'X-Men' Writer Reveals Answer to One Recurring Costume Question

Published 8 hours ago• 3 minute read

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men (2000) — Disney

The 2000s X-Men helped kick off the modern era of superhero movies that audiences are still enjoying today. However, a significant point of contention for the film remains the decision to omit the team's colorful costumes in favor of black leather, a choice that is lampshaded in the movie when Cyclops quips, "What were you expecting, yellow spandex?" For an entire generation, the X-Men were known for their unified black leather outfits, ones that stood in sharp contrast to the uniforms in the comics, whose various styles and color palettes showed the multiple members' self-expression.

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When asked by a fan on X about why the X-Men wore matching uniforms in the 2000 film, the movie's screenwriter, David Hayter, revealed the behind-the-scenes reason. Director Bryan Singer, who is not a comic book fan, could not get behind the team's more colorful costumes and their diverse styles. If not for the matching black leather uniforms, which Hayeder designed to be protective, Singer was going to ditch the costumes altogether and put the team in regular clothes. Hayer said:

"Because our director said, 'Why is Wolverine the only one who wears a mask? Why would Storm wear a bikini into battle? Unless there’s some practical reason for them to wear uniforms, they’re going to be in street clothes.' So the uniforms were designed to be protective."

It is important to remember the context in which X-Men came out. 1997 saw the failures of Batman & Robin, Steel, and Spawn seemingly kill the notion of a traditional superhero movie with some of the creative and elaborate costumes seen on the page. 1998's Blade and X-Men decided to downplay some of the more bright, colorful costumes. This was the decade that almost put Superman in a black armored suit in Tim Burton's canceled Superman Lives. X-Men also draws heavily from The Matrix, which came out a year prior and popularized the idea of black leather outfits.

2002's Spider-Man demonstrated that superhero movies could incorporate more colorful, comic-accurate costumes; however, the original X-Men trilogy retained the classic black leather, with the small change of X-Men: The Last Stand seemingly adding unique accents to each member's uniform. X-Men: First Class was the first X-Men movie not to shy away from the bright blue and yellow of the comics, but when director Bryan Singer returned to the franchise, the team transitioned from black leather to tactile combat gear. X-Men: Days of Future Past notably features the 1970s-based X-Men in civilian clothes, like Singer originally intended.

Deadpool & Wolverine marked the long-awaited debut of Hugh Jackman in Wolverine's signature yellow and blue costume. Avengers: Doomsday is rumored to feature the X-Men in classic comic-inspired suits, a design element that will likely carry over into the MCU's introduction of the team. The days of the X-Men's black leather are over, as X-Men '97 had the perfect callback to the diss in X-Men by having Cyclops tell his son Cable, "What were you expecting, black leather?"

David Hayter (X)