Women Representation in Superhero Movies Essay Example

Throughout history, the typical superhero has always been portrayed as the strong alpha male who has defeated the evil character to save the damsel in distress or the love interest. There has been a typical story line told through successful movies like Captain America, Ironman, and many more. However, Captain Marvel has incorporated a new element into the increasing popularity of female superhero movies. Through Captain Marvel's strong and independent leadership, change to the normal superhero movie plot, and specific casting for each role Captain Marvel challenges gender roles in superhero movies. 

In a typical film, female characters see the alpha male as the hero, but in Captain Marvel a strong independent female superhero proves everyone wrong and saves the day multiple times.“ Tell The Supreme Intelligence That I’m Coming To End It. The War, The Lies, All Of It! “(Captain Marvel 1:57 35-50).We see that Carol Danvers is unbelievably powerful in many ways and she proves that women can be just as good as men if not better than them at being superheroes in the movie. Furthermore, since she is a woman, people underestimate her in every way, so she can gain the upper hand by showing her true power for the good of others and the world. In England et al's "Gender Role portrayal and the Disney Princesses", they argue that women have a specific role in princess movies and how they were successful in portraying strong female leads that are attracting millions of viewers around the world. In England et al's "Gender Role portrayal and the Disney Princesses", they argue that women have a specific role in princess movies and how they were successful in portraying strong female leads that are attracting millions of viewers around the world (England et al 562).

One thing about Captain Marvel is that the plot is written to prove that Carol Danvers is a great superhero. Throughout the film, there are many events that prove that not only is Carol Danvers great superhero, but women are just as strong as men. As an example, when Carol is fighting her mentor Yon-Rogg, she demonstrates not only how powerful she is, but it also highlights the fact that women are just as capable as men in many ways.“ I Have Nothing To Prove To You” (Captain Marvel 1:35 05-27). As the Film shows, Carol Danvers becomes better than the man who trained her proving that she is the one of the strongest heroes in the universe even though she is a girl. The director and screenwriters deliberately crafted the plot this way because they wanted to emphasize that women are just as capable as men not only as superheroes, but in every area of life as well. Additionally to the climactic battle, there is also another plot point that really inspires women to achieve their goals. Captain Marvel didn't save the world by herself, but with the help of her long-time friend Maria Rambeauwho was able to pilot the ship to save the skrull.“Call Me Young Lady Again, And I’m Gonna Put My Foot In A Place It's Not Supposed To Be” (Captain Marvel 1:19 22-43). The main message from the clip of the movie is that women are very strong people in this world and can accomplish anything they set their minds to. In the film, the plot was crafted in such a way that the message of women are strong and independent would be conveyed in a compelling manner to women around the world through clever manipulations of the plot. It directly relates to England et al.'s article in that Captain Marvel reverses gender roles. We see this in Captain Marvel defeating Yon-Rogg and Maria Rambeau piloting the spaceship and helping Carol on her mission. Captain Marvel is a prime example of what England et al thought superhero movies should change to more female representation (England et al 557). 

For Captain Marvel to achieve its purpose, the director had to ensure she chose the right actors to portray the inspirational characters. Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau, Brie Larson and Lashanna Lynch were ideal casting choices because in the real world they are viewed as advocates for women's representation and they are adored by many girls around the world. Throughout the film, we see their personalities shine through their roles. For example, both of them experienced criticism as they were training to become pilots but persevered to become two of the best pilots in history.“If There Are Lives At Stake, I'll Fly The Plane” (Captain Marvel 1:45 11-19). The clip portrays the passion and effort Brie and Lashanna put into the characters because they represent everything they stand for, thus making their characters seem real. By choosing very specific actors they would get huge box office numbers from women around the world and spread the idea that women can achieve anything they set their minds to and be anything they want to be. Another part of the film where the actors excel is when they are trying to prevent the Cree from killing off the rest of the Skrull species; each character uses their unique talents to prevent the Skrull from going extinct.”This Isn't About Fighting Wars. It's About Ending Them” (Captain Marvel 2:01 39-51). As a result of Carol and Maria's actions, the Skrull are saved and the brutal war between them and the Cree is ended. As a result of Brie and Lashanna being cast in these specific roles, we see that they portray these women in such a way that inspires other women around the world to be just like them and become whatever they really want to become. This is related to England et al's article because in order for movie characters to appear believable and real, the actresses have to embody the role and have passion for what the character represents. In this case it is to prove that women are strong and are oftentimes better than men at activities. Consequently, this will make women feel more confident and help them see why women are just as good or even better than men. (England et al).

In conclusion, Captain Marvel is a fantastic movie that redefined the concept of a superhero. It not only had Carol Danvers as the main hero, but it also portrayed that women all over the world can accomplish anything they wish to and not be limited by their gender. Through the casting, plot, and Captain marvel herself there is much more to await when it comes to the female superheroes.