Some parents read fantastical storybooks to their daughters, about princesses and dashing Prince Charming’s determined to rescue their true love. Some parents read their daughters cautionary tales, including classics like Little Red Riding Hood. But no, instead my dad read me old copies of Peter Parker AKA Spiderman and Daredevil. Although I always appreciated protagonists like Spider-Man and Daredevil, they weren’t the characters that drew me in. Instead, I was fixated on characters like Black Cat and Black Widow. At only four-years-old or so, I was captivated by their sass, their attitude and how they could fight crime whilst still looking fabulous. Even though I- like most little girls- enjoyed movies like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, princesses weren’t my idols. Instead, I looked up to superheroines that were just as capable of fighting for what they believed was right like men were. After reading more and more comic books throughout the years, I realised that while my favourite female superheroes were often portrayed as fierce women, they were also often cast aside. Confused and disappointed as to why superheroines were rarely the starring role in the exceptionally popular Marvel and DC movies, I decided to research this and consider how they were portrayed and why.
Long before superhero movies took centre-stage of modern-day media, superheroines have appeared in comic books. The first superhero was created in 1934 under the alias of Mandrake the Magician. Four years later, one of the most iconic superheroes, Superman, debuted in Action Comics #1. Whilst few superheroines existed in this era, characters like Wonder Woman set a precedent for women in comic books. Despite the questionably misogynistic fetishist approach of creator Marston- who frequently over-sexualised the character with panels depicting her tied up- Wonder Woman arguably defied the masculine stereotype of superheroes. Reversing the typical gender roles, Wonder Woman was frequently portrayed as a fierce superheroine and her boyfriend, Steve Trevor, played into the more passive “damsel-in-distress” trope. This was the beginning of superheroines that I know and love becoming a key part of comic books.
Despite superheroines being a key part of comic books since the 1930s, superhero movies neglected their female characters for a long time. Although the superhero genre has only received global acclaim in the last few decades, comic books hit the screen as early as 1941 in a 12-chapter serial called Adventures of Captain Marvel, which featured the character we now refer to as ‘Shazam’. Since then, characters like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and Hulk regularly appeared in both TV shows and films which were of relative popularity. It arguably wasn’t until 2008 with the release of Marvel Studios’ Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. that superhero movies became a phenomenon. Yet, even with this spike in popularity, Marvel and DC seemed hesitant to release a female-led superhero movie. Since the poorly received Catwoman movie in 2004, 14 DC superhero movies and 34 Marvel movies were released by 2017. It wasn’t until 2017 that another superheroine had her solo movie with the release of Wonder Woman. As a female viewer, seeing Wonder Woman be portrayed just as strong and confident as every male protagonist that occupied the screen up until this point, I felt a sense of awe whilst sat in the cinema. If Wonder Woman could reach this level of success within her solo movie, that meant there was hope for every other female character who had been neglected. But more importantly, it meant there was hope for every woman in the audience, hoping to make something of themselves in a male-dominated world. Gadot’s Wonder Woman was a woman of motivation, courage, and a genuine desire for justice. There was no doubt that she was worthy of admiration and respect, and every time I think of the portrayal of Wonder Woman I am reminded of how great and awe-inspiring not just superheroines are, but women are.
It is questionable as to why it took so long for Marvel and DC to alter the male domination of the superhero genre. Soon after, Marvel Studios followed suit and released Captain Marvel (2019), boasting $1.128 billion at Box Office, and proving that female characters are just as worthy of hitting the big screen as their male counterparts. Iron Man 2 came out in 2010 when I was only nine-years-old or so. Having loved the character of Black Widow my whole life, I was bursting to get to cinemas. I remember the disappointment I felt when I watched the movie. She had little characterisation, a lack of dialogue, only one memorable fight scene, and wasn’t even referred to by her alias throughout the entire movie. I felt like the character could have been anyone, not the superheroine that I admired so much. All that time I hoped that she would get her own solo movie. If other superheroes like Thor and Captain America and Hulk could get their movies, why couldn’t Black Widow? As a child, I didn’t truly understand that this was a gendered issue. The fact that her solo movie is being released soon still fills me with pride as it does every time a badass female character gets her spotlight. I hope that all the little girls out there who will watch the movie will feel the same admiration I did for Black Widow as when I was a child reading the comic books. But I can’t help but feel saddened that when I was a kid, I never got to see my favourite superheroines steal the show, instead having to sit through each and every male-dominated movie instead.
So why did it take so long for Marvel and DC to transfer their superheroines from comic books to screen? One reason could certainly be the failure of Catwoman. However, it’s interesting to note that many male-led superhero movies have also flopped. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012) grossed only $132 million (almost half of its predecessor), and Daredevil (2003) which grossed an unimpressive $179 million. Yet, this did not lead to a halt in male-led movies. This alone suggests that there is little lenience when it comes to female-led movies and prior to Wonder Woman, there was an expectation they would not gross as highly as male-led superhero movies.
It is equally as important for superhero movies to have female leads as it is for them to have male leads. Due to their uncanny popularity, audiences of all genders rush to the cinemas to experience these movies. The Marvel and DC franchises have become two of the most valuable parts of pop culture. As a result, the limitation of female characters who star in their solo movies is not just a limitation within the superhero genre but a limitation within pop culture. Portraying strong superheroines is an exceptional statement after years of female characters being portrayed as the “love interest” or the “sidekick”. For the sake of all the girls out there watching Thor and Iron Man, I hope that Marvel and DC continue to produce female-led movies to give them the role models that they deserve.