Dear movie-makers,
Strong side characters and badass females are awesome, and seeing them more in recent films is a nice change from a constant damsel in distress or lackluster background people. However, there doesn't seem to be enough.
I have been going through "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." to catch up with the new season on Netflix, and Peggy Carter made an appearance in a flashback episode. Something I realized is that the Marvel company in particular has a way of developing the sidekicks to the point that the audience adores them as much as, if not more than, the main characters.
Coulson got his own show because people were upset over his death. Peggy Carter got her own show because she's just that awesome. And her hair never got in the way in a fight.
We need more of that. Strong characters and women that actually pull their hair up because it's practical. People that reflect reality and prove that main characters aren't the only ones who are loved and admired.
Female characters are more than love interests or crazy. They can be just as dangerous and versatile as men, and look better doing it, but seriously. Seeing their long, beautiful, beachy curls whip across their face in an epic fight scene is annoying to watch. "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." had a scene where Bobbi, a badass female, is fighting a friend and she ends up electrocuting him. The entire time Bobbi's hair is in her face as she turns and flips around her friend, forcing her to take time to push it out of her eyes. No smart woman goes into a potentially combative situation with her hair down, even on a good hair day. Really.
Phil Coulson shows that wit and humor in a seemingly insignificant character is just as captivating as the heart-wrenching past of the main character. A good background character is a rare find, indeed. People seem to appreciate dry humor and sarcasm in television. Those qualities make them seem like real people because no one is bubbly or grouchy all the time. Life is a mix of both and so are people.
This should be in movies more often. Marvel is enormously successful because they know how to balance humor in a serious situation with characters that wouldn't matter in any other series. Frankly, it's refreshing in a way that should be more prevalent.
Let's see if we can make it happen.
Sincerely,
Someone who is tired of the nonsense
