Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
It’s a pretty well-known fact that superhero cinema has largely neglected women. And though the films can be enjoyed by most everyone, this has been unfair to girls and women who want to be inspired by a superhero of their own gender. Sure, Marvel has done fairly well expanding the role of Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character (and may even finally give the heroine her own movie). And DC will soon be introducing a new Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot) in Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. But really, there’s still a pretty big problem in the biggest superhero films.
The good news, however, is that there are still plenty of female superheroes out there to admire! Some of them are relatively little known, and some simply haven’t made their impact on the Marvel or DC film universes just yet. But they’re out there, and some may even be going more mainstream in the near future. These are some such heroes.
She-Hulk was mentioned in one article as one of 10 little known superheroes that could “make Marvel millions” if added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That article did a pretty good job of characterizing why she’d be a good fit in the Marvel films. Namely, she’s the cousin of Bruce Banner, and such a close connection to an existing Avenger would make for an easy entry into the MCU. However, it’s also mentioned that She-Hulk would be a good role model for girls, and I couldn’t agree more. This character - named Jennifer Walters before her transformation - is a strong, successful lawyer who chooses to become She-Hulk and learns to control the monster, ultimately adopting the persona full-time despite potential judgments from society. It’s a nice contrast to the idea that every female superhero needs to be a Hollywood beauty in form-fitting spandex.
This one might be cheating a little bit, because technically we actually have seen the Wasp in the MCU. Evangeline Lily’s character in Ant-Man is meant to step into the role, and she kind of did in the end credits scene, for those of you who may not have stuck around in the theater. Regardless, it would be nice to see this character really built up into a superhero on the same level as Marvel’s male leads. The Wasp makes for an interesting role model because, like Ant-Man or even Iron Man, she’s an ordinary (if particularly intelligent) human with a super suit - rather than a superhuman. Given that the 2018 Ant-Man sequel is expected to be titled Ant-Man and the Wasp, this could be a hero who’s on her way to bigger things.
Elektra isn’t exactly little known, and in fact she’s been more mainstream than most female characters related to Marvel. Jennifer Garner played the part in the 2003 Daredevil film and even in a solo movie spinoff. And in the time since the character has lingered in the public eye, most notably through a popular online casino game that often appears alongside Iron Man- and Avengers-themed games. Described as a Marvel gaming option for those looking for something a little more feminine, it’s almost an overt statement about the lack of female superheroes, given that it stands alone. Now, however, we’re seeing Elektra brought into the fold in a cinematic sense once more, and it’ll probably be much more significant than the Garner film. Elodie Yung is set to take up the role in the new season of the Netflix series Daredevil, just months after a solo series for Jessica Jones gave us the strongest f emale Marvel character yet.
You probably haven’t heard of Rescue unless you’re a pretty serious comic fan. But you’ve heard of the lady behind the moniker. This is Tony Stark’s personal assistant/love interest Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow in the films) in her very own Iron Man-style suit. Pepper is already one of the more compelling female characters in the MCU, as she’s undergone an interesting transition from a vaguely defined love interest to a powerful CEO with the rare ability to put Tony Stark in his place. Turning her into a superhero might set a nice example. Additionally, one implication of the name is that she might have the ability to rescue her superhero boyfriend, which would be a nice way for Marvel to flip the damsel-in-distress motif on its head.
Aside from Wasp and Elektra, Kamala Khan may ultimately be the likeliest female superhero to be injected into the MCU. In part this seems to be the case because she was recently introduced in a popular app game through which Marvel has made a few character introductions alongside film or TV debuts. But it’s also because the character by nature is easy to toss into an existing series. That’s because Kamala Khan is essentially a fan of the Avengers (and specifically Captain Marvel, or Carol Danvers). Khan sets a wonderful example for young girls in particular, because she’s one of the few Marvel superheroes who becomes one because she aspires to be one. It’s a tale of hard work and passion paying off, as Khan ultimately takes up the role of Ms. Marvel herself. Captain Marvel is already going to be brought into the MCU, so perhaps Khan will also.
Marvel is slowly but surely beginning to include more female superheroes in starring roles. But adding these five to the mix would give young women even more characters to look up to.
