Since the launch of the first Iron Man movie in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been expanding, captivating millions of fans with each new film and series. Amid this growing fandom, it’s easy to forget that these iconic characters originated not on screen but on the pages of comic books. Originally designed for a two-dimensional medium, these characters underwent various modifications to shine in the cinematic world.
However, one can’t help but wonder how these superheroes and villains would appear if their depictions remained strictly faithful to their original comic book designs. What differences would we see in the likes of Thor, Ant-Man, Captain America, and Vision, among others? In this article, we dive into the visual evolution of 25 superheroes and villains, contrasting their well-known cinematic looks with their classic comic book forms to explore what might have been if the movies had adhered more closely to the comics.
This article was originally published on worldtravelling.com and has been republished here with permission.
Aquaman
While other superheroes have a long history of film adaptations, Aquaman has largely been overlooked. However, this implies that the Aquaman film’s filmmakers were allowed to reimagine his traditional design entirely.
Instead of the traditional gold suit with scales and pink pants worn by Aquaman in the books, actor Jason Momoa sports a sleek silver suit that emphasizes his brawn. It’s all about Poseidon.
Hawkeye
Hawkeye, as we know him today, bears only a passing resemblance to the character who initially appeared in comic books. The cheap-looking mask and excessive usage of purple are no longer present, and it’s for the better.
Both versions of Hawkeye are former SHIELD agents and are very proficient at firing arrows. Hawkeye from the movies has a secret family, whereas Hawkeye from the comic books had love relationships with Black Widow and Mockingbird, a.k.a. Bobbi Morse.
Falcon
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Falcon is nothing like he is in the comics. In the comics, he wears a red and white superhero suit with giant red wings. MCU Falcon is a man dressed in army fatigues with sophisticated wings.
Falcon’s comic book history is likewise quite unique. He’s an ex-criminal who was mentally merged with a falcon rather than a retired paratrooper.
Superman
Moving to the DC Comics world, let’s take a look at the newest version of Superman. The fact that the new Kal-El suit is substantially darker is one of the most noticeable differences.
The new outfit is somewhere in the deep denim family, whereas the original Superman had cobalt blue body tights with brilliant red symbol detailing and a cape.
Thor
Thor’s distinctive helmet is absent from the movie’s costumes. In Thor: Ragnarok, he also lost his legendary long locks after meeting Stan Lee’s hairdresser. And what about that beard? Comics Thor enjoys a razor-sharp shave.
Thor, the comic book character, was granted amnesia and imprisoned in the body of a crippled medical student named Donald Blake for a decade before discovering his magical hammer by accident. As a doctor, he falls in love with nurse Jane Foster.
Scarlet Witch
Apart from the color palette, none of the designs in the films reflect her comic book appearance. After defeating Agatha and absorbing her magic, the Scarlet Witch finally got the closest suit to her old look in the WandaVision finale, receiving her famous crown that fans have been longing for.
Scarlet Witch is older and more mature in the books, and she frequently wears a revealing outfit. In the movies, she’s more covered and wears normal clothes.
The Flash
In the movies, The Flash is very different than in the comic books. Also, his clothing is more ornately layered than the one in the TV version.
On TV, The Flash has black fabric throughout and a greater number of yellow streaks in the arms and legs. The new Flash style is very different from the TV show’s street and retro vibe.
Quicksilver
Quicksilver from the MCU shouldn’t be confused with Quicksilver from the X-Men, who has more accurate mutant roots. Quicksilver from the comic books has donned a variety of outfits, ranging from a green unitard with a lightning bolt motif to multiple blue unitards with a lightning bolt theme.
The pattern is effectively and subtly incorporated into Quicksilver’s sporting attire by the MCU, but this is another case where we’re glad we didn’t get the complete spandex package.
Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones made her first appearance in 2001 and was written and illustrated by Brian Michael Bendis. Jones went by the name of Jewel and worked as a superhero before she became the owner of Alias Private Investigations.
