What does Marvel’s refusal to make a female-lead driven superhero movie (eg. Black Widow) say about the film industry, and also our society?
Actually, Marvel has had a female-driven superhero movie planned at the very least since their announcement of all the Phase 3 movies last year, one of which was Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel is a popular, feminist comic book character by the name of Carol Danvers who has recently been reimagined with a more feminist take. Fans of the character, also called the Carol Corps, were very excited when they heard that she would be getting her own movie. Captain Marvel is slated for November 2nd, 2018 between the two part Avengers: Infinity War, seemingly implying that she will have an important part in the climax of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has also released a show on ABC centering around Agent Peggy Carter, a popular secondary character from Captain America: The First Avenger. She was so popular that Marvel created an 8-episode long season centered around the character in 1946 fighting sexism and evil (sometimes separately, sometimes not). It's a very feminist show and is returning for a second season, presumably in 2016. – VelvetRose9 years ago
I agree with the previous note. Marvel has even acknowledged women in other cultures, such as the Muslim teenager, Ms. Marvel! Pretty insightful concept, especially with all the criticism going on with Muslims and terrorism. It defeats the stereotypes that associate Muslims with evil. Source: http://www.wired.com/2014/01/ms-marvel-muslim-superheroine/ – reemismail9 years ago
My concern about this topic is that it sounds very similar to one currently pending approval. If this one is picked up, please research not only our articles but the web in general. The topic of female superheroes (and the lack thereof) has been covered a lot. Not saying there aren't new angles (always) but be careful of re-treading. – Monique9 years ago
I would recommend looking at Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter's reported comments in a supposedly leaked e-mail exchange with Sony executive Michael Lynton. He said that female-led superhero films just don't work, citing flops like Elektra, Catwoman and Supergirl as what he believed to be evidence of this. (Ignoring the fact that male-led superhero films like Daredevil and Green Lantern have flopped, too.) You could talk about how film and television are disproving Perlmutter's notion. Agent Carter was very well-received, and ratings were strong enough for Marvel to renew it for a second season. Last year's Lucy, which starred the Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson, grossed nearly $460 million at the box office, off of a $40 million budget. Wanted, The Hunger Games, Kill Bill - there are plenty of large-scale movies that feature women in the lead roles that have all performed well at the box office. – BradShankar9 years ago