Why Scarlet Witch's Costume In The MCU Makes No Sense
Historically, female superheroes have not been up to par with their male counterparts in terms of costumes. While some outfits are undoubtedly cool, others totally miss the mark — take Sue Storm's 4-shaped cleavage cutout, for example. Generally speaking, female superheroes and their costumes were often designed for the male gaze with their curves on full display in tight spandex and revealing cutouts.
Thankfully, we've come a pretty long way from the era of chest-baring leotards of '90s comics. Superhero costumes of today are certainly proving that female heroes can still be sexy and not overtly sexualized. Take Valkyrie, Marvel's elite woman warrior sworn to protect Asgard, for example. In the comics, she had to fight in a leotard with just breastplates for protection, but now she dons full body armor in the film adaptations, a far more sensible move on Marvel's part.
However, there's arguably still plenty of room for improvement in terms of modern-day superhero costumes, as we see with Scarlet Witch's super suit.
Scarlet Witch's costume is super impractical
Scarlet Witch, aka Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), has had quite the transformation regarding her costume throughout her time in the MCU. When she makes her first appearance in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," she dons a more civilian look with a red leather jacket, a black dress, and thigh-high socks. Then in "Captain America: Civil War," she gets a more "super" look, and that's when things get much less sensible.
The films following "Age of Ultron" would see Scarlet Witch's signature red leather coat lengthened, probably to mimic her red cape from the comics. She also wears a revealing black corset that undoubtedly hinders her movement. Although Scarlet Witch's powers primarily involve her hands, the corset is just not practical for combat and it seems to be more of a fashion choice than a sensible one.
Even Olsen wishes the corset would be a tad less revealing. In an interview with Elle, she said, "I like corsets, but I'd like it to be higher. Everyone has these things that cover them — Tessa Thompson does, Scarlett does. I would like to cover up a bit. It's funny because sometimes I look around and I'm just like — wow, I'm the only one who has cleavage, and that's a constant joke because they haven't really evolved my superhero costume that much."
Thankfully, Scarlet Witch's costume gets a much-needed upgrade in "WandaVision." Her costume is much more badass than fashionable with a high-cut suit, leather gloves, and trademark headpiece.