Captain Marvel: Feminist or Failure? – Delaney Smith
Since the creation of the Human Torch in 1939, the Marvel comic universe has been creating characters for children and adults to admire, envy and ultimately criticize. Captain Marvel made her film debut last month as a character of unmatched strength and power among heroes. Fans have since been discussing her potential to break the mold on female cinematic characters.
Marvel enthusiast Amelia Pape ’22 says that the movie is important because it offers positive role models to young girls. She reflects on seeing little girls in the theater with their parents, clutching Captain Marvel dolls: “[In superhero films] the majority of the women are kind of helpless because they don’t have super strength and they need to be saved. It’s kinda nice to be growing up now where the girl is the superhero,” says Pape.
Despite Captain Marvel being a role model for young girls, online fans seemed to be disappointed with her character. As noted in The Federalist, critics claimed she was portrayed as overly emotional and erratic. Film minor Suzanne Rickard ’22 says that the character goes beyond the daily trials of being a woman. “It shouldn’t be that [because] a female is the lead that everything about her being a strong female is what makes the movie. No, she is just a person.”
Marc DiPaolo, author of “War, Politics and Superheroes: Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film,” thinks that fans will get to see Brie Larson develop more in future films. “I think what will happen going forward, in terms of a female role model, is we’ll get to see her be more righteous, more fully herself. And that will be a fun character to see,” says DiPaolo.
Pape mentioned that she could understand how feminist fans could be disappointed if they didn’t also have an appreciation for the storyline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Obviously she’s promoting feminism as a female lead, but I don’t think that’s the purpose of the film – to be a movie about feminism. I think it’s just about introducing the character because they need her,” she says.
Rickard said that films are not always meant to have political agendas, but an industry like Marvel must be mindful of their influence on viewers. “Despite having to spit out their structural Marvel films that lead to the following films after that, they also have the world’s eyes on them. And I feel like this is one of those situations where they do have to be aware of what they’re saying,” she says.
DiPaolo said that he appreciated the introduction of the Skrulls (aliens) as “sympathetic refugee characters” as a nod to modern politics. “It made it a sly political protest without overdoing it,” he says.
The true question here is whether or not Marvel has a responsibility to make these kinds of statements with its comics or films. DiPaolo says yes, because Marvel comics are the products of immigrants who fought fascism and who have “always taken a strong stance against prejudice.” He quickly added that they have not done so in the name of sexism, but that the ideals are there and he can see the improvements happening.
Rickard also sees these improvements, and hopes that these strong female leads will become commonplace. “Make it more common, so that in the future, everytime a female lead exists, they won’t always focus on the fact that she’s female. Because that’s the future that film should have,” says Rickard.
American Movie Theatre employee Kayla Shores said that she saw how impressed people were with the film, and that only very rarely did customers seem disappointed. Shores said that she recognized multiple people coming back to see the film more than once.
Pape is one of those happy customers, and said that she felt the impact of a female character being represented as a hero: “When Brie Larson is fighting off the Skrulls and such, I feel powerful, like I could do that. I could kick some serious ass.”