Female Superheroes

    Traditionally, superhero movies have starred male leads. The plot generally follows a young man with a heart of gold and a sad past, who is tasked with saving the world. He’s good looking, strong, and manly- which subsequently means he must have a love interest (a woman). She is usually kindhearted, innocent, and in need of saving by the end of the film, raising the stakes of the story. This formula is widely used throughout the superhero and action film genre, and mainstream media is used to consuming it. 

However, in recent years, female superheroes have been depicted much more frequently. Heroes such as Mystique from Xmen, Black Widow and She-Hulk from Marvel, and Wonder Woman and Catwoman from DC are a selection of heroes in recent action films who fight to save the world. But, there are some significant differences between their portrayal and that of their male counterparts. Instead of a ‘buff’ physique, the women have an hourglass and busty figure, further sexualized by the skintight costumes with plunging necklines they wear, and their camera angles often focusing on their backside and body, rather than their faces. Their fighting styles often involve lithe flexibility, wrapping their legs around their victims or cartwheeling to avoid damage, rather than using strength-based techniques like punching or body slamming. Though male superheroes also tend to be conventionally attractive, the focus of their character tends to be their strength/cool ability and their morals, whereas the female heroes are highly sexualized and objectified in their roles. The difference between the movie’s intended portrayal of their female heroes versus their male ones can be seen even in movie posters. Here are two different posters from the first movie in Marvel’s popular series of Avengers: 

 

 

    On the bottom, the male superhero “Captain America” is shown in an action position, prepared to strike the next enemy while holding his shield. In the top photo of “Black Widow,” though she also looks ready for action, the backside of her body is displayed to emphasize her curves, making that the focus of the poster rather than her strength or fighting ability. 

    Due to complaints about this difference in presentation between the genders, there has been an effort to make less-sexualized female characters in superhero movies, such as Captain Marvel and Mighty Thor. However, some critics have raised the point that she and other recent female superheroes are still one-dimensional and lacking in depth, as their characters are now incredibly strong without emotionally vulnerability or weaknesses, or their development throughout the plot is nonexistent. I’m interested in other classmate opinions: do you guys think the new woman superheroes are helping to solve the problem of sexism in action movies, or do you still think there’s a problem with their depiction?