Going to see an action film as a girl tends to be either looked down upon or as a rarity. In my own experience—especially when it comes to dating—the moment you tell a guy you’re obsessed with Marvel and spout theories for Avengers: Endgame, you’re seen as this novelty. It is a sad truth when there are a multitude of women who are amped for Endgame just as much as any guy.
I say that this is due to the lack of positive female representation in not only action films, but superhero films. Guys are able to see themselves in five out of the six original Avengers. Even in Guardians of the Galaxy, there is only one woman and that is Gamora. In the recent years there has been an influx of representation in superhero films and Marvel has more notably done better than DC in this way with their movies. This normalization of strong female characters finally lets us as women be seen. I think it is a way to not only let young girls be inspired, but to also start to normalize the presence of women in more ‘masculine’ settings. That being said, I’d like to start my list of the best female heroes I’ve seen in recent years.
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Captain Marvel- Carol Danvers is a great role model and has been one of my favorites since her movie, Captain Marvel, hit the screens. Her character did not stick to the status quo and blindly follow orders. She knew there was something not right and did something about it. The best part of this movie was her friendship with Maria Rambeau. Not once was there a romantic love interest, but instead a platonic love interest (if you’d like to think there wasn’t more going on there but I kind of do).
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Gamora- Guardians of the Galaxy is one hilarious film, but it also showcases my favorite character, Gamora. She is a woman who does not take sh** from anyone and will cut you down like the cold-hearted woman she is. But her character also grows in that she loves her friends and will protect them. I think that she shows that to be a badass, you can still have a love interest and have you both be equally great. Granted, I think it’s easy to see she’s better than Starlord, but that’s a different discussion.
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Okoye- One of the fiercest members of the Dora Milaje and fiercely loyal to Wakanda, she is an amazing character. She may not to be the star of Black Panther, but she is a shining role model. Her morals where strong and her strength was admirable. Her character was able to give a second type of representation that has not been seen a lot of in superhero films.
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Wonder Woman- Wonder Woman was a great film and a great character. However, she ranks lower on my list just because her story seemed too focused on the love interest. But that doesn’t make her less of an empowering figure. She fought for what she believed to be right. Her moral compass was tight and she didn’t need Steve to be powerful. She was already powerful on her own.