DC FanDome 2021 has been chock full of footage for upcoming superhero movies and shows, from The Flash to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to Shazam! Fury of the Gods. And if there's one common thread in all these reveals, it's that a lot of DC characters are getting new live-action costumes.
Let's break down the most memorable new costumes featured at FanDome and how they're drawing inspiration from DC's comics.
Aquaman's Blue Armor
Jason Momoa's Aquaman only just acquired his trademark orange and green armor in the climax of 2018's Aquaman, and it already looks like he's changing things up again. The sequel will introduce a new suit that shares that same basic design but adds in a more muted blue and black color scheme.
This suit seems to be an homage to the one introduced in 1986's Aquaman #1. But that version had a more free-flowing, organic design that imitates the look of flowing water. We assume the idea here is that Arthur needs a more stealthy outfit for his new mission, possibly one designed to blend in deep beneath the ocean's surface. So there's still a chance we'll see him wear the classic orange and green for the rest of the film.
This suit also resembles the blue armor worn by Aquaman's sidekick Tempest.
Black Manta's Armor
Black Manta isn't getting quite the visual overhaul his nemesis is in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but there are some notable differences here. We can see his Manta armor has been significantly upgraded, becoming far more sleek and organic in the process. Between that and the silver shoulder and chest plating, this Black Manta looks very close to how he was depicted by artist Ivan Reis in the comics.
The Arrowverse Flash's Gold Boots
The Arrowverse's Flash tends to get a new costume every season or two, but this latest redesign definitely feels special. Over the course of the series, Flash's suit has evolved from the functional approach of the early Arrowverse to something more and more comics-accurate. For example, he gained a white chest logo in Season 2 and sleeker, more form-fitting suits in Seasons 4, 5 and 6. In Season 8, Flash is finally donning his trademark gold boots, effectively completing an eight-year journey.
The Flash Movie Costumes
Meanwhile, the Flash movie is introducing two drastically different versions of the Flash suit worn by two different versions of Barry Allen. The DCEU's Barry has replaced his armored suit with a sleeker costume inspired by his brief run-in with the Arrowverse's Flash. This suit has glowing lightning lines reminiscent of Flash's New 52 costume.
Meanwhile, the mysterious second version of Barry will be donning a cruder costume borrowed from Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne. This suit looks to be basically Keaton's Batman Returns costume spray-painted red and yellow. We can't imagine how anyone is supposed to run in that thing, but there you go.
Sasha Calle's Supergirl Costume
The Flash movie may be introducing Supergirl to the DCEU, but this doesn't appear to be a traditional take on the character. The costume worn by Calle's Supergirl shares less in common with the classic blond-haired, skirt-clad Supergirl than it does a version of the heroine seen in the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe. This Supergirl, named Lara Lane-Kent, is introduced via a dream sequence to show what Superman and Lois' unborn daughter might have become if not for the Joker. The movie may be drawing on that version to create a new Supergirl better suited to the twisted reality that is Flashpoint.
For more DC FanDome fun, check out our full breakdown of the new trailer for The Batman and learn about Black Adam's rocky history with the JSA.
Batgirl's Movie Costume
We got a brief glimpse of the upcoming Batgirl movie in the form of concept art. While it's tough to make out the finer details of the costume here, this suit does appear to be reminiscent of the New 52 Batgirl costume, with its sharp angles and more armored aesthetic. One might also draw comparisons to Batgirl's Arkham Knight look.
Blue Beetle
If there's any DC hero who looks like they walked right off the page and into DC FanDome this year, it's definitely Jaime Reyes. We got our first look at concept art for the upcoming Blue Beetle film, and the movie looks to be sticking very closely to Jaime's traditional armored suit from the comics and animated shows.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.