Summary
- Marvel Studios has a significant lack of female-led movies and TV shows, with Captain Marvel being the first, over a decade after the MCU began.
- More female-led MCU projects have been released in recent years, but not all have been as successful as others.
- Projects such as WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Jessica Jones, and Echo have been among the best female-led MCU projects.
Only a handful of movies and TV shows in the powerful female MCU heroes being introduced, with many leading their own projects.
Including 2019's Marvel Studios' ten female-led movies and TV shows have released to varying levels of success, but have mostly been strong stories for these formidable women.
Marvel's Female Avengers Cast (As We Know It)
Marvel Studios has introduced many female superheroes over the years, any number of whom could forces to form the MCU's female Avengers team.
10 Black Widow Didn't Give Audiences What They Wanted
Black Widow Was Led By Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, A.K.A. Black Widow
Despite being the longest-running female superhero in the MCU, Natasha Romanoff's Black Widow didn't embark on a solo adventure until Phase 4. Black Widow released after Romanoff's death in Avengers: Endgame, and initially gave audiences the grounded espionage thriller that many had wanted to see for Romanoff for several years. Unfortunately, this theme didn't stick, as Black Widow eventually devolved into yet another CGI-filled superhero action movie, which meant it lost a lot of its personality and intimacy.
"It Is Still Happening": Scarlett Johansson Confirms Her Secret MCU Project Is Still In The Works
After months of no updates and its status unknown, Scarlett Johansson has finally confirmed that her secret MCU project is still good to go.
Until the movie's final battle, Black Widow was doing well to keep things subtle. Romanoff's surrogate family history was explored beautifully, the introductions of Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov, and Melina Vostokoff were handled well, and the mythos of the Red Room was developed nicely. It's a shame Black Widow didn't keep this up throughout, however, particularly since this was set up as the final farewell for Scarlett Johansson's popular Natasha Romanoff.
Black Widow
- Release Date
- July 9, 2021
- Runtime
- 134 minutes
- Director
- Cate Shortland
Cast
Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Yelena Belova
WHERE TO WATCH
9 The Marvels Is (Surprisingly) Marvel Studios' Lowest-Grossing Movie
The Marvels Was Led By Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau, & Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, A.K.A. Ms. Marvel
The sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, on paper, should have been a smash-hit for Marvel Studios. However, The Marvels became an unfortunate victim of major Hollywood strikes, huge changes at Marvel Studios, and an altered attitude towards superhero movies. There was a lot going for The Marvels: the movie's fast pace kept the action going continuously, the development of the relationships between Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan was compelling, and the advancement of the MCU's overall multiverse storyline was thrilling.
Nevertheless, The Marvels still became the MCU's lowest-grossing movie since the franchise began, bringing in just over $206 million (via The Marvels' box office failure might not make much sense, but this will ultimately leave the future of the MCU's Captain Marvel franchise in jeopardy. Large sections of The Marvels also felt a bit rushed, and there was little connection to the movie's prequel series, Secret Invasion, which altogether felt jarring.
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The Marvels
- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
- Director
- Nia DaCosta
Cast
Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel
Teyonah ParrisMonica Rambeau
WHERE TO WATCH
8 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Was Entertaining Despite Its Problems
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Was Led By Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters, A.K.A. She-Hulk
While Marvel Studios hasn't been able to produce any solo projects featuring Bruce Banner's Hulk since The Incredible Hulk, Jennifer Walters' She-Hulk was thankfully available. As the MCU's first legal-comedy series, 2022's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had the perfect format for TV, and did a good job of introducing Tatiana Maslany's new superhero. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's storytelling techniques, including major MCU cameos, breaking the fourth wall, and a case of the week structure, worked perfectly for the series.
She-Hulk Season 2’s Disappointing Update May Prove Marvel Is Learning An Important Lesson
A disappointing update has been given regarding She-Hulk: Attorney at Law season 2, though it may prove that Marvel has learned a vital lesson.
Having said that, similarly to The Marvels, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law also became a victim of recent criticisms aimed at Marvel Studios. Most notably, the visual effects and CGI quality throughout the series left something to be desired. After years of seeing a high-quality Hulk in the MCU's Infinity Saga, it was a shame that She-Hulk wasn't depicted in the same way, but this was a sign of the greater mistreatment of visual effects workers at Marvel and Disney, who have since unionized.
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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2021
- Showrunner
- Jessica Gao
- Directors
- Kat Coiro
WHERE TO WATCH
- Franchise(s)
- Hulk, Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Streaming Service(s)
- Dis
- Seasons
- 1
7 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Struggled Without Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Was Led By Letitia Wright's Shuri, A.K.A. The Black Panther
Following the tragic and sudden ing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the original plan for Black Panther's sequel was altered massively. Instead of developing the story of T'Challa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever became a more solemn exploration of Wakanda's grief over the loss of its King and protector, with a more intense focus on Letitia Wright's Shuri, who became the MCU's new Black Panther. Despite being a beautiful memorial for T'Challa and Boseman, Wakanda Forever still struggled without the franchise's beloved star.