She had wonderful purple hair and a white outfit that included blue elements. Jones also wore a massive pink gem on the right side of her waist with blue gloves that completed the outfit.
Captain America
Even while his suit changes in minor ways, the nicest thing about MCU Captain America is that he’s unquestionably Cap. Today’s Captain America is a little more subdued on the red, white, and blue. The super soldier is also noticeably less blonde than in the comics.
Captain America’s outfit is more tactical than his comic roots, where he’s commonly shown in scaly armor. His shield was originally shield-shaped before evolving into the circular shield he wields now.
Ant-Man
This is a lucky costume shift from the comics to the MCU. Ant-Man wore spandex and underpants in his early comic appearances, and his ant-controlling helmet was a massive, alien-like silver dome. Fortunately, Paul Rudd’s hero appears to be dressed in a high-powered combat suit.
While both helmets have an ant-like appearance, the MCU version is the clear winner. In the comic books, Ant-Man was dead during Civil War, but he was very much alive in the MCU.
Luke Cage
Luke Cage never wore the skintight outfits that other superheroes wore, but his regular attire, which included a silver headpiece and a yellow blouse open to the waist, was still rather silly.
The TV show does, however, change the fashion, with Luke donning a yellow shirt while still wearing the metallic helmet and cuffs from the experiment that granted him superpowers. In this rendition, Luke Cage likes and wears hoodies.
War Machine
War Machine, sometimes known as “gray Iron Man,” has always resembled Tony Stark in appearance, but he has more guns and a more serious color scheme. The MCU’s War Machine is straight out of a comic book.
In Iron Man 3, Rhodey’s armor is repainted solely. Norman Osborn, better known as the Green Goblin, first wears the Iron Patriot armor in the comics after gaining control of HAMMER, which was then supplanted by SHIELD.
The Hulk
Although the Hulk is a large green monster both in the comics and in the MCU, in the comics, the Hulk was initially gray. Then he eventually turned green but reverted to his gray appearance on some occasions. MCU Hulk is just a regular green Hulk.
When he was grey, he was an intelligent big guy, but when he became green, he was not someone who could think straight. In the comics, the Hulk is irradiated in the act of heroism, while in the film, he transforms into a monster due to a botched research experiment. The movie also added a special ingredient, which is the platonic love he has for Black Widow.
Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang is part of The Suicide Squad. His original boomerang-print tunic and little hat are possibly the most absurd outfits ever. His on-screen look is more modern.
They both wear a grey-blue peacoat and have a proclivity for slinging boomerangs, but the movie version wears considerably more urbanized attire and jewelry, and his hair isn’t the orange tone seen in the comics.
Black Panther
The Wakandan prince’s looks have remained relatively unchanged over time. It’s always been a black bodysuit of some sort. It occasionally wears a cloak, a tooth necklace, or gold adornments.
The MCU Panther is similar to the MCU Panther, but he wears a much more tech-looking outfit with vibration-protection patterns. Panther, on the other hand, is more sleek and organic in the comics. Did you know that in the comics, Black Panther married X-men’s Storm?
Korath
Korath is a powerful Kree who was subjected to cyber-genetic modification and as a result was significantly stronger and more durable than the normal Kree. He has the ability to psionically locate individuals by tracing their brain patterns.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptation was hardly more than a gimmick. He lacked any notable esoteric abilities, and while he was clearly a capable warrior, he was quickly dispatched by Drax.
Spider-Man
We’re not sure how many big-screen Spider-Men there have been, but the new actor is the best one. Spidey has made fanboys and fangirls go crazy with how comic-accurate his suit is since his debut in Civil War.
Regardless, MCU Spider-Man appears with a unique half-belt. Just like many other comic heroes, Spidey has had approximately a million different costumes since his first debut, but his current MCU costume is a totally perfect combination.
