Editor's note: Beware of spoilers for Loki episode 4 Superhero films, including the MCU, have always had to face that fact and usually avoid the more ridiculous designs, especially the wacky designs of the '60s and '70s

However, there are times when a classic costume not only works, but actually makes sense as part of the story Loki is the latest example

The fourth episode of Loki, entitled Nexus Event, ends with Loki waking up in a desolate world, surrounded by four other versions of himself One of them, Loki, played by Richard E Grant (pictured below, right), wears a strange yellow and green outfit

This was Loki's classic costume before the MCU, when Loki was just a C-grade villain It appears occasionally in more recent comics, but again, it dates back to the original 1962 design by Jack Kirby

It is too cartoonish for us to expect it in the MCU, especially with Tom Hiddleston's take on the character, which has grounded the character further However, as with many classic costumes before it, Marvel found a way to make it work More importantly, it found a way to make it work and still make the story make perfect sense

The writers, costume department, designers, directors, and everyone else involved in bringing these costumes to the big screen definitely deserve more credit than they are getting Because it is not easy to look at the eccentric designs of the 60s and find ways to make them make sense in the 21st century

Wanda Vision is the most recent example of this, as the Halloween episode of the show featured Wanda, Vision, and "Quicksilver" in classic versions of their costumes Wanda and Vision explained that their costumes were that of a Sokovian fortune teller and a Mexican wrestler, respectively

This development is not new for Marvel Studios While films like the original "X-Men" trilogy intentionally distanced themselves from the colorful costumes of the comics, Marvel Studios has always tried to incorporate them into its films in a natural way

In fact, Tony Stark's first Iron Man suit was a close duplicate of the one that appeared in 1963's Tales of Suspense #39 Although slightly battered and obviously made from scrap metal

Similarly, Captain America's first movie costume was a replica of the classic cloth suit (head wings and all) he wore in the 1940s It was soon replaced with something more practical, but because it was a stage costume, it blended organically into the film and never felt intrusive

The same is true of Thor's winged helmet, a version of which appeared in the Colosseum battle scene in Thor Ragnarok, and the Hulk's purple pants These two only appeared in one scene and faded into obscurity, but it showed that Marvel was willing and happy to point to a character's classic costume, even if it had no place in the rest of the franchise

Most recently, we saw Ant-Man's classic helmet in Endgame, which took Captain America and Iron Man back to the 1970s It was not shown in use, but it was on the desk in Hank Pym's lab

The now-defunct Netflix show also made a point of referencing classic costumes Jessica Jones' original comic book costume appeared in one scene, even though she never wore it, as did Iron Fist's classic yellow mask Luke Cage also wore something reminiscent of the classic costume with the yellow shirt and tiara when he escaped from prison

Sadly, Daredevil never wore the slightly nutty yellow and black costume, but he did wear a costume inspired by the ninja in Frank Miller's The Man Without Fear during the entire first season and part of the third season

Some MCU characters have never even worn classic costumes Hawkeye is a prime example, as his MCU costume is almost the exact opposite of the bright purple getup he wears in the comics

At the same time, however, Scarlett Witch never wore the classic costume in the film, and Elizabeth Olsen was reportedly told she did not have to However, the actress later said that she fought to wear the costume as part of Wanda Vision, and we are already seeing the results It is possible that Clint Barton will get the same treatment in the Hawkeye TV series later this year We have already seen set photos of Hailee Steinfeld in a similar purple hue

Clearly, dressing a hero (or villain) in classic comic book costumes is fan service in its purest form It doesn't add anything for those who haven't read comics obsessively for years, and basically hardcore fans just point to the screen like Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Then again, the same can be said for all the Easter eggs and obscure references in comics And I say that as the only person in a packed theater who laughed when "Deadpool 2" insulted the character's co-creator, Rob Liefeld

As long as the classic costume isn't forced into the movie for no reason, I'd love to see it continue Thankfully, the fact that Loki is continuing that long-standing tradition means that Marvel doesn't seem to intend to stop I couldn't be happier