The death of T'Challa perhaps would have been enough for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to focus on. However, director Ryan Coogler also included the introduction of the mutant Namor, the evolution of Shuri into the Black Panther, attacks on Wakanda, the death of Queen Ramonda, and the development of a wider-reaching political storyline. This meant that there was quite a lot going on in Wakanda Forever that sometimes overshadowed the emotional impact of the movie, but it still delivered a touching remembrance of Boseman.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Release Date
- November 11, 2022
- Runtime
- 162 minutes
- Director
- Ryan Coogler
Cast
Letitia WrightShuri
Tenoch Huerta MejíaNamor
WHERE TO WATCH
6 Jessica Jones' First Season Was Its Best
Jessica Jones Was Led By Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones
Marvel Studios recently confirmed that Netflix's Defenders Saga is canon to the MCU, meaning the Krysten Ritter-led Jessica Jones now takes place in the MCU's official timeline. Out of the six Defenders Saga shows, Jessica Jones was one of the most popular, and one of two that ran for three seasons, alongside Daredevil. Ritter's Jessica Jones was an incredibly complex antihero, and the series' grounded, more mature, and darker themes reflected this brilliantly.
Defenders Saga Shows |
Seasons |
Premiere Date |
Lead Actor |
|---|---|---|---|
Daredevil |
3 |
April 10, 2015 |
Charlie Cox |
Jessica Jones |
3 |
November 20, 2015 |
Krysten Ritter |
Luke Cage |
2 |
September 30, 2016 |
Mike Colter |
Iron Fist |
2 |
March 17, 2017 |
Finn Jones |
The Defenders |
1 |
August 18, 2017 |
|
The Punisher |
2 |
November 17, 2017 |
Jon Bernthal |
Jessica Jones was popular for its entire three-season run, but audience viewership did begin to wane after its premiere season. Season 1 pitted Jones against David Tennant's sinister Kilgrave, while seasons 2 and 3 featured smaller villains, including Jones' own mother, Trish Walker's Hellcat, and serial killer Gregory Sallinger, contributing to slower-burn storylines. Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones may return to the MCU, as recent speculation suggests, so hopefully she will achieve her previous level of popularity.
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Marvel's Jessica Jones
- Release Date
- 2015 - 2019-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Melissa Rosenberg
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 3
5 Eternals Was One Of Phase 4's Most Divisive (& Underrated) Movies
Eternals Was Led Primarily Be Gemma Chan's Sersi
Following its release in 2021, Chloé Zhao's Eternals became one of the MCU's most divisive projects ever. Many criticized the movie's attempt to introduce ten powerful new superheroes in only a short space of time, which, granted, did make the storyline feel rushed and over-saturated at times. However, Eternals was an experimental movie for Marvel Studios, with innovative new cinematography (Zhao's trademark), an acclaimed all-star cast, and an expansive storyline that explored the history of the MCU like no previous project.
In the years since, Eternals has achieved a new level of respect from audiences, with appreciation growing for the project's ambition and scope. While the movie focused on a large group of heroes, it was Gemma Chan's Sersi who led the charge, taking over as the Prime Eternal after Ajak's demise. This was Chan's second MCU role, but was a much stronger performance than her debut as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, so hopefully there are many more stories for Sersi and the Eternals in the MCU's future.
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Eternals
- Release Date
- November 5, 2021
- Runtime
- 156 minutes
- Director
- Chloé Zhao
Cast
Sersi
Ikaris
WHERE TO WATCH
4 Captain Marvel Was The MCU's First Female-Led Movie
Captain Marvel Was Led By Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel
The MCU's first female-led project is still one of the franchise's strongest, despite unfounded criticism aimed at Captain Marvel's lead star, Brie Larson. Larson did a fantastic job at bringing Carol Danvers into the MCU at the end of Phase 3, and managed to imbue the seriously overpowered hero with humanity and relatability, something that many other actors would have struggled with. Set in 1995, Captain Marvel also set the stage for some exciting stories in the MCU's present day, including those featured in WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Secret Invasion, and the movie's own sequel, The Marvels.
The fact that Brie Larson was so outspoken in her political views and her views on feminism, and the simple fact that Captain Marvel put a powerful woman front-and-center, spurred a campaign by a vocal minority to derail the movie, even before its release. Despite this ridiculous campaign, Captain Marvel still managed to gross over $1 billion at the global box office, marking a huge success for the MCU's first female-centric movie. The Captain Marvel made the failure of its 2023 sequel even more unexpected and shocking.
