Lately the super-hero movie genre has been the pinnacle of cinematic entertainment. Every year, throngs of movie-goers wait with baited breath for trailers, teasers, leaks, and announcements regarding the next release of the next super-hero movie. Afterward, social media and websites fill with reviews of said movies. One of the most reliably found complaints about these movies is the almost non-existent role of females.
One could argue that the inclusion of characters such as Black Widow, Scarlett Witch, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman balances out in the end, but what I find wrong with that argument is that over the years we have seen countless solo movies for male superheroes. But we have not seen a solo movie dedicated to a female super-hero. Marvel and DC have taken a step forward with their shows “Jessica Jones” and “Supergirl” respectively. However, this is not a complete fix. Whether it’s the need for more diverse characters, the need for female role models on screen, or the need for gender equality in society as a whole, female characters must be featured more often.
Currently we have a Wonder Woman movie confirmed, and Harley Quinn and Black Widow movies are being rumored heavily. These movies can potentially do wonderful things for the societal view of women. And the weight of these movies will be dependent on their content. If the movies portray the characters as strong, independent, women who are not dependent on male counterparts to do their hero (or villain)-ing. By doing this, they will empower women and show that Hollywood is not as sexist as they have seemed for decades. And all my hope goes into this outcome.
Another possible outcome is that they use these characters as pinup-esque sex objects used to cash in on the one-dimensional appeal of an attractive female. However, that is very ignorant and exclusive of the majority of potential viewers. At that point, you are only appealing to viewers that are attracted to the female physique and are okay objectifying women. At this point you are leaving out anyone that is not attracted to females, is not okay objectifying women, or is okay seeing women without their personalities, or intellect, or thoughts.
I have been trying to avoid the comparison to male counterparts because this is why characters, namely Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, and Black Widow, are constantly being put in subpar roles in relation to their male co-stars. That is also another illusion perpetrated by Hollywood. We throw around the word “co-star” implying that the roles are equally as important. However, if you compare the utilization and importance of female characters compared the male characters in their movies you see that they are not co-stars. Female characters have become consistently supporting characters. This is something that needs to be changed. The result of this being that these movies have a lot riding on them. They can make or break the perception of Marvel and DC and their perception and portrayal of female characters.
