"Very bad idea and the end result was very, very bad." — Marvel's CEO on a film about a female hero, because ladies, he totally gets our interests.
The look on Black Widow's face is the same incredulous look I gave when reading this email. (via Marvel Entertainment)
The way Disney, Sony, and Marvel deal with female characters in their superhero films has been a big ol' ball of disheartening lately. There was that whole lack of Black Widow toys thing, and that Saturday Night Live sketch about Marvel finally making a Black Widow film as a rom-com, which was both funny and depressing ("funnypressing"). And now, there's this leaked email from Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter to Sony CEO Michael Lynton, which was in a new WikiLeaks upload from the Sony hack:
From: "IP"
To: "Lynton, Michael"
Subject: Female Movies
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2014 05:32:50 -0400
Michael,
As we discussed on the phone, below are just a few examples. There are more.
Thanks,
Ike
1. Electra (Marvel) – Very bad idea and the end result was very, very bad. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=elektra.htm
2. Catwoman (WB/DC) - Catwoman was one of the most important female character within the Batman franchise. This film
was a disaster. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=catwoman.htm
3. Supergirl – (DC) Supergirl was one of the most important female super hero in Superman franchise. This Movie came out in 1984 and did $14 million total domestic with opening weekend of $5.5 million. Again, another disaster.
Best,
Ike
The foolishly hopeful part of me will say this: We don't have the context of the referenced phone call, and maybe it was about how all of these female superhero movies bombed for reasons like bad scripts or bad casting, and Marvel and Disney are now primed to make awesome, successful films starring female superheroes. If so, great job, guys! I'm glad you did your homework to make sure that you don't repeat the mistakes of these previous films.
But we're all pretty sure that's not the case, right?
"Ugh!" — Storm (via X-Men Movies)
Here's the thing that really bums me out about all of this: For a male-dominated industry, both in terms of creators and readers, Marvel Comics has been pretty female-friendly for years. I first started reading comic books back in the 90s specifically because the various X-Men titles featured dozens of badass-but-nuanced ladies who weren't just walking tits with telekinesis. There are dozens of women from the X-Men titles alone who could anchor their own films.
And the female characters in Marvel Comics have only been getting better, more diverse, and more interesting. The new Ms. Marvel is a Pakistani American teenager who's trying to balance super heroics with high school. Even heroes that were once just sexy jokes, like She Hulk, have transitioned into something much cooler. I picked up a few issues of the John Byrne-penned She-Hulk as a kid, and was treated to Jennifer not just being drawn as a scantily clad pinup, but to her breaking the fourth wall to make bad jokes with the writer. Now, there's a She-Hulk title that's primarily about Jennifer trying to start a struggling law practice. She kicks ass, but she's also vulnerable and human and funny. I know — in that brief explanation, it sounds like the Daredevil show on Netflix. But how goddamn good is that Daredevil show?!
If I can spend my life becoming the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, you can make at least one new female-fronted superhero movie. (via Marvel Entertainment)
I can only hope that if enough people say it, Sony, Disney, and Marvel will actually listen: Men and women alike want to see films with female heroes who kick ass and have real emotional story arcs, female heroes who aren't just sex symbols or supporting characters. We will see the movies, we will buy the merchandise, and we will say nice things. That is, as long as you don't fuck it up.