Iron Man
Even with his goatee mustache instead of a pencil-thin one, Robert Downey Jr is perfect for the role of the billionaire turned-superhero Tony Stark.
Despite the fact that Tony has changed armors more times than we can count, his cinematic armors are a very faithful reflection of how he appeared in the comics from the 1990s to the present. The MCU ignores decades of bulkier armor in favor of the ideal one for the big screen.
Yondu
Yondu Udonta, a compelling character in the Marvel Universe, exhibits striking differences between his comic book origins and his cinematic portrayal. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Yondu appears as a rugged, blue-skinned space pirate, leading the Ravagers with a distinctive whistle-controlled Yaka arrow. This portrayal starkly contrasts his comic book counterpart, where Yondu is a noble, spiritual warrior from Centauri-IV, sporting a prominent fin-like crest on his head.
Originally, in the comics, Yondu is a founding member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy, fighting heroically against the Badoon race. The film adaptation, however, reimagines him as a complex anti-hero, more aligned with the grounded and nuanced storytelling of the Marvel films.
Black Widow
Black Widow is another Marvel superhero with only a few differences between her character in the comic books and in the movies. She has red hair on both platforms but changed it to blonde for a while in the movies. What many people don’t know is that she changed her hair in the comics too, but she went all black.
Now that her movie is out, we know a lot about her past and how she became a spy and assassin trained by the Soviet Union from an early age. Her story in the comics is pretty much the same.
Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch’s suit is very identical to Steve Ditko’s original artwork, and it required a lot of labor to get it that way. He wears a blue outfit with a blue robe and a crimson cloak on both platforms.
Doctor Strange costume designer Alexandra Byrn discussed the challenges of “getting the essence” of Strange’s clothing correct in an interview with Slashfilm, even if the size of Strange’s collar and the gold accents on his cloak look different.
Katana
Katana has more outfits than we can keep track of in the comics. She debuted in 1983 wearing a red-and-yellow costume with absurdly pointed shoulders and fur-topped shoes—basically the least covert martial arts outfit imaginable.
In the movie, they toned it down to a red-and-gold armor set with a domino mask. Actress Karen Fukuhara plays her in The Suicide Squad.
Thanos
With his helmet off, we saw a lot of Thanos, but when he puts it on, his degree of menace is on par with George Perez’s 1991 “Infinity Gauntlet” cover.
Thanos’ clothing has been altered to give him a more armored appearance, removing the skintight space spandex popular among comic book artists. The blue-and-gold color pattern is still present, but it has been toned down, and the helmet is no longer attached to the neck plate.
Loki
Although he has yet to equal his comic counterpart’s joyous mischief, the legendary Marvel character has usually stayed true to the source material. His famed horned helmet makes a few cameo appearances as well.
The biggest difference is that Loki’s trademark skintight catsuit has been replaced with something a little less exposing, as is the case with most comic adaptations. Darker greens and less vibrant gold embellishments have also been used to soften the look of the garment.
Hela
Hela’s costume in Thor: Ragnarok appears surprisingly faithful to the skin-tight vestments worn by the Mistress of the Darkness in the comics, even though the color is different. It’s green in the comics and black in the movie.
In the movie, her helmet looks very loyal to the comic books. But there’s a big difference in her story. In the comics, she’s Loki’s and sorceress Angerboda’s daughter, while in the movie, she’s Thor and Loki’s sister.
Monica Rambeau
Monica’s hair in WandaVision is in a variety of fashions when she’s inside the Hex, but when she’s outside of it, she wears her hair in curls, which is similar to the character’s earlier comic appearances.
A suitable costume is missing, which she will most certainly obtain in Secret Invasion or Captain Marvel 2. Nonetheless, the version seen in WandaVision is rather realistic.
Jimmy Woo
Jimmy Woo is one of several Marvel characters who returned to the MCU after originally appearing in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and he was probably the easiest character from the book to adapt. He was a member of the Wandavision team.
