With or without the costume, Black Panther proved himself to be a formidable and rather unique physical presence in Captain America: Civil War. But it was arguably the all-concealing monochrome outfit, complete with retractable claws and comic-faithful mask, that really brought the character to life on screen.
Now, character artist Jerad S. Marantz has lifted the lid on some alternative designs for Marvel’s up and coming headliner. They feature some really inspired detailing that, for one reason or another, didn’t make it past concept stage.
While it looks like they were always pitching for something along the lines of T’Challa’s costume from the comics, these images show some very thoughtful work having gone into the texture and contours of the suit and mask – and the sinewy base-layers look great on paper.
It’s likely that the character will be suiting up in redesigned duds for Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther solo outing in 2018, and so there’s every chance we might be seeing some of this kind of art direction creeping into character moving forward, but until then we’re just going to have to make do with this lush artwork.
What did you like best about the these alternative takes on Wakanda’s finest? Chime in your thoughts in the comments section below.
Black Panther is out July 6th, 2018
Source: Jerad S. Marantz Design
