Let’s face it, for many, the Marvel Cinematic Universe may come off as overly male-dominated. In general, the representation of female characters in superhero-themed films is still on the low side. The under-representation of women may stem from the comic books themselves, many of which are written by men for men.
Marvel has been trying to change the narrative with their line-up of admirable heroines who are all-around fierce. We are talking about Mystique in X-Men, Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Widow in The Avengers, and the list goes on. Here are some of the Marvel female characters we’ve loved watching evolve on screen and the incredibly talented actresses who’ve sprung them to life.
Young Mystique (Played By Jennifer Lawrence)
The X-Men clan boast of possessing a set of special and unique abilities, and they could surely bring down any other team of superheroes pitted against them. Rebecca Romjin held the role of Mystique in the first three X-Men films, but Jennifer Lawrence took over to portray a younger Mystique in later films.
Mystique made a debut in the 1978 issue of Ms. Marvel #16. She is a shapeshifter with the transformative ability to mimic the voice and appearance of just about anyone with uncanny precision. She eventually puts together the Brotherhood of Mutants who end up doing away with key figures involved in mutant affairs.
Jennifer Lawrence In Real Life
Six billion Dollars is the collective figure that all the films that Lawrence has appeared in have grossed worldwide. The Garden Party marked her debut on the big screen before she featured in the critically acclaimed drama Winter’s Bone. Lawrence topped off her previous performances by starring in the Hunger Games series of films.
Lawrence is slated to feature in Red, White, and Water (Untitled Lila Neugebauer Project). Excellent Cadaver, the production company she founded in 2018, is behind the upcoming drama. Besides increasing her net worth, Lawrence has also taken home numerous awards including three Golden Globes and an Academy Award.
Black Widow (Played By Scarlett Johanson)
Iron Man 2 introduced us to Natasha Romanoff, a ruthlessly trained superspy with expertise in hand-to-hand combat. She’s also called the Black Widow and we initially encountered her in the 1964 issue of Tales of Suspense.
Her grueling training started in childhood, and she was temporarily brainwashed to view the U.S. as enemies. She eventually joins a counter-terrorism agency and becomes an important member of The Avengers. She finally has a stand-alone film in the works, with Black Widow scheduled for release in November 2020.
Scarlett Johansson In Real Life
Scarlett Johansson has consistently topped the list of highest-paid actresses, globally, since 2018. Johansson has also helped the collective films she’s graced gross more than $14.3 billion worldwide.
It’s roles in films like Lost in Translation that truly established her as a versatile actress. Johansson also dabbles in music and in 2008 she released Anywhere I Lay My Head, her debut album. In 2018, she teamed up with Pete Yorn and followed through with an EP release titled Apart.
Carol Danvers (Played By Brie Larson)
The fictional character Carol Danvers has existed in comic books since appearing in the 1968 edition of Marvel Super-Heroes #13. In 1977 she became the first embodiment of Ms. Marvel when an explosion caused her DNA to fuse with Marvel’s blend of human genetics and that of the Kree race.
Danvers’ powers include unmatched endurance, intuition, and superhuman strength. Not to mention that she can fly at an extraordinary speed. On the big screen, the character finally came out of the shadows in Captain Marvel.
Brie Larson In Real Life
Brie Larson’s path to fame started when she was six and trained at the American Conservatory Theater. She started acting in 1998 and mostly landed support roles in comedies. Short Term 12, an independent drama released in 2013, gave Larson the breakthrough she deserved.
Larson kept on starring in highly ranked films including Room which won her an Academy Award. In 2019, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel.
Invisible Woman (Played By Kate Mara)
When Stan Lee conjured up Invisible Woman or Sue Storm, he wanted to avoid the superhuman strength narrative. Instead, he created a heroine who could do precisely what her name implies – she could turn invisible.
The Invisible Woman can also manipulate light waves to make other objects invisible. Jessica Alba embodied the character initially in the two Fantastic Four films released between 2005 and 2007. Kate Mara took over the part in the Fantastic Four film released in 2015.
Kate Mara In Real Life
Zoe Barnes, an extremely ambitious reporter, is perhaps the character that Kate Mara is best known for portraying in the Netflix series House of Cards. Her impressive list of credits also includes American Horror Story: Murder House, Pose, and the 2020 miniseries A Teacher.
Mara met her better half, the actor who portrayed The Thing, Jamie Bell while filming Fantastic Four. They walked down the aisle in 2017, and they welcomed their first child together in 2019.
Gamora (Played By Zoe Saldana)
The Guardians of the Galaxy cast warmed their way into our hearts because they are somewhat different from most of the other superheroes we’ve seen. We also became acquainted with Gamora, a green non-human villainous character.
Zoe Saldana played the role of Gamora, the adopted daughter of Thanos – the greatest villain yet. Gamora soon becomes part of the Guardians of the Galaxy and she doesn’t hesitate to use her superhuman strength to protect her newly found friends.
Zoe Saldana In Real Life
Most entertainers gain a footing in theater and Zoe Saldana isn’t any different. Saldana was part of the ‘90s theatre group called Faces, before guest-starring in Law & Order and transitioning to screen work.
Saldana has also featured in the series of Star Trek films as Nyota Uhura, in Avatar as Neytiri, and Avengers: Endgame as Gamora. In 2019, Saldana ranked second on the list of the highest-grossing big screen actresses of our time.