Written and illustrated by Kendall Darnell

Marvel’s “Black Widow” accomplishes in two hours what the studio has failed to do for over ten years. Leading lady Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson, finally gets the same treatment as her male counterparts; something many