When promotional materials for Captain America: Winter Soldier revealed Steve Rogers in a stealth suit, fans were divided over the designs. Some fans liked the modern update—albeit one that called back to the comics —while others wanted the iconic red and blues to remain consistent in all Marvel projects. Ironically, both sides got their wishes since Cap used the stealth suit for the first half and brought his WWII costume out of retirement for the climactic showdown with Hydra.
What's interesting is Marvel had plans to merge old school with new school. Head of Visual Development, Ryan Meinerding, posted an unused piece of concept art from Captain America: The Winter Soldier to his book, the Art of Ryan Meinerding, that depicts the star-spangled hero in his updated suit.
As one can see, the unused costume keeps the red and blue pattern on the torso intact while the gauntlets undergo a slight change. They don't appear to be plain leather anymore, possibly a form of Kevlar. Their color also shifts from the iconic red to a military-style gray.
Another noticeable difference is the Avengers-style suit has hints of SHIELD to it. Apart from the emblem on the shoulder, its' sleek appearance resembles the Agent suits worn by Maria Hill, Melinda May, and Daisy Johnson. The material might not be identical, but seeing as how the costume came from the covert organization, it's probably the same.
While reception to this costume is still undetermined, the outfit had the potential to become Cap's long-term suit. Fans witnessed how the costume kept evolving in Age of Ultron, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame, never staying the same. Had Marvel gone with Meinerding's unused design, they wouldn't have needed to update the costume so many times.
The Age of Ultron costume is a perfect example since Cap didn't need the boxer gloves with a one-time tech upgrade—one that never resurfaced—to make the story work. They allowed Rogers to call his shield back to him using a magnetic device, which seemed useful considering how many times Cap has tried to ricochet his shield, only to have it bounce ineffectively, then land out of his reach. The thing about that shield device—no pun intended—is its inclusion would've made more sense had it come from a SHIELD-made costume. Stark outfitted the team in Age of Ultron but as the sole piece of tech used by Cap, it should've been SHIELD that gave it to him. At the time, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD was introducing new gadgets periodically, so a device that pulls Cap's shield to him would've been a perfect tie-in. After all, the show unveiled a plasma shield resembling Cap's when Coulson received his prosthetic arm.
Nothing else stands out about Rogers' costume from The Winter Soldier, although the cropped-out portion might include a different set of boots. They changed in color from the typical reds in The Avengers to a brown and red blend in Age of Ultron, then finally black in Endgame.
Captain America: Brave New World premieres in theaters on February 14, 2025.