Captain Marvel
- Release Date
- March 6, 2019
- Director
- Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
- Writers
- Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve
WHERE TO WATCH
3 Echo Was A Solid Continuation Of Maya Lopez's Storyline
Echo Was Led By Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez, A.K.A. Echo
Even though Echo, the MCU's first Marvel Spotlight series, went through a tumultuous production period, and was deemed unnecessary by "fans" prior to release, the series still became a successful installment in Phase 5. Continuing Alaqua Cox's story as Maya Lopez, who initially debuted in 2021's Hawkeye, the five-episode Echo provided a deep dive into the history and culture of the Choctaw Nation, as well as expanding Lopez's own relationship to her villainous father-figure, Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin.
Echo's reliance on its cultural exploration makes it a unique addition to the MCU. Produced in collaboration with the Choctaw Nation, Echo's authenticity is beautiful to watch, and its representative storyline of not only Native American history, but also the deaf community, means it is a hugely significant MCU project. The ending of the series did feel rather rushed, a symptom of the series' rocky production, but Echo continued Maya Lopez's storyline wonderfully, and set the stage for an even bigger narrative for Kingpin in the MCU's future.
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Marvel's Echo
- Release Date
- January 9, 2024
- Directors
- Sydney Freeland
- Writers
- Amy Rardin, Marion Dayre
Cast
Chaske Spencer
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
2 Ms. Marvel Introduced The MCU's First Mutant Superhero
Ms. Marvel Was Led By Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, A.K.A. Ms. Marvel
One of the most exciting recent introductions to the MCU has been Iman Vellani, who has played Kamala Khan in 2022's Ms. Marvel and The Marvels. As an MCU superfan, Vellani's love for the franchise, and the Marvel Comics source material, is evident in her portrayal of Kamala Khan. This ion makes every moment she's on screen entertaining and exhilarating, particularly when she is showing off her abilities. Vellani also has the honor of being the MCU's first on-screen mutant.
Ms. Marvel Actor Discusses "Assured" MCU Return After The Marvels
Following her first appearance in the MCU movies, Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani gives a positive update on her return after The Marvels film.
Ms. Marvel's blend of live-action and animated graphics emphasized the youthful nature of the titular hero, and not a second of the series' six-episode run felt wasted. Spanning from Jersey City to Karachi, Ms. Marvel was a truly global series with a massive, dimension-crossing storyline that Vellani did a fantastic job at taking in her stride, which is even more impressive considering this was Vellani's first on-screen acting role. Kamala Khan is set to be a huge part of the MCU's future, as the suspected leader of Marvel Studios' Young Avengers team, so hopefully this joyous temperament will continue.
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Ms. Marvel
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2021
- Network
- Disney Channel
- Showrunner
- Bisha K. Ali
Cast
-
Laith Naki
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Bisha K. Ali, Adrian Alphona
- Seasons
- 1
1 WandaVision Was A Complete Experiment For The MCU's Multiverse Saga
WandaVision Was Led By Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff, A.K.A. The Scarlet Witch
Marvel Studios' most impressive female-led project was also one of the MCU's most experimental and risky installments: WandaVision. The MCU's first TV series developed for Disney+, WandaVision's format saw each episode inspired by different decades of TV sitcoms, spanning from the I Love Lucy-style 1950s to the present day. Prior to WandaVision, Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff had been a promising ing character in the Avengers projects, but this really gave her a chance to showcase her sheer talent.
WandaVision: Each Decade, Ranked By Pop Culture Accuracy
Each episode of WandaVision covered a decade of sitcom tropes, from the 1950s to the 2000s. How accurate were the depictions on the MCU show?
WandaVision marked Wanda Maximoff's full transformation into the Scarlet Witch, and explored a deeply emotional storyline of family, grief, and trauma. Olsen has done a brilliant job at demonstrating both the hilarity and more vulnerable and complex elements of Wanda, all of which were showcased throughout WandaVision. The fact that WandaVision was so successful set a high bar for subsequent Disney+ shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which may have contributed to the criticism aimed at some, but has also made the Scarlet Witch's return even more hoped-for.
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WandaVision
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2021-00-00
- Showrunner
- Jac Schaeffer
- Directors
- Matt Shakman
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Created by
- Kevin Feige
- Films
- Avengers: Secret Wars
- TV Shows
- Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Vision Quest
- First Film
- Iron Man
- First TV Show
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Cast
- Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
MCU Movies |
Release Date |
|---|---|
July 26, 2024 |
|
February 14, 2025 |
|
May 5, 2025 |
|
July 25, 2025 |
|
November 7, 2025 |
|
May 1, 2026 |
|
May 7, 2027 |
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