The Moment from The Age of Ultron Trailer that Crystallizes Why Marvel Studios Has A Woman Problem
Following its leak online yesterday, Marvel Studios officially released its trailer for the Avenger’s sequel, “Age of Ultron”. You can watch the entire trailer here.
And in that trailer there is this moment above which is without question one of the best action moments.
It is Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow dropping out of a plane while riding a motorcycle.
Can anyone argue this is not awesome?
Every male lead character save Hawkeye and Nick Fury has had a standalone movie. Ironman, Thor, Cap and the Hulk. Antman will soon have his own film. There is also rumors swirling about a Dr. Strange movie.
But Black Widow, the character that is about to appear in her fourth Marvel movie, does not have a film announced.
With Lucy this past year, Johansson showed she can take mediocre material and turn it into a worldwide hit grossing over $415M globally. That’s for an unlicensed character in a film with bad to middling reviews. By comparison the first Captain American film with Chris Evans had a worldwidel box office of $370M globally.
When asked why there is no Black Widow film, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has that he “hopes” to have a movie “sooner than later”.
But he’s also said it won’t happen anytime soon.
Marvel Studios Executive Vice President Vicki Alonson was recently asked about the lack of female led films by Marvel she said “if it were up to me, it would be today”
A few weeks ago, DC Comics announced that they would make a Wonder Woman film in 2017 with Gal Gadot.
But Marvel Studios? No female led films.
Why with the success of Lucy, Black Widow given plenty of life out of the four other films she’s appeared in would Marvel Studios not greenlight this film?
I’m not sure I entirely can put the blame on Feige. He ultimately answers to Ike Perlmutter but you have to wonder too why he is choosing to leave the potential gross of a Black Widow movie on the table.
It’s not the visibility of the character.
It’s not like they don’t have an actor proven at the box office.
It’s not like there aren’t any good stories to tell.
There’s only one major difference between Black Widow and the other characters Marvel Studios is giving their own movies to – she’s a woman.
And that’s a problem.