Jimmy doesn’t have a superhero costume and instead prefers to wear suits, as he does in the program.
Billy Maximoff
The Maxmimoff twins made their MCU debut in Wandavision, although many of the characters had already appeared in prior MCU projects. Julian Hillard plays the youngest twin, Billy Maximoff, aka Wiccan.
He appears in a Halloween episode dressed in an outfit based on his comic book uniform, with a red cape and headpiece. In the other episodes, he wears blue and red outfits.
Tommy Maximoff
During the Halloween episode, he is the only member of his family who does not dress up in his comic-accurate costume. However, his wardrobe is based on it, consisting mostly of green clothing.
In the comics, Tommy has white hair like his uncle Pietro, with whom he also shares powers. However, in the series, he has dark brown hair.
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness is a character that less resembles her comic book counterpart. She appears much older in the comics than she does in the sitcom, with grey or fully white hair.
The character’s distinctive purple being a part of her costume and the brooch that she is often shown wearing in the comics are the only major similarities between the two incarnations.
Vision
In the comics, Vision is a red-skinned android with a simple look. He wears a green bodysuit with a yellow cape. A solar gem adorns his forehead. In the movies, he has a robot-like appearance and a beige cloak, and a metallic accessory is added.
He first appeared in the MCU, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, altering some minor facts. While Ultron appears in both versions, the comic book Ultron was created by Ant-Man, not Tony Stark.
Slipknot
The movie’s costume team nearly completely ignored Slipknot’s appearance in the comics. He wore a complete, muscle-hugging bodysuit with strange side windows, loose sleeves, and a mask prior.
In the movie, he received a far more martial (and far more practical) costume. The silly noose pattern on his chest had vanished, and he was now dressed in practical utility gear.
White Vision
The only major change between the MCU and the comics version of White Vision is that the MCU version has gold accents on the arms, belt, and legs, as well as a little orange panel in his forehead where the mind stone used to be. Also, In the comic books, White Vision has white eyes, which is not reflected on the TV show.
Did you know that this character is also known as Spectral Vision in comic books?
Bruce Banner
Take a peek at Bruce Banner when he doesn’t convert into The Hulk. The scientist doesn’t bring too much attention to himself as he looks like a normal person.
Mark Ruffalo’s greying black hair is due to the fact that he is older than in the comic books. Both in the comics and in the MCU, Banner has brown eyes and wears glasses.
Erik Kilmonger
Erik Kilmonger looks different in the comic books than in the movie Black Panther. In the MCU, he’s dressed in a black suit, has short hair and a moustache, except when he fights against T’Challa.
On the other hand, in the comics, he walks around shirtless and has longer hair. He also has a bracelet with metal details.
Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers has a long history in Marvel Comics, and her costume has changed many times. Her initial outfit featured a bikini bottom and a cloak that revealed her abs.
Now she looks very similar in the comic books and in the MCU with a full body blue suit with red details and short blond hair, which is much more comfortable to fight than the regular long that female superheroes usually are given.
Dr. Octopus
In the comics, Dr. Octopus is one of Spider-most Man’s enemies. In both the MCU and the comic books, he uses his prosthetic harness to make himself physically capable of fighting the much younger Spider-Man.
His outfit, on the other hand, is quite different and more modern version. In the movie, he wears a green coat and in the comics, a green leotard with orange details.
Magneto
In the comic books, Magneto wears a red and purple suit that looks very mechanical with his famous helmet in the same colors. In the first X-Men movies, we see him in a much darker outfit, almost black, with dark red details.
His helmet, for example, is dark red. In the newes movies, his suit is completely dark red, from head to toes.
Batman
In terms of both history and clothing, Ben Affleck’s Batman was clearly inspired by the Caped Crusader’s voyage in the 1986 comic miniseries The Dark Knight Returns.
