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How The Marvel Cinematic Universe Erases Women

In recent years, there are three very loud calls that routinely accompany the release of movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe: “Why aren’t there any female-led superhero movies?” “Why aren’t any of these films directed by women?” and “Why aren’t the female characters represented in merchandising as well as the male characters?” The fact that these calls are made at all, at any volume, represents progress. It indicates that, firstly, audiences have a greater awareness of gender bias in the media, and secondly, those audience members that are aware are more able to make their voices heard.

The Thor Franchise

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Thor (2011) – Directed by Kenneth Branagh, written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne, J. Michael Stracynski, Mark Protosevich

Thor: The Dark World (2013) – Directed by Alan Taylor, written by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Don Payne, Robert Rodat

In both Thor, and Thor: The Dark World, the female characters so abundant in the comic book source material are streamlined and altered to create more space for the male characters. The most obvious of these is Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who is a nurse in the comic books but, being the most prominent of only five female characters in the films, she gets bumped up to astrophysicist.

Thor further erases females by re-focusing the story of parentage. The comic book source material features a fascinating plot arc about the maternal lineage of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), during which it transpires that his biological mother is Gaea, Goddess of the Earth. Gaea goes on to play an important role in Thor’s superheroic acts – but she is erased from the film franchise, because we can’t have a superior female being coming to the aid of a male superhero, can we? Instead, Frigga (Rene Russo) is presented as his mother, and adoptive mother of Loki (Tom Hiddleston). In the source material, Frigga is their step-mother.

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While the Asgardian warrior Sif (Jamie Alexander) gets just enough screen time to make an impact, there are a vast number of female characters available in the comic books who are, thus far, absent from the big screen. Thor Girl is a prominent character due to clashes with her namesake. Sigyn is the goddess of fidelity, and also the wife of Loki, while Loki also has a child named Hela, who is the goddess of Death. Amora The Enchantress is a primary villain, who also married Thor for a time.

Then, there is Freya, goddess of fertility, who refuses to be forced into marriage; the villain Bloodaxe; Knorda, the Asgardian Queen of the Mountain Giants; Karnilla, the Queen of the Asgardian province of Nornheim; and Quicksand – a scientist given the form of a sand creature following a nuclear accident.

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