One thing that's proven to be true about superheroes in general is that they are constantly changing.
Even stalwart classic superheroes like Superman look slightly different every decade, ranging from a Herculean strongman look to more like alien royalty with armor and a high collar.
This is just the way it is — the appearance of superheroes of any decade mirror whatever is going on in society at the time.
Never has this been truer than today, a time when superhero movies have become blockbuster flicks grossing billions of dollars worldwide. In the '70s and '80s, there were only a few good superhero movies out there, and they mostly starred either Superman or Batman.
Now, popular movies have caused a resurgence in interest in popular and even second-tier characters. Sure, we eventually expect characters like Wonder Woman and Thor to have their own movies, but many didn't expect Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, nor the Guardians of the Galaxy to get their own solo films.
Filmmakers have seemingly cracked the code to make virtually any superhero movie a success. Even DC is finally figuring it out.
Of course, with all of these characters suddenly on center stage, there are legions of dedicated fans who love to redesign their favorite heroes.
Fan are is an incredible thing, because it offers everyone with an entirely fresh and unique look at classic heroes.
With that said, here are the 25 Superhero Fan Redesigns Way Better Than What We Got.
25 Superman As A Deity
DC has had a field day with alternate histories for their heroes. Just like Marvel, they have an entire multiverse to play with, so there are infinite variations on each character depending on what universe you are in.
However, DC also likes to write "imaginary" stories outside of continuity, where they take a favorite hero and just tweak one aspect of their history.
For example, what if Superman's spaceship from Krypton didn't land in Kansas, but instead somewhere else, like Soviet Russia, WWII Germany, or Lex Luthor's backyard?
The stories are great reminders that what makes Superman "good" is how he was raised, not his Kryptonian heritage.
This artist imagines what Superman would look like if he had landed in a community that worshipped him as a "star child" and a deity.
With so much power, it seems like a realistic outcome.
24 Saiyan Wolverine
Wolverine is one of the most reinterpreted superheroes on this list, mainly because he is just so incredibly popular.
Because he spent a considerable amount of time in Japan, he lends himself well to interpretations based in that region. Bedecked here in Saiyan garb from Dragon Ball, Wolverine looks great.
While the artist included a Saiyan tail here, it's interesting to note that real wolverines have tails as well. Wolverine tails are bushy and relatively short, unlike the Saiyan tail we see above.
Wolverine looks like a force to be reckoned with and we can only imagine what kind of additional damage he could accomplish if he was able to transform into a Great Ape.
23 Black Widow
Part of what makes Black Widow's character so compelling is the air of mystery about her. Natasha Romanova's history varies depending on what reboot we're dealing with, but roughly, she used to work as a spy for the Soviet Union and a villain for Iron Man before she defected, joined S.H.I.E.L.D., and then the Avengers.
Fans would scarcely recognize her in some of her early appearances, where she sported jet-black hair in a bouffant hairstyle.
In the early '70s, Marvel updated her look to the tight black jumpsuit that we can recognize in the movies.
This artist gave Black Widow a completely new outfit, adding armor plating to her arms and torso as well as outfitting her with twin blades and a scarf.
This look, which is reminiscent of Assassin's Creed, looks great on her.
22 Black Armored Deadpool
What separates Deadpool from almost any other kind of assassin is his high-octane sense of humor.
While Ryan Reynolds knew that this was the secret to bringing this character successfully to the big screen, he didn't invent the approach.
He was just aping what he'd seen in the comics, which was a character so irreverent that he would routinely break the fourth wall just to talk to the reader.
This version of Deadpool seems a lot more serious. The outfit is something that Deadpool might want to wear in order to intimidate his enemies.
The armor would also probably protect him from harsh elements like cold or poison gas.
Taking a look at his bandolier, we can see that he's given each bullet a different face, cementing the fact that yes, underneath all that black paramilitary vibe, it's the same hilarious Deadpool.
21 Six-eyed Spider-Man
After Superman, Spider-Man seems to be one of those characters that artists love to re-imagine again and again.
There was a popular video game that came out a few years ago called Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions that let you play as Spider-Man from four different universes.
In the upcoming animated movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, several different versions of Spider-Man meet, though Miles Morales' version is the main character.
This Spider-Man seems to have military accents, with camo-style pants, a utility belt, Batman-style defensive gauntlets, and what looks like tactical night vision lenses.
This gives him a six-eyed look, which is closer to what an actual spider's face might look like.