The slate grey bodice and hyper-realized musculature underneath it are a direct reflection of the comic book series. Frank Miller, the creator of the comics, really liked Affleck’s portrayal of this Batman.
Daredevil
At the end of the first season of Daredevil, we get a glance of his costume revealing some differences from the comics. Daredevil’s iconic double Ds had vanished, and the vibrant red color scheme had been replaced with maroon.
The skintight suit was replaced with reinforced leather. That last adjustment ended up causing some issues. While leather pants may appear to be durable, spandex allows you to move more freely.
Star-Lord
Director James Gunn was free to make some significant modifications to the characters. Star-Lord is a well-known superhero who gathers the Guardians to function as a galactic police force in the comics.
In the movies, he had a major outfit change. A roguish leather jacket and T-shirt were substituted for the uniform and emblem. The traditional helmet was reduced to a faceplate, giving the Marvel character a more civilian appearance.
Jean Grey
If you want to bring Jean Grey to the big screen, you have a lot of great costume options from the comics to choose from—or you could just ignore everything and do your own thing.
Director Bryan Singer ultimately decided to dress everyone in black leather in the first X-Men film. In X-Men: Apocalypse, an adolescent Jean fights in massive black body armor that looks little like a superhero outfit.
Apocalypse
Fans had great hopes for Bryan Singer’s ’80s-set sequel to Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, but they quickly tempered their expectations after seeing the first image of Oscar Isaac’s Apocalypse.
Apocalypse is blue in the film, ignoring the fact that in the comic book he’s primarily gray. Due to the film’s focus on Apocalypse’s Egyptian origins, his suit appears older and more ornate than the comic’s sleek, tech-heavy style.
Groot
While he is still a space tree creature, the modern Groot has little similarity to his initial portrayal as a massive monster who screams out his terrible schemes for all to hear.
The comic book version of Groot retains a malevolent appearance and an obvious intelligence. However, he was modified for the film to showcase his goodness and purity. His snarling mouth was removed, and he was given human-like eyes.
Storm
Storm has worn many outfits over the years and her hair was changed on a regular basis by writer Chris Claremont, who oversaw the X-books for almost 17 years, to demonstrate character development.
Storm’s outfit in X-Men: Apocalypse was influenced by her punk-rock-inspired all-leather get-up. She retains her cloak, and her metal bracers appear to be more appropriate for her function as an African weather goddess than a punk rocker.
Ghost Rider
In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Robbie Reyes takes up the Ghost Rider mantle in 2014. He drives a muscle car rather than a motorbike, like in the classic version. Robbie’s biography fits better with the show’s familial themes, according to the producers.
His minimal backstory allows S.H.I.E.L.D.’s writers more space to explore. In this iteration, the flaming skull is robotic.
The Joker
Despite the fact that the Jokers appeared in a variety of films, a consistent look emerges: classic suits and tuxedos in green, orange, purple, and red. In his first appearance, he wore a big bow at his throat, purple gloves, and well-pomaded hair.
What they all have in common is that none of them are as well-kept as the lunatic from the comic books.
Sue Storm and the Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four wore suits made of “unstable molecules” in Jack Kirby’s early comics, which allowed them to use their powers without destroying their outfits.
However, the 2015 relaunch went in a different way. Not a family-friendly sci-fi adventure movie, director Josh Trank sought to tell “a Cronenberg-ian science fiction thriller of something horrific happening to your body and [it] mutating out of control.” Therefore, brighter costumes would not work.
Arnim Zola
When inventing Arnim Zola, the developers undoubtedly wondered what would happen if they put a man inside a television and then placed him in the middle of a robotic body. As a result, one of the most bizarre works of all time emerges, with no one taking Zola seriously.
The Russo brothers recast Zola as an AI in charge of a gigantic computer bank in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Deadpool
Deadpool debuted in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, however he is almost unrecognizable. Not only is he covered in tattoos, but he also possesses the abilities of other mutants. His mouth is also sewn shut!
