There has always been a competition between superheroes like Superman, Batman, Flash, and Black Adams in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). On the other hand, Iron-man, the Hulk, Spiderman, Thor, and Captain America is the favorite of most people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Yet, all these superheroes are men and are favored mostly by men. Luckily, in recent years, the film industry got two solo movies of woman-leading superheroes, “Wonder Woman” and “Captain Marvel”. It shook the industry because the audience did not expect any woman-leading superhero movie.
This article will compare gender representation in movies, specifically Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. If you are curious to know how these movies changed the film industry, spare some time to read. You can ask your friends or family to write my dissertations or take my classes, so you can read the blog below peacefully.
Gender Comparison and Representation in Movies
Though both Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel are excellent movies in general. There is no doubt that DC Extended Universe and Marvel Cinematic Universe made a brilliant decision to bring in a woman-leading superhero movie. However, these movies still received criticism from the internet and the audience. On the other hand, both these movies received the same amount of good reviews and the box office. It seemed like it was an act of misogyny, which was not surprising at all.
Moreover, Wonder Woman was released in 2017, while Captain Marvel was in 2019. The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) seemed to release Captain Marvel as a follow-up woman-leading superhero movie after Wonder Woman from DCEU (DC Extended Universe). According to this fact (Only if it is true), Wonder Woman should have received more criticism than Captain Marvel. However, things are totally inverse here because the internet loudly critiques Captain Marvel. If this was all about misogynist acts then why would only Captain Marvel receive loud backlash? Where did the MCU go wrong that turns on thousands of internet trolls? Let’s find out why both these movies did not receive the same criticism.
Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel: Criticism in Between
Let’s start with the most common check, which movie is the worst? People say Captain Marvel is a worse movie, which is probably, why it received more hate than Wonder Woman. Undeniably, film critics can easily indicate whether a movie is worth it or worse. Wonder Woman scored way higher than Captain Marvel on many mainstream movie and review platforms, even though it was an older film.
It is not only about the characters and their powers, as a film gets critics on overall aspects. We cannot simply call Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel better characters than each other because they possess different traits. Thus, if Wonder Woman critics’ score is higher than Captain Marvel, it is definitely not only because of the character. Although, the critics’ score of Wonder Woman on Rotten Tomatoes is 93%, which is fairly high. On the other hand, Captain Marvel only received a 73% critics score.
Besides, what is more, interesting is that Wonder Woman received an 87% audience score, while Captain Marvel 48%, an undeniably failing score. Thus, in many aspects, Captain Marvel’s terrible audience score and critics hint that it was a complete disaster for the MCU industry. The reason behind the criticism could be mainly misogyny. However, if it was misogyny, why Wonder Woman did not receive the same criticism? The simple answer now lies in the comparison of the characters’ suits, personalities, backgrounds, and especially stereotypes.
Breaking the Stereotypes of Femininity
Gender representation is crucial in many cultures, even in an advanced world. In the US, where most people are literate, stereotypes are still common and present. We believe you already know that a woman is supposed to be a mother, housewife, and caretaker. Thus, if a woman wants to be career-oriented, they will have to bear taunts and go through many obstacles. Even working women have to choose between families and careers.
Therefore, in the same way, people judge gender in movies. The negativity and criticism behind Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman can highly be an outcome of breaking the femininity stereotypes. MCU and DCEU had to cross this line and bring a female-leading superhero, knowing the consequences.
When Captain Marvel received more criticism than Wonder Woman, it made MCU question why. A rough guess is their personalities. Wonder Woman graced the film industry, saved people in the film, fought villains, and did everything that a superhero does. However, she stayed to use the feminine approach in her other life (human personality) in the film. On the other hand, Captain Marvel’s role was less stereotypical. She did not use a feminine approach, which possibly triggered misogynists. Her role-play in the movie was an undeniably less fitting depiction of a woman.
Relationship and Character
Lastly, character and relationship can indicate very well about femininity. In Wonder Woman, Diana “Gal Gadot” loved a man named Steve, proving she is straight. There was no wrong with her relationship with Steve, as it did not make Diana dependent on him. Her powers and feminine approach remained the same. A simple relationship between different genders promoted stereotypical plotlines, wherein a girl falls in love with a guy. Also, as Diana grew up on an only-women island, she had never met a guy. Steve takes her to a new world and introduces her to the world where men exist. Her innocence showed an excellent depiction of femininity.
On the other hand, the Captain Marvel movie showed no relationship or love interest. It made people think things are not as straight as they should be with a woman. Moreover, as Diana portrayed a feminine-innocent role, Carol, “Captain Marvel” stands alone as a woman in the movie. She broke many traditional feminine gender representations. Perhaps MCU thought the world does not follow stereotypes anymore, so they stole a feminine nature from Captain Marvel and bring a tomboy instead.
Conclusion
We hope you understand why Captain Marvel received more criticism from the world than Wonder Woman. Also, if your friends or family did not help when you asked them to write my dissertations, make sure not to help them in their academics (just kidding).
