Marvel Studios has played a very prominent role in Hollywood for the past eight years, redefining the "superhero movie" genre through their cinematic hits. From the first "Iron Man" in 2008 to their most recent installment, "Captain America: Civil War", earlier this year, Marvel has brought a handful of their classic comic book characters to life on the big screen in a way no one has ever seen before. They've broken through the stereotype set by less successful superhero movies of the past, which suggested comic book-based movies could not be "mainstream" enough to succeed at the box office. But after "Avengers" (2012) and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) each smashed box office records, alongside the financial victories of the other movies in between and around these two, it showed making a superhero movie was no longer considered risky.
It's easy to point to the special effects of these movies as a primary factor in their success; the CGI is just incredible. With today's technology, entire worlds can be crafted through computers and implemented into movies as naturally as a physical set. And while I admire this aspect of Marvel's cinematic universe, I find myself more drawn to their characters.
A popular question among storytellers is one of preference: do you enjoy a story because of its plotline or characters? Both are valid answers, but there needs to be quality in each for the entire story to succeed. Personally, I prioritize well-written characters over a well-written plot. If I can get invested in the characters, then I'll get invested in the plot. Simple.
Marvel has a rocky history with this, as utilizing different directors across projects translates into different interpretations of their characters. The first Marvel movie I saw and thought wow, I think I like this Marvel stuff, was the first "Avengers" (which I've since criticized for Joss Whedon's characterizations), but I didn't truly fall in love with the characters until "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" in 2014. It was then that I first fell in love with the (at the time) redheaded, lone female Avenger: S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow.
Played by Scarlett Johansson, the Black Widow is a straight-up badass whose superhero "abilities" come from a less than pleasant childhood of training to be a Soviet spy. In the movies, not much is known about her past outside of the fact that she was brainwashed into a life of evildoing until fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Avenger Clint Barton (Hawkeye) brought her back to work for S.H.I.E.L.D., an international crime-fighting organization.
Despite being in "Iron Man 2" and "Avengers", Natasha's character wasn't really nailed until "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." Through her partnership and interactions with Captain America, we learn that she's witty, intelligent, selfless, and just trying to redeem herself for all the crimes she committed while working for the KGB in the past. She's presented as a character with a questionable moral compass (Director Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, describes her as "comfortable with everything" after Cap confronts him for Natasha jeopardizing one of their joint missions by going off on her own to fulfill a separate objective), but it's clear by the end of the movie that she's as dedicated to protecting the world as the rest of the Avengers.
In the two years since "Winter Soldier", we've seen Natasha's character downplayed to a love interest in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (directed by Joss Whedon, who also directed "Avengers") and later raised back to a bold individual trying to do what's best for everyone in "Captain America: Civil War " (directed by the Russo brothers, who also directed "Winter Soldier" - see a pattern here with Natasha's characterization through the movies?). Though Natasha's role in the Marvel cinematic universe has changed over the years, the movement by fans clamoring for a solo Black Widow film has not.
With the conclusion of San Diego Comic-Con 2016, Marvel has introduced Brie Larson as the lead for the upcoming Captain Marvel movie, which will be Marvel's first female-led film. While this is a cause for celebration, many fans, myself included, are still looking for Natasha's time to shine as the lead in her own story. There are many ways that Marvel can go about showing Natasha to the world - her origin story, going on S.H.I.E.L.D. missions with her former partner Hawkeye, hell, I'd just watch Natasha run errands for two hours if it meant I was watching a Black Widow movie, she's just that fascinating of a character.
The movie department isn't the only place Marvel is lacking in Natasha Romanoff (aside from its lack of female and people of color representation, which is an issue for another article). It's hard to get Black Widow merchandise. Like, ridiculously hard. It's easy enough to find things with Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor's faces plastered all over it, but Natasha has been a staple part of the cinematic universe since 2010, and has been on the Avengers' team since their birth in 2012. She's just as much a part of the team as her male teammates, yet it is harder to find her in stores than the hidden Mickey's in Disneyland.
Only now, in 2016, have I started to see Marvel putting forth more effort in including her. I've seen her face on a women's cut, hot pink shirt in the Disney Store, which is...one step forward, two steps back, honestly, because hot pink? I've collected each Funko Vinyl Pop figure of her, as well as bags and shirts, but the other Avengers are still miles ahead of her in terms of merchandise. The chances of her being included on any articles of clothing or bags that feature multiple characters from the team are laughably slim, but gradually increasing.
Thankfully for actual young girls who are interested in superheroes, DC's working dutifully on a Wonder Woman movie, and Marvel's got Captain Marvel coming eventually. Though I've only enjoyed Marvel as a teenager, I'm no stranger to enjoying male-dominated franchises as a little girl. (Buying Pokemon t-shirts from the boys' section at Target was one of the first moments I realized, wow, I'm not the preferred demographic). Girls need female superheroes to balance out the testosterone-heavy industry, which is a valid metaphor for the real world. Many areas are still male-dominated, but if we can show people at a young age that things don't have to be this way, then this cycle of consistent sexism may be ended. To reach that point, however, we need to see stronger efforts by huge companies like Marvel to show the strength of female characters matching that of their male counterparts.
A great starting point would be creating a Black Widow movie.
She's just as daring as Iron Man.
She's just as selfless as Captain America.
She's just as complex as Bruce Banner/the Hulk.
She's just as mighty as Thor.
She's just as sharp as Hawkeye.
And she's just as much of an Avenger as each of them.
So, Marvel, take note: give us a Black Widow movie.