Fans didn’t like the changes and neither did Ryan Reynolds. That’s why, when Deadpool returned to the big screen in 2016 for his own feature film, Reynolds and director Tim Miller played everything by the (comic) book.
Whiplash
There are times when the MCU decides to take minor villains and try to turn them into major players. This strategy can be very effective at times. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. One of those other instances is Whiplash, the villain of Iron Man 2.
Whiplash was rendered badly when the film abandoned his costume in favor of relying on the minimal essentials to make the character function.
Ego
How do you turn a massive planet with a face into a believable villain? When James Gunn made the sentient planet Ego the major villain in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, he ran into this difficulty.
Ego’s human form evolved into a malevolent and worthwhile projection of the planet, outdoing him in terms of evil. In keeping with the comic, viewers get to see Ego’s planet face at one point.
Dormammu
It is usually hit or miss when it comes to giant CGI creatures. While the majority of the MCU films succeed in making CGI monsters work, even excellent films occasionally hit a snag. Doctor Strange is one of these fantastic films.
The film’s depiction of Dormammu, the dark dimension’s king, leans a little too heavily on CGI. The MCU’s Dormammu comes across as a pale imitation of his comic counterpart.
Ulysses Klaw
Many of the MCU’s villains are C to D-list nasties who look ludicrous or are simply implausible. One of the most absurd villains is Ulysses Klaw, who has a sonic cannon for an arm.
Thankfully, the movie Black Panther was able to provide viewers with a fantastic updated version of Klaw. Klaw was recreated in the film and by Andy Serkis as a normal-looking man with a fake cybernetic arm.
Supreme Intelligence
Marvel has a cast of characters that are both bizarre and fascinating. The Supreme Intelligence, the universal dictator, is the most powerful of them all. The supreme intelligence as a huge head in a glass case who dominates the Kree would have been a fascinating character to behold on the big screen.
Unfortunately, Captain Marvel decided to try something new and turned the Intelligence into a projection within Carol’s mind.
The Mandarin
When it was revealed that the Mandarin, Stark’s long standing antagonist, would be the villain in Iron Man 3, fans were ecstatic. Unfortunately, the plot twist damaged the Mandarin to some extent, as it was revealed that the film’s version was just a dummy being employed by Aldrich Killian, a super-rich evil billionaire.
The next Shang-Chi film will presumably deliver a real Mandarin straight from the pages of the comics.
Vulture
Spider-Man has one of the most extensive rogues galleries. Many of these villains end up being so far out there that they don’t belong on the big screen in the first place. With a reimagining of the Vulture, however, Spider-Man: Homecoming accomplished the impossible.
The MCU Vulture is an engineer who makes a vulture-like metal costume, whereas the comic Vulture is an old guy in a green suit with wings.
Rick Flag
The character’s facial hair in the film is perhaps the most noticeable change from the comics. Rick Flagg keeps a close shave most of the time in the comics, although the movie version has an anchor ‘do on his chin.
He’s dressed in an Army green jumpsuit and wields battlefield-grade weapons. He also utilized utility suspenders for tiny storage.
Malekith
It’s only fitting that one of the worst MCU movies has one of the worst villain portrayals of all time. Malektih the Witch King is a fearsome power in the comics, and he has a fantastic appearance, with one half of his face blue and the other completely scarred.
Malekith in Thor: The Dark World doesn’t resemble his comic book counterpart. The only thing that alike is his scarred visage.
Mantis
Mantis, who we saw last time in Infinity War actually looks more like a warrior in the comic version. In the movies, Mantis has a less natural suit made of leather.
It even resembles In the movie her character, powers and backstory were altered so much that even the character’s creator, Steve Englehart, wasn’t happy about it. They made a strong fighting female character into a weak, self pitying character.
Aunt May
In each new Spider-Man film, Spidey’s aunty gets younger and younger. She’s absolutely not a canonical old woman in Homecoming. It was natural for Aunt May and Uncle Ben to be older in the 1960s.