Who are you supposed to be?
I’m Captain America.
I beg your pardon?
It’s a great line out of a classic movie, but I often find myself wondering the same thing when I’m trying to figure out exactly what is supposed to be represented in superhero cosplay for young girls. I’m always thrilled to see that younger female viewers have taken an interest (and been encouraged to do so!) in something that’s not solely princess-themed, or pink, or some stereotyped combination of the two, but when it comes to portrayal and merchandise availability for girl’s products, the inclusivity sort of ends at blankets and Trapper Keepers.
If you find yourself searching stores for superhero-themed swag for your daughter rather than busting the old sewing machine to make your own, you might be stuck with something a bit more feminized than you bargained for.
Not that there’s anything specifically wrong with that if your daughter is looking to save the world while indulging her pre-established womanly side, but the lack of neutral options certainly encourages taking matters into your own hands to create something more fitting. Offering male character-based products for girls at all is a huge step in the right direction, but I think it’s safe to ask what kind of message is being sent to young girls who are exposed to images with such a strong distinction.
Does it require bulge-inducing tights to kick-ass in the world today? I doubt it, but it certainly doesn’t require a skirt, either. Since when do young boys want strong muscles and pants more than young girls do?
I seem to remember a little me, begging her mom for karate classes so that I could be the next Karate Kid (Miyagi era, not Han), so I’m wondering when it was decided that superheroes needed to be feminized to become more accessible to the young girl audience. No doubt there are consumer tests that prove that certain kids prefer the “girlified” products, but it’s not an all-inclusive metric, and it’s a perpetuation of a deeply historic norm that leaves out a number of girls who prefer it the original way.
Children are impressionable; it seems like at some point we either forgot, or stopped caring that their minds are thirsty little sponges, waiting to soak up any and all images and ideas they are exposed to in a day. And while there are a number of steps a parent can take in theory to protect their kids from the demon formally known as negative body image, it’s hard to keep them from hearing a gendered message when it’s so obviously laid out in front of them in the grossly oversized muscles reserved for boys, and the glitters and frills implied for girls.
There’s untapped value waiting to be found in the grey area that lies between the two polar norms of boy versus girl; a neutral haven that questions the constant push for gender distinction at a young age, keeping us deeply rooted in a divided society that hinders a true personal identity.
So I say, “you go girl!” to the pioneers out there donning the male identities despite the label; be the superhero you want to be! I’m going to go dust off that yellow belt in the back of my closet and remember what I wanted to fight for.
Photo Credit: Costume Express
Post by Lydia Mondy is a feminist killjoy from the Northwest who enjoys writing about the experiences of women in nerd culture. Reddit users beware.You can follow her on Twitter @lydiamondy.
Have you always wanted to see a meteor shower for yourself? Well my friends, this weekend is the weekend.
Look to the skies tomorrow night: Orionid meteor shower is coming
Per io9: “The Orionid meteor shower — one of the year’s most spectacular natural light shows — is upon us. This weekend, Earth will plow through a dense stream of celestial debris given off by Halley’s Comet. These fragments of Halley will collide with the planet’s atmosphere at speeds approaching 150,000 miles per hour, setting the night ablaze as they streak and explode across the pre-dawn skies of Saturday, October 20th and Sunday, October 21st."
It’s a world-wide meteor shower, so get out to the country and turn your eyes to the skies. Turns out Sunday night will be peak viewing.
Skeptical? Check out this photo.
Superhero window washers
I work on the 24th floor of a building in downtown Minneapolis and I’ve seen the occasional window washers and I tell you… I really have thought they should wear Spider-Man costumes before. Proof:
Man washing my 24th floor window. I’m freaking out for him. We need to create a league of humans with spiderman’s abilities for this job.
— Elizabeth Giorgi (@lizgiorgi) July 9, 2012
The nice thing about this though? There not just any old windows. They’re windows at a children’s hospital, so the kids get a nice surprise when Spider-Man goes by with a squeegee.
I contribute to Apartment Therapy every week. This week, I wrote about movies and stars. But not the kind of stars you’re thinking:
5 ways to bring the constellation trend into your home
10 Tips for better movie watching at home
Happy weekend!
