Summary
- The MCU never brought Iron Man's Mark 51 armor to life, but one cosplayer did so in epic fashion.
- The detailed armor and expert design makes it seem like the Mark 51 Iron Man suit was pulled straight from the comics.
- This Iron Man cosplay proves the Mark 51 armor can work in the MCU, despite presumed concerns that the suit looks too 'inhuman'.
The MCU’s Iron Man never donned one iconic Marvel Comics suit, presumably because its design is far less ‘human-looking’ than the suits Tony wears in the movies. However, that doesn’t mean fans will never be able to see this particular armor brought to life, as one cosplayer does so in epic fashion.
In two posts on Instagram from Peter (handle: @atlanta_ironman), the cosplayer is featured wearing a perfect replica of Iron Man’s Mark 51 suit from Marvel Comics. The detail in the plated armor matched with the spot-on design expertly brings this suit to life in both Instagram posts, as it’s seemingly pulled straight from the comic books themselves. Funny enough, the Mark 51 armor wasn’t the only cosplay in these photos.
The first post featured another cosplayer in an Iron Man suit driving a car behind the Mark 51, wearing a suit that is more in-line with the MCU’s depiction of the founding Avenger. The second post features the Mark 51 standing in front of an equally popular pop-culture icon: Lightning McQueen from the Cars franchise. While McQueen has nothing to do with Iron Man, it’s still a fun inclusion well worth noting. However, the Piston Cup champion doesn’t detract from the amazing Iron Man Mark 51 cosplay, which is easily the standout in both Instagram posts.
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The Mark 51 Iron Man Armor is One of Tony Stark’s Favorites in Marvel Comics
The Iron Man Suit Made Its First Full Appearance in The Invincible Iron Man Vol. 3 #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez
It isn’t often that Tony Stark takes up a full page of one of his Iron Man comics to simply stand in awe of one of his suits, iring everything about it before nearly blowing off a date just to fly around in the armor. This moment proves that the Mark 51 is one of Tony Stark’s favorite suits, from its design to its functionality. And now, fans can see why for themselves, as the Mark 51 cosplay is equally awe-inspiring, while also proving that this armor actually can work in live-action.
Iron Man Cosplay Proves the ‘Inhuman’ Mark 51 CAN Work in the MCU
While not outright confirmed by Marvel Studios, it seems logical that the Mark 51 armor never made an MCU appearance because of its inhuman design. Unlike the suits featured in Iron Man and Avengers movies, the Mark 51 has a sharper appearance that comes to a point where Iron Man’s mouth should be. In fact, this armor is one of the few Iron Man suits that doesn’t have a mouth, which alone detracts from its ‘human’ appearance.
Not only that, but the eyes are angled in a way that makes Iron Man look perpetually angry, which could be misconstrued as villainous. There are a number of possible reasons why the MCU didn’t want to bring this suit to live-action, but this cosplayer proves those presumed concerns are totally unfounded. Iron Man’s Mark 51 doesn’t look evil, it looks badass, and the ‘no mouth’ look is just leaning into the fact that this Iron Man suit is just that: a suit - which doesn’t need a mouth.
The Mark 51 is decidedly different from Iron Man’s other armors, but that’s what makes it so cool. Plus, Tony Stark himself talked about how much he loved this suit upon its first full appearance, making it a shame that the MCU didn’t agree. However, despite being robbed of seeing the Mark 51 in the MCU, Iron Man fans always have this cosplay to turn to if they want to see it perfectly brought to life.
