Key Takeaways:
– Florence Pugh's Yelena takes center stage in Marvel's recently released Thunderbolts* trailer.
– The trailer presents a recurring MCU theme of emotionally scarred female heroes, underlined by most female characters to date.
– This pattern, while adding depth to the characters, has been overused and needs a new direction.
– Positive, upbeat personas like Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan suggest a more optimistic and varied future for MCU's female heroes.
Florence Pugh Dominates the Thunderbolts* Trailer
The Marvel Universe recently dropped a sneak peek of their upcoming film, Thunderbolts*, stirring up excitement among fans. The standout face in the teaser trailer was Florence Pugh's Yelena. Taking center stage, she reprises her role from her 2021 big-screen debut in Marvel's Black Widow. Accompanying Yelena on the screen were a host of other antiheroes and villains. Julia Louis Dreyfus also made a last-minute entry, revealing herself as the key character assembling the Thunderbolts team.
Repetition of Broken Female Hero Convention
While fans loved seeing their favorite characters come together, certain trends in the Marvel Universe seem repetitive and weary. One such pattern is the consistent portrayal of broken female characters. The fallen hero theme seems a major part of most MCU female superheroes' storylines. From Natasha Romanoff (the Black Widow) to Wanda Maximoff to Valkyrie even to Hope, it seems most female Marvel heroes have a history of emotional trauma or loss.
Yelena Belova, a Role Similar to Natasha Romanoff
Yelena's story from Marvel's Black Widow 2021 appears to follow a similar line. Replacing Scarlett Johansson's Natasha as the leading female hero, Yelena's character background matches closely with that of Natasha's. It doesn't sound right to claim they had an identical backstory, but certainly, similarities exist. Trained alongside Natasha as a spy and assassin by the Red Room, Yelena's main storyline seems to revolve around avenging Natasha's death.
More Than Broken Heroes
The mournful backstories do not stop at Natasha and Yelena. Wanda Maximoff's journey from a girl who volunteered to be experimented on after her parents' death to a woman dealing with unexpected powers, her partner's demise, and the ordeal of losing her children further highlights this trend. The MCU's representation of Valkyrie blindsided by her sisterhood's end and converting herself into a machine for the Grandmaster adds another chapter to this sorrowful saga.
The Need to Ditch the Stereotype
MCU's consistent portrayal of female heroes overshadowed by their past encloses them into a stereotype that needs reconsideration. The assumption that darkness defines their depth seems repetitive and confining. Films like Salt and Atomic Blonde have also underlined their leading ladies with tormented pasts. However, given that MCU targets audiences across all age groups, especially children, we need positive characters to contrast against these hardened figures.
Searching for Positivity Amidst the Struggles
MCU's embracing of new face Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan offers hope as her character has a more upbeat backstory, making her popular with both adults and children. Marvel Universe can certainly broaden its repertoire and offer its younger audiences more uplifting female roles. More than just smiling, these characters could do with a dash of happiness amidst their trials and tribulations.
With the Thunderbolts* is set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025, fans worldwide await with bated breath to see whether MCU will break away from the stereotype of emotionally wounded female heroes or continue down the same path. Whichever way it goes, Marvel's storytelling magic is sure to keep viewers hooked.
