Sony announced today that Spider-Man fans should expect a major shake-up in what’s ahead for Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man franchise. No, they’re not giving Spidey a sex change. Instead, they’re planning a new movie on a female heroine already in Spider-Man’s world. We think it’s a much better way to pull in more women without completely messing up an already-successful story line.
Our initial reaction to lady Thor >>
It’s hard for us to admit that Marvel could do wrong and it was equally hard for us to say that not everyone was on board with their move to turn Thor into a female. On the surface, the move seems kind of cool to non-comic fans and women who would like to see more gender diversity within the superhero world.
Understanding “more” vs. “different”
We’re all for seeing more heroines on the big screen and in comics, but we want it done right. Thor’s sex change felt more like a publicity stunt. It was a way for Marvel to say, “See? We’re catering to the women folk!” But, it wasn’t a move that made sense for comic fans or for actual women. We don’t need someone to throw us a bone. We loved Thor just how he was. What we wanted was more comics and comic-based movies centered on already-established female characters. Why can’t we explore the life of X-23, Wolverine’s female clone? Why couldn’t the Black Widow be more than just a skintight suit and a love interest to various Avengers? Marvel seemed to think what women wanted was “different”, when what we actually wanted, and what Sony understands, is “more.”
Playing up their assets
We’re also fully aware that a female heroine like Black Widow will still always need to wear those clingy outfits. First, it does actually make them more aerodynamic. Second, we recognize that, at this point in time, men are still doing the majority of comic reading, so they need those curves to keep them interested. We also don’t mind the idea of a scantily clad heroine, because it means she’s able to save the world like Iron Man while still lookin’ hot like Superman.
More superheroes reimagined as heroines >>
And what would be different about a female Thor versus a manly Thor, other than boobs? How would they decide to incorporate her gender into the book? Honestly, it concerned us.
Showing love to new people
We understand the benefits of reworking an insanely popular character. People who love Thor will, at least out of curiosity, pick up the new version to make sure he/it hasn’t been ruined. However, there’s something to be said about using those same efforts to show a little love to an already-existing, but underrated, female character.
Within the Spider-Man universe, the options for a female lead are almost limitless (OK, maybe not). However, we have two thoughts on who would make the perfect female lead. Our bets are on Black Cat, as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actually introduces her alter ego, Felicia Hardy. It sounds like they’re already setting us up for it. However, Silver Sable, could also be a cool choice. As a regular in the Spider-Man world, Black Cat is an antihero who doesn’t actually have any superpowers, just some serious fighting skills. And before you haters say she’s a rip-off of Catwoman, know this: Black Cat was around for about a decade before Catwoman appeared. Just sayin’.
We’re not saying we won’t pick up the new Thor series. We’re insanely curious and are, of course, hoping that Marvel will redeem themselves. At the end of the day, though, we like Sony’s direction better. We, as women, don’t want to be catered to, we want to be properly appreciated. Their expansion of marketed superheroes is the proper way to do it.
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