If nothing else, this outfit looks comfy and practical, and super-spidery.
20 Trippy Scarlett Witch
While many artists often emphasize her magical powers when creating redesigns of Scarlet Witch, not many are able to do it quite as well as this talented artist.
In a depiction that seems more in line with Doctor Strange than the Scarlet Witch, we can see her hovering in multiple dimensions at once, with three pairs of arms, and two and a half faces.
Is this an illusion, or is she really phasing through time and/or space?
Doctor Strange pulls off a similar trick in Avengers: Infinity War. At one point during the battle against Thanos, he looks like he has multiple arms like the Indian goddess Durga or Kali, as well as multiple bodies.
Paintings like this make us curious to see a more magical version of Scarlet Witch in the MCU.
19 Special Mission Black Panther
Black Panther crushed the box office this year, blasting through attendance records and cementing himself as a new top-tier hero among the movie-going public.
His costume, as well Killmonger's golden-accented one, was awesome in its own right. The redistribution of kinetic energy that is inherent within the Black Panther suit, thanks to Shuri, is amazing.
With this piece, this artist wanted to depict Black Panther on some kind of special mission.
Perhaps this is early in his career, and he doesn't yet have the benefit of the new tech that his sister has to offer. This may be a "Batman: Year One" version of him, with a suit that's still evolving and military-style pouches to keep all of the things that he might need on a mission.
In any event, he looks amazing and extremely intimidating.
18 Wonder Woman Silver
DC's short-lived New 52 comics universe was only around for a little while, but it made a pretty big impact on its many characters.
Major flagship heroes, such as Superman, got makeovers. Superman was given a high collar and his red trunks were eliminated.
Wonder Woman had all of her gold accents removed and replaced with silver, and her sword and shield became much more prevalent in all of her battles. A live action version of this would look similar to the artist's depiction above.
It's fun seeing Wonder Woman's natural evolution over time, as she is often brought back to her roots in Greek mythology.
17 Batman/Wolverine
DC and Marvel had a bit of fun publishing limited runs of Amalgam Universe comics together a little over a decade ago. In it, they introduced two popular characters from each universe into one.
For instance, Captain America and Superman became Super Soldier, while Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate became Doctor Strangefate.
One of their coolest mash-ups was Batman and Wolverine, who they named Dark Claw.
Though it was slightly different than the version that this artist created, the main idea is the same. Both Batman and Wolverine's toughness and take-no-prisoners attitude blend well together, as they both have a lot in common.
We especially like how the red "X" on Batman/Wolverine's chest looks a bit like a bat.
16 Iron Man on a Unicorn
It's hard to imagine Iron Man's suit getting any better than it already is. In Avengers: Infinity War, his nano-particle suit basically turned him into a mechanical sorcerer, as he was now able to conjure made-up weapons and booster engines from thin air.
However, given that his suit is already reminiscent of a knight in shining armor, this depiction makes a lot of sense.
There's something incredibly gratifying about seeing this artist's version of Iron Man riding an armored robot unicorn into battle while wielding a giant sword.
According to the artist, that sword is actually the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII.
We would love to see this version of Iron Man make it onto the big screen, though we're not sure viewers are ready for it yet.
15 Hulk vs. Nature
Though we don't see it very often, most people automatically assume that the Hulk has to eat. In fact, there have been many moments in the comics where Bruce Banner disappears for months at a time and the Hulk has to fend for himself.
However, according to some fans and writers, the Hulk doesn't have to eat because he gets all of his energy from gamma radiation and his natural healing factor.
Its still fun to think about the Hulk out in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest fending for himself by hunting and gathering food, though.
The bear in this drawing is a great touch to this piece. The bear, which would normally be perceived as the biggest predator in the area, is cautious of the Hulk. Instead of defending its territory, the bear cautiously watches from the side as the Hulk catches some fish.
14 Injustice Flash
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a comic prequel series that ties into the popular fighting video game. It features a DC civil war that occurs after Superman goes "bad."
The Joker basically breaks Superman, causing him to accidentally destroy Lois Lane while he is under the influence of Scarecrow's fear toxin.
In retaliation, Superman ends the life of the Joker right in front of Batman. They have a major schism, and other superheroes are forced to choose sides.
The Flash joins Superman's team, and sports an outfit that looks different from his usual one.
This artist takes the Flash's outfit even further, adding long gauntlets to his forearm and covering his face. This gives Flash a more menacing look that works perfectly with Superman's new villainous overtones.
