Marvel cinematic universe: the 10 best hair looks
Published
26th Apr 2021
by
kieran
Following the release of trailers for ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, ‘Black Widow’, ‘Loki’ and more, all eyes are back squarely on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so we thought it was about time we celebrated the incredible hair styling that goes into the blockbuster franchise.
From Asgardian gods to vibranium-synthezoids, Wakandan royals to super soldiers, the Marvel styling team have been given a wide creative canvas to bring these comic characters to life on the big screen, and a huge focus has been placed on the unique and intricately designed hairstyles.
Below, we list (in no particular order) our ten favourite hair looks from the iconic 13-year spanning superhero franchise that have sparked our imagination.
Black Widow
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7TXmOan05K/
We’re kicking off this list with our appreciation for the ever-changing redhead (one time blonde) styles of Scarlet Johansson’s Black Widow. Our favourite? Probably the gorgeous ombre colouring from 'Avengers: Endgame', packed with subtle colour and texture, although the clean, straight cut from ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ comes close second. With her own standalone film scheduled for release later this year, we can’t wait to see how Black Widow’s hair evolves in the future.
Captain America
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNrZ-1sl-j6/
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) hasn’t undergone quite as drastic a hair transformation across the span of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - instead, from a smart, side-parted comb-over to messy and grown out - but we think he’s finally nailed it with his latest look. The long, slicked back blonde locks and grown-out beard adds a great edge to the character that we feel really suits.
Captain Marvel
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNac87yH-V5/
Cutting Brie Larson’s gentle blonde curls proved a controversial decision amongst some Marvel fans (although, they seem to find a lot of things controversial) but we think, for Captain Marvel, the shorter the better. The quiffed cut from ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is not only more faithful to the character’s look in the comics, but it exudes a boldness and confidence which better matches this particular on-screen portrayal of Carol Denvers.
Hawkeye
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4QgSN4FrHc/
Perhaps the most surprising hair transformation from ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (which is packed full of them) is the reveal of Hawkeye’s striking mohawk. For this, Jeremy Renner grew out his hair long then got a sharp buzzcut on the sides and had the back tidied up, keeping a distinct, long quiff with a lot of volume at the front. As superhero cuts go, this may be one of the most stand-out.
Killmonger
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-PxEm7ndu4/
Killmonger may be the first entry that isn’t on the side of the Avengers, but that doesn’t mean Michael B. Jordan’s awe-inspiring and effortlessly cool look shouldn’t make an impact on this list. The ‘Black Panther’ actor grew out his hair to a medium-length and styled it into dreadlocks, which is then styled to sweep the side to create a slight fringe, and shadow fades the sides and back for a look that’s both incredibly sharp and rebelliously unkempt all at once.
Mantis
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMIPHURFYxC/
Pom Klementieff’s Mantis boasts a sleek and smooth centre-parted look with a slight bounce for her appearance in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2’, which is miles away from the usual distinct blonde Pom sports on the everyday. Throw in some subtle navy blue colouring and you have a style that is both positively out-of-this-world and very easy to replicate all at once. Don’t forget to throw in some all-black eyes and antennas to really nail the look, though.
Wanda Maximoff
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLb6Hs-H1R5/
Wanda Maximoff (as played by Elizabeth Olsen) has been seeing a lot of attention recently following the runaway success of trippy Disney+ series ‘Wandavision’, including a greater appreciation for her luscious redhead locks. Dyed to perfection in later installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (including ‘Avengers: Infinity War’), the new streaming series threw out the rulebook and showed even greater variation in the Scarlet Witch’s looks.
Princess Shuri
https://www.instagram.com/p/CM3H-5thZUY/
Letitia Wright’s Princess Shuri, who made her first appearance in ‘Black Panther’, sports some gorgeously arranged microbraids throughout the course of her Marvel Cinematic Universe career, and in some scenes has them up in buns. Camile Friend, head of ‘Black Panther’ hair department, told the New York Times: “She’s supersmart, but with her brother she acts kind of bratty. That personality translates to her hair. Her clothes were really high-end and stylish, but her hair keeps that innocence.”
Star Lord
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNpZ2LNjsQI/
Although Chris Pratt made the astounding jump from loveable goofball on ‘Parks and Recreation’ to full-blown Hollywood superhero as Peter Quill in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, Star Lord’s hair retains a boyish and messy quality to it that embodies Chris and the roles he plays. There’s also some great use of shaped sideburns and a sharp moustache which makes him stand out from the Avengers pack.
Thor
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkca7inTSH/
Last and by no means least, we have Chris Hemsworth’s star turn as Thor, boasting the iconic swept back long blonde look that’s equal parts Asgardian God and beach-ready. While we have to shout-out his various looks across the films (especially the perfectly imperfect DIY job from ‘Thor: Ragnarok’) the shoulder-length waves will always remain our favourite.
5 honourable mentions:
Gamora (Zoe Saldana)
T’Challa / Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman)
Peter Parker / Spiderman (Tom Holland)
Okoye (Danai Gurira)
Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan)