Consider it this way: Peter’s mother or father had a number of older brothers and sisters. It’s conceivable that Peter’s aunt is elderly, however nowadays the approach is different. People have siblings closer in age.
Ancient One
The Ancient One is a Himalayan man in the comics. Tilda Swinton was cast in the film adaptation of Doctor Strange, and the character was changed to a Celtic woman. However, it’s not a normal female persona.
Kevin Feige stated that the gender of the character “doesn’t matter” because Swinton shaved her head and was made to look androgynous for the role. This isn’t the first gender swatch in the MCU.
Gamora
Nebula and Gamora aren’t as closely related in the comics as they are in the movies. It’s unknown whether Nebula is Thanos’ great-granddaughter in the comics, however the blood relation has never been proven.
In the MCU, on the other side, Nebula is seen as another of Thanos’ daughters. As a result, she and Gamora have an odd sisterly connection that does not transfer well in the comics at all.
Bucky Barnes
Bucky from the comic books and film versions of The Winter Soldier are nearly identical. The Russo Brothers are big on authenticity. Bucky’s arc from the Winter Soldier movie was much the same, and the MCU costume looked as if it was ripped straight out of Steve Epting’s original art.
In the comics, the Winter Soldier was a creation of the Soviet Union, not Hydra as revealed in the movie.
El Diablo
El Diablo’s fiery energy was maintained very truthful in the movie, but he has a lot of tattoos all over his body in the comics, primarily designs that emphasize his imposing physique.
El Diablo tattoos in the comics are mostly swirl designs that highlight his fearsome physique and presumably to make him even more terrifying. Because the character in the film is smaller in stature, his tats were replaced with a multitude of new drawings and symbols that depicted him as a truly bad guy.
Grandmaster
In the comics, the Grandmaster is one of the known Elders. His moniker alludes to his favorite pastime: Playing games. He has used various Marvel characters several times in his games.
In the film he is the ruler of the chaotic planet Saakar, and he has a tight and merciless grip on its population and slaves. The Grandmaster’s azure skin is replaced by blue highlights around his eyes and lips.
Valkyrie
While the comic book Valkyrie is a blonde-haired fighter who is generally recognized as an Asgardian superhero, the film version’s Valkyrie appellation functions similarly to the title ‘Soldier.’ In the MCU, the Valkyrie are basically Odin’s special ops; his SEAL Team Six.
Also, Tessa Thompson’s costume was visually striking, but was more leather than metal. Comic Valkyrie began appearing as part of the Asgardians of the Galaxy team in 2018.
Heimdall
In the film, Heimdall may be vegetarian, but in the comics, he does not wear faux furs. This gentleman wields a sword as well as his trusted helmet. Heimdall is an all-seeing, all-hearing being who lives on the Bifrost, based on Heimdallr from Norse mythology.
These characteristics are present in all the incarnations that followed, with the exception that the mythological Heimdallr truly keeps watch for Ragnarok’s arrival.
Blizzard
Gregor Shapanka, Donald Gill, and Randy Macklin are the three versions of Blizzard in comic books, and none of them resemble the MCU version from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the comics, Donnie Gill is a villain who feuds with Iron Man.
The MCU version is a cadet at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy who used a weather gadget to impress Ian Quinn.
Ares
In the comic books, Ares wears dark blue armor, a plumed helmet, and a billowing cape. Despite a few minor differences, it’s the same design as what we saw on screen.
However, there is one significant distinction. He has no discernable body in the comics, but we can see a part of his nose, lips, and chin in the film.
Graviton
In the comic book, the physicist was working on an experiment in a private research facility in the Canadian Rockies when graviton particles merged with his own molecules due to a calculation error. He was able to mentally control gravity as a result of this.
In the MCU, he is a physicist who served as a S.H.I.E.L.D. asset. He worked on a gravity manipulation contraption.