13 Green Lantern
One of the weirdest choices in the ill-fated Green Lantern movie was to make the suit completely CGI, which unnecessarily made the character much more cartoon-looking than he needed to be.
Green Lanterns have near-deity-like powers, as they are able to conjure any construct that their minds can imagine.
A good Green Lantern uniform should ground the character and make him or her look like a believable space cop, not like a dancer of Cirque du Soleil.
This is what makes this artist's redesign look so good, as the costume looks like a military jumpsuit - something similar to what we would imagine a commando or SEAL member might wear.
The design looks practical, durable, and even a bit stylish.
12 Female Thor
Thor Odinson has a convoluted history as of late, but for a while, it was his girlfriend Jane Foster who took on the mantle of Thor.
Since the comics became fairly popular, Jane had a good run before she eventually let Thor Odinson reclaim the mantle.
This artist's painting is a fantastic rendition of Jane Foster as Thor. The artist changes a few things, though, like exposing more of her face and giving her pants much more detail.
The artist also gives her what looks like a small shield that she's carrying on her right arm, something similar to what Lady Sif or Wonder Woman might sometimes use in battle.
Overall, it's a gorgeous painting.
11 Aquaman
We caught of glimpse of the live-action Aquaman, who is portrayed by Jason Momoa, in Justice League, but the aquatic hero will be getting his own solo movie later this year.
Mamoa also starred as Conan in the Conan the Barbarian reboot, but is more famously known for his portrayal of Khal Drogo, Daenerys' first husband in Game of Thrones.
However, Momoa's version of Aquaman is quite a departure from one who appears in the comics. In the comics, Aquaman is a clean-shaven blond with short hair who wears an orange shirt, and green pants.
Momoa's Aquaman is a brunette who is decked in tattoos from head to toe and has long hair and a big beard.
This painting merges the two versions of Aquaman perfectly.
10 Female Doctor Strange
There's certainly no rule against having a female Doctor Strange, though so far, there hasn't really been an official version from Marvel that we know of.
There are plenty of female sorceresses in the Marvel universe, however, including a love interest of Doctor Strange named Clea.
Clea was a powerful sorceress who Strange mentored before she eventually left for the dark dimension.
This adaptation of the character, however, appears less like a different character and more like a gender-bent Strange, as she has the trademark white streaks in her hair just like the male version.
Given Marvel's near-constant reboots and exploration of the multiverse, we're going to assume that we might see something like her at some point.
9 Alternate Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four's membership roster has been surprisingly fluid, with many characters subbing in for one or more missing members. Spider-Man was most recently a member of The Fantastic Four in his cool sci-fi looking white suit.
However, the team depicted by the artist above was actually seen in the early '90s as The New Fantastic Four.
The team was formed as a result of being recruited by a Skrull who was impersonating the Invisible Woman and made them believe that the other three original Fantastic Four members had perished.
The only difference is that the Hulk in the New Fantastic Four was the grey and intelligent version known as Mr. Fixit.
Their adventures lasted for about three issues. We'd love to see them together on the big screen.
8 Cyborg
There are subtle fan redesigns and then there are radical ones — this one of Cyborg definitely falls in the latter category.
This artist does away with nearly every traditional detail of Cyborg's design and starts with a completely original concept.
If we were guessing, this looks more like a medieval/futuristic Cyborg whose metal parts are animated by mystic-looking stones.
His armor looks pounded and shaped as if by a blacksmith, and not by a state of the art facility like S.T.A.R. labs. His metallic hand looks like it was made to be a weapon.
His hair, which is usually clean-cut in the comics, has grown long here.
The more we look at this piece, the more it looks like it takes place in an apocalyptic setting. This is a Cyborg you don't want to mess with.
7 Agent 13 As Captain America
Marvel has been on the forefront of making female versions of their flagship superheroes. They've already had female versions of Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, and Spider-Man (Spider-Gwen) — so why not Captain America?
In this piece, it's Sharon Carter, also known as Agent 13, who has taken on the Captain America mantle.
Sharon Cartor is Captain America's sometimes girlfriend. In the MCU, she is played by actress Emily VanCamp.
There's some precedence for other players in Captain America's life to take on his mantle, including Sam Wilson, also known as Falcon.
Though alternate Captain Americas may not have access to the Super Soldier serum, the symbolism of the suit seems to be the most important.
