Marvel Studios’ former head of visual development Charlie Wen, who has previously shared many of Marvel’s odd early-stage designs for its characters, has now released a truly alien design for the Red Skull.
The Instagram post, which features three looks at the design that slowly zoom in, is highly detailed, and the main attraction, Red Skull’s face, is downright bizarre. Maybe not quite as “out there” as what Wen calls Wacky Loki, but it’s certainly quite different from the polished look that Hugo Weaving sported.
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“Early eccentric Red Skull,” Wen’s post says. “Like Wacky Loki, I usually pushed in early versions to explore character before we settled on the story. He’s grandiose, and his mission is out of this world, which is why he even looks a bit alien here!”
Red Skull’s face in Wen’s design has far more wrinkles than the final MCU version, along with popping veins and a huge forehead (not to mention those ears). The uniform Captain America’s nemesis is wearing is also quite odd, with a leather appearance and almost modern style. The red accents, wide cuffs and pointed shoulders create a regal appearance that draws comparisons to a military dictator rather than the high ranking Nazi official look he ended up wearing.
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The last major change is a broach that Red Skull wears around his neck, a skull with many snakes slithering through it and all around him, almost like a necklace. Hydra’s final logo in the MCU is quite different from this, hewing close to the red and black circular logo from the comics.