Marvel's new movie, releasing April 30th, is a reflection of a changing society
Nerdist Associate Editor Andrea Towers says: “We need all the female-led movies we can get, in whatever form they come in: superhero films, action films, animated films, romance films. We deserve to hear and see these stories and so does the rest of the world.”
The cinema and publishing industries have tended to portray sexist and unrealistic versions of females. There is a drastic change being experiences, inspired by the #metoo movement.
Female characters are illustrated in a way that exuberates their feminine attributes, and movie characters usually, as Towers says: ”portray females as the tokens among a group of male heroes, from their dressing to their storylines”.
Projects such as the Black Widow, releasing in April, help to construct a new narrative and vision for female characters in the future.
“We get to see Natasha's emotions, relationships, feelings. All of the things that contribute to helping us understand her as a layered person,” says Towers.
Film director Nicole Russin-McFarland, thinks that the industry is making progress. “I think that Black Widow can definitely empower women if they are seen as equals rather than as statistics,” she says.
While growing up, children look up to heroes, and seeing character qualities over physical ones, can help inspire many, as it did Towers. “The Black Widow has been a positive influence in my life,” she says. “I’m constantly inspired by her unique strength.”
Cover photo: Andrea Towers As The Black Widow Taken by Jason Laboy
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