Agent 13 has proven herself more than effective in battle, as her capabilities are comparable to Black Widow, so it would be cool to see this kind of story play out on the big screen.
6 Blade
Most people had never heard of Blade before Marvel introduced him in his own solo movie in 1998. However, Blade had actually debuted in the Tomb of Dracula comic book all the way back in 1973.
The fact that he made it to the movies before the X-Men, Spider-Man, or The Avengers may seem crazy now, but it happened nonetheless.
Though not officially part of the MCU, the Blade movies were action-packed and highly successful - at least enough for filmmakers to produce three of them.
The artist's depiction of Blade is very close to how he is portrayed in modern comics, live-action television, and animated versions. However, his vampire foe looks a lot more menacing than anything we've seen so far.
This piece is so realistic that it almost looks like it's the poster for a new Blade movie.
5 Shazam With Armor
One of the cool things about Shazam is that he is a boy stuck in the body of an adult superhero. This means that it's important to keep the young boy's personality at the forefront, as young children generally act different from adults.
While it was always the young Billy Batson who transformed into the adult Shazam, writers would often choose to transform his mind as well, so that he both looked and thought like an adult.
In terms of creating a captivating story, it's much more interesting to keep the boy's mind in an adult's body. This is the approach that writers are taking with the upcoming Shazam movie.
Shazam looks great here, with his boyish personality shining through.
He's decked out with extra armor on his shoulders, as well as cool golden gauntlets and a belt. However, he's still got his headphones - because Billy Batson isn't gonna fight evil without listening to some tunes.
4 Watchmen
Though they had a version of this scene from The Watchmen in the movie, the artist's drawing is much closer to how it originally was presented in the graphic novel.
Nite Owl actually had a snow-owl outfit in case of extremely cold conditions, while Rorschach simply donned a scarf.
It's a gorgeous scene that occurs near the climax, where Nite Owl and Rorschach take Nite Owl's ship to Antarctica following the clues to who is assassinating members of the Watchmen.
They get on little snow scooters that resemble Segways and head for Ozymandias' Egyptian-themed hideout, as he has a much more surprising conspiracy for them to uncover.
The movie version has a much sleeker version of the snow-owl suit, but the original was so unique that we're glad to see it again.
3 Batgirl In Gold
Yes, Barbara Gordon had an amazing run as Oracle, the hacker who helped the Bat-family and nearly everyone else in the DC universe, but most fans were overjoyed to see her character return to her roots as the fully-functioning Batgirl.
These days Batgirl is depicted in a highly functional purple and yellow outfit, with a detachable cape, leather jacket, and yellow combat boots.
This artist's depiction of her here seems to be influenced by the bronze age of the character. However, it has one amazing visual perk: gold highlights.
Batgirl's traditional yellow bat insignia, utility belt, and gloves are now shiny and metallic with a golden hue.
The overall aesthetic is stunning and something we would love to see on the big (or small) screen.
2 Hawkman/Doctor Fate
Hawkman's continuity is a total mess, and many writers have tried to untangle it with retcons or reboots. However, it's still confusing, and most fans have resigned themselves to letting it be a mystery.
In one version, Hawkman was an archeologist named Carter Hall who has an Egyptian origin. Because of this, he has been reincarnated over and over.
In another, he is a space cop from planet Thanagar named Katar Hol. In yet another, he has both of these origins somehow.
Meanwhile, the original Doctor Fate is Nelson Kent, the son of an archeologist who witnesses his father's demise when he opens the tomb of Nabu in Egypt. Nabu awakes and feels sorry for young Kent. He then trains him in the arts of sorcery, giving him powers similar to Doctor Strange.
Considering that they both have connections to archeology and Egypt, it's fun to see this depiction.
Here, the artist combined these characters into one.
1 Green Angel Alita
Battle Angel Alita is coming out later this year. While she already has a huge fan following, most people are not yet familiar with her story. Thankfully, we're sure to learn more in the upcoming movie.
Here, this artist has drawn her as a member of the Green Lanterns, which is a fresh and creative idea.
Battle Angel Alita is already a dangerous cyborg who was built for hand-to-hand and weaponized combat, so giving her a Green Lantern ring makes her seem even more like a formidable fighter you don't want to mess with.
It's clear that the character is absolutely unstoppable.
Overall, it's a gorgeous piece that puts the viewer in the POV of her next victim.
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What do you think of these fan redesigns? Which ones would you want to see on the big screen? Let us know in the comments!
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