Why We Need The Black Widow

There are rumours doing the rounds that Black Widow is getting her own movie.

ABOUT BLOODY TIME.

For those who don’t know Black Widow, or Natasha Romanoff, is a character in the Marvel universe, most notably in The Avengers movie (also in Iron Man 2, and now Captain America: The Winter Soldier). In the movie adaptations, she is played by the talented Scarlett Johannson.

What I like about Black Widow, is that fact that’s she’s completely human.

She kicks arse. She’s insanely clever and very switched on. She has a past that she doesn’t dwell on, but uses those experiences to help her.

But she also isn’t ashamed to be scared. Like when she’s running away from the Hulk in Avengers, or when Shield decides to kill her and Captain America in The Winter Soldier.

Even better, Black Widow not overly sexualized. She’s not just there for decoration. She isn’t someone’s love interest. She is an extremely valuable part of the team. And she most definitely isn’t the sidekick.

This is why we need Black Widow and more characters like her.

Marvel seems to be switched on in this regard, well more so than other companies (I’m glaring at you DC). They’ve announced that in their new comic series starting in October, Thor, the God of Thunder, will be a woman. In the new Avengers: Age of Ultron, we see the addition of Scarlet Witch as one of the Avengers. Maria Hill was/is Director Fury’s 2IC in the Marvel Universe, another woman who is incredibly talented and not eye candy or a love interest.

Although I will admit to being disappointed that Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy become something for Peter Quill to lust after. She’s just as kick ass as Romanov, so why make her the love interest?

ANYWAY.

Generally speaking, my generation of kids were hammered with gender stereotypes. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue. Boys are policemen and firemen and ambos, women are nurses and secretaries.

Even now, my mum cringes if I speak passionately about geek stuff. Apparently only men can love Star Wars and Star Trek, whereas women should love Better Homes and Gardens and Reality TV.

People wonder why there is a division between the sexes. It’s starts young! Being told you can’t be a certain way, or love a certain thing because of your gender is quite frankly utter bullshit.

When one of the biggest issues to come out of DC’s Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is the squabbling over Wonder Woman’s outfit (and not the fact that Ben Affleck is freaking Batman), you know that there are issues.

When you go to any aisle in a toy store and you are bombarded with action figures for boys, and Barbies for girls, you know there are issues. In fact there shouldn’t be “boy toys” and “girl toys” aisles. They are just TOYS.

When you go to buy your daughter or niece a t-shirt with their favourite character from Guardians of the Galaxy and there are no Gamora shirts, despite her being a MAIN CHARACTER, you know that there are issues.

We NEED a Black Widow film. We NEED a Wonder Woman film. These women are Superheroes themselves, they are not sidekicks, they are not eye candy. They are kick arse, talented, incredible women.

I would hate to think that my niece doesn’t feel she can play Superheroes because all the Superheroes are boys.

On the flip side, I would hate to think that my nephew couldn’t have a female Superhero to look up to because he’s only supposed to look up to male ones. Black Widow is just as awesome as Captain America, and she’s not even scientifically enhanced!

It’s 2014, I really hope soon that media and entertainment realise that woman are just as interested in Superheroes and geek culture as much as men. Just like they need to realise that men liking things that stereotypcially are aligned with women.

I also hope that parents realise that their son liking “girls” things, doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with them. And there is nothing shameful in girls wanting to read comics or playing with action figures.

What do you think? Do we need more female superheroes?