It’s been over a decade now since the first Marvel Cinematic Universe hit our screens. While 2008 ‘s Iron Man was undoubtedly a hit, back then it was hard to imagine just how huge the MCU would become in time. We’re now 20 movies in, with a few more on the horizon. The Avengers: Endgame hype is real! How will all of our favorite characters cope after the ending of Infinity War? You’d better believe that the MCU fandom is still heartbroken thanks to that movie…
Based on the rumors that have been swirling around the Internet, Avengers: Endgame could be something of a game changer for the MCU. We’ve heard whispers that some of the franchise’s most popular characters could be bowing out, making way for some new heroes in the next phase of movies. Still, it’s not like the MCU is short of awesome characters. Alongside the original heroes like Captain America and Iron Man, we’ve got Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Vision… The list goes on and on!
While the MCU versions of these characters are all pretty cool, Marvel fans love to give their favorite heroes fan-art redesigns. People wonder what Captain America would look like with new armor, or ponder how they can make Spider-Man look more like an actual spider, and then they post the results on the Internet for us all to enjoy! Here are some pretty awesome fan re-imaginings of a whole host of MCU characters. You’ll never be able to look at your favorite heroes and villains in the same way again!
25 Captain America’s Gone Pretty Steampunk
In this fan art by VisHuS702, it looks like Captain America has gone a little bit steampunk! His armor certainly looks a bit more raw and industrial. While Cap still has his classic vibranium shield in this artwork—unlike in the movies, thanks to the events of Civil War—the rest of his outfit looks vastly different. From the little wings on his helmet to his vintage goggles, the details of this work make Cap’s new style look pretty awesome.
24 A More Epic Look For Scarlet Witch
DeviantArt user TheDurrrrian has created a whole series of re-imagined MCU character artwork. All of these reworked portraits have a dark fantasy theme, and the results are pretty awesome.
First up, it’s Scarlet Witch!
Wanda certainly looks a little bit darker in this image—it’s the glowing eyes and the dark outfit that do it. We do like the fact that the energy that she’s manipulation is now purple rather than red. It looks pretty cool! Also, Wanda’s outfit looks a bit more suitable for battle than her usual plain-clothes look. She looks ready to take on Thanos!
23 The Avengers… Changed Forms
This fan art by an unknown artist portrays the Avengers in a whole new light! The more you look at it, the more small details and changes you notice. The Hulk looks a lot more monstrous, Captain America is a futuristic robot, and Black Widow is a literal spider. Honestly, a spider assassin is probably a lot of people’s worst nightmare. It’s only Thor who’s kept a human form, although he looks even more regal than usual in this new style. Look at that majestic long hair!
22 Game Of Thrones Meet Iron Man
Yep, that’s right: Lynton Levengood has turned Iron Man into a dragon. Talk about a thorough re-imagining! Iron Dragon’s markings match the outfit of his original MCU counterpart pretty well. He’s rocking the red and gold look, and even has something resembling an Arc Reactor in his chest.
One thing’s for sure, though.
Iron Dragon no longer needs a mechanical suit to help him fly! Whether Iron Dragon’s scales are made of actual metal is unclear. However, he looks like a pretty formidable character either way.
21 Black Widow… Of The Sea?
If you’ve got a feeling that this version of Black Widow looks a bit familiar, chances are you’re a Disney fan. DeviantArt user Isaiah Stephens did a whole series of artwork depicting various Disney characters as MCU characters. The Little Mermaid’s Ariel has been reworked into Black Widow! Lucky Ariel: not only is she finally “part of our world”, she’s also an assassin who could kick the world’s butt if she wanted to. Question is, could Bruce Banner be her Prince Erik? The fandom totally ships it.
20 She-Thanos
When it comes to fan re-imaginings of characters, gender-bending is a pretty popular approach. Nobody is safe from this artistic treatment—not even the mighty Thanos! This version of Lady Thanos by Ratthana2538 looks pretty cool, let’s be real. She’s already got all of the Infinity Stones, meaning she basically rules the universe, and her armor looks amazing. Thanos’ newly long black hair only serves to make her look even more majestic. And those glinting red eyes… Talk about villainous!
19 The Hulk Is Ready To Rumble
It’s time for some more gender-bending—this time, with the Incredible Hulk! Biram-Ba has created this pretty awesome She-Hulk, who even wears her initials on her costume. Nice!
This version of the Hulk looks more determined than angry.
Determined to save the world from yet another alien invasion, perhaps? Or determined to show Thor that she’s definitely not the stupidest Avenger, as he claimed in Thor: Ragnarok? Either way, we wouldn’t cross her. She-Hulk in this form is basically strength and fitness goals.
18 Hawkeye, Had She Been In Infinity War
If you’ve ever wondered what a female Hawkeye would look like, don’t worry—Labrattish has you covered! Hawkeye was conspicuously absent in Avengers: Infinity War. We’re looking forward to getting an explanation for that in Endgame! Until then, we can just focus on how cool this reinterpretation of the character is. Her outfit is impressively faithful to the original MCU version! We also like the added detail of Hawkeye’s scruffy hair. She’s way too busy shooting arrows into aliens to worry about keeping it neat.
17 Brienne Meets Thor
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Thor had a child with Game of Thrones’ Brienne of Tarth? This artwork by OrbitalWings basically answers that question—although it’s a re-imagining of Thor himself, not his hypothetical offspring. Norse mythology is full of awesome female characters—just look at the Valkyries.
Female Thor fits right in!
