit the needs of today’s star-spangled superhero.
Helmet:
Cap’s 1940s helmet was a modified military helmet, painted blue and with a chinstrap added. The modern helmet does away with the chinstrap altogether and looks attached to the neckpiece by a flexible material. Both versions retain the painted “A” and wings on the sides (although the modern wings appear to be molded rather than merely painted).
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The original costume was much more padded and had straps running in all directions. The modern version is more streamlined. It appears to be made of a more skintight and flexible material. The new suit is a lot more blue, especially on the arms. All the leather straps of the past are gone including those that formed the red and white stripes on Cap’s abdomen. The stripes are now a part of the actual suit. The central star emblem looks identical in both versions and may actually be the same piece transferred to the new costume.
Pants:
Both pairs of pants appear to be very similar. They’re plain solid blue with padding around the knees and upper thigh. The new pants have some added white strips at different angles that may suggest zippers or pockets of some sort.
Gloves and Boots:
Like Cap’s old helmet, the 40’s boots and gloves were modified military issue gear. As such, the classics were more brown than red. The modern look is much more technological in appearance and completely red. Whether there’s any actual use in the modernized look (weapons or communication gear in the gauntlets?) remains to be seen.
Accessories:
Like the gloves and boots, classic Cap’s belt was a brown-red leather military issue. The modern belt looks similar in design but black and less ragged. Also of note is that the new belt is missing the gun holster on Cap’s leg. Is this a hint that the new cap isn’t the shooting type? I sure hope not! The Cap’s trademark shield appears to be identical (sans a few scratches) but since a prototype of the shield briefly appeared in Tony Stark’s lab in both ‘Iron Man’ films, it may have been modified internally since the 40s.
While I prefer the look of the classic Captain America uniform, the ‘Avengers’ edition is much more in line with the look and color scheme of the comic book version of the great American hero. Which version of the Captain America costume do you prefer? Would you have made any further changes to the modern outfit? Comment below and let us know.