And yes, in case you were wondering, this Thor is deliberately modeled on Brienne actress Gwendoline Christie. It’s a pretty accurate depiction, facially at least!
16 Loki Looks A Bit More Threatening
It’s time for another piece of dark fantasy art by TheDurrrrian. This re-imagining of Loki is both stunning and pretty spooky. We’re looking at Loki back in his Tesseract-stealing days, when the Avengers were his enemies. Somehow, he looks even more sinister than he did in his original form. All of that smoke behind him makes him look like a shadowy, sneaky shapeshifter—which, of course, he is. The fact that you can’t see Loki’s face only adds to the mystery of this character.
15 The Avengers Are Kawaii
Why has Marvel not commissioned an anime version of The Avengers yet? This amazing artwork by Zaionic proves that it needs to happen! These larger-than-life superheroes fit the anime style perfectly. You’ve basically got a full character roundup of the original Avengers! Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk are all present. Black Widow and Loki have also made the cut, with Hawkeye lurking in the background. This could basically be a promotional poster for an MCU anime series, and we’re totally fine with that.
14 Shakespearean Iron Man
Two very different art styles have collided in this piece by photographer Sacha Goldberger. Iron Man’s futuristic helmet should look out of place alongside a 16th-century ruff and outfit, but somehow, the whole thing works! People have speculated that Avengers: Endgame will feature some kind of time travel. Maybe Iron Man got the controls wrong and went back a bit too far? He could be in a bit of danger if he stays this far back in the past. His flying suit would probably be considered witchcraft, and we all know that caused problems back then!
13 Spider-Man Looks Pretty Classy
Peter Parker’s Spider-Man suit looks markedly different in this fan art by Sean Izaakse. Gone are his classic colors of red and blue.
He’s opted for a decadent black and gold look instead!
The usual spider imagery is still there, though—and we don’t just mean the huge gold arachnid emblazened on his chest. Spider-Man seems to have morphed into a spider himself, at least in terms of his eyes. He’s got eight of them now! Peter Parker might find it a bit difficult to hide his identity if he really has gained six eyeballs…
12 A True Vision
Another MCU character who’s been revamped by TheDurrrrian is Vision. We last saw this doomed character having an Infinity Stone ripped out of his head by Thanos. Poor Viz perished as a result, leaving Scarlet Witch heartbroken. Will Vision be resurrected in Avengers: Endgame? We don’t know, but we do know that this artwork is pretty sweet. Vision has almost an elven look about him, and his armor is pretty cool. It probably wouldn’t have been enough to defend him against Thanos, though… Sad times.
11 An Actual Black Panther
Looks like Alex Miller decided to take the name “Black Panther” pretty literally. This re-imagining depicts Wakanda’s king as a literal cat, or maybe even a baby panther. Either way, those claws look sharp, and they’re real! Rather than saving the world, this Black Panther has become distracted by a ball of wool. Classic cat behavior, really. Can you imagine a movie with Black Panther as an actual panther, though? Chadwick Boseman would have to do some pretty interesting motion capture!
10 Ant-Man’s Been Working Out
This version of Ant-Man by Guygar79 looks very different to the character we’re used to seeing in the MCU! His helmet doesn’t cover all of his face, he has actual antenna, and those are some very interesting red googles. The color scheme of this re-imagining is pretty cool—red and navy blue contrast pretty well. Interestingly, the hero’s new suit has a lot more room for muscle definition than his movie counterpart. Has Ant-Man been hitting the gym since the events of Ant-Man and the Wasp?
9 The Hulk Libre
We’ve already seen a She-Hulk—now it’s time to check out a different re-imagining of this angry green dude! This artwork by Nekokawai depicts the hero as a luchador. If you’re not in the know, that’s a competitor in lucha libre wrestling.
Check out Hulk’s cool wrestling mask!
Honestly, we’d feel sorry for anyone who comes up against the Hulk in a wrestling match. It’s not exactly going to end well for them! Even Thor didn’t fare so well against his pal when he had to fight him in Thor: Ragnarok, and he’s a literal god.
8 A Pop Of Color For Black Widow
This version of Black Widow has an almost Lara Croft-ish vibe! Maybe it’s the way she’s holding those two guns, or maybe it’s the fact that they’re both incredibly strong women. Anyway, Zacharyxbinks has definitely put his own spin on Natasha Romanoff. Gone is her all-black catsuit! It’s been replaced by an equally cool red and black ensemble. It makes sense considering an actual black widow has those colors too. One thing about this character hasn’t changed, though: she looks like someone you really shouldn’t mess with.
7 Steampunk Spider-Man
Talk about a transformation! This steampunk Spider-Man design by Rene-L is about as big of a re-imagining of the character as you can get. Nicknamed “Iron Spider”, this version of the character has four extra metal limbs protruding from his side, making his resemblance to a spider even stronger. The colors red and blue are clearly too bright for this Spider-Man—he’s abandoned them and made his suit a metallic grey. His vintage-style goggles only add to the steampunk look.
6 A Tougher Captain America
In this fan art by RtRadke, Captain America has been given a modern military twist. He’s donning a beret—a fashion choice the original character certainly never made—and he’s even holding a gun.
Doesn’t Cap usually just throw his shield at people?
Anyway, this Captain America has a somewhat rougher look than his MCU self. He looks angry, and even slightly sneering and villainious! Since Cap doesn’t really show a dark side in the movies, exploring a slightly meaner version of the character would be an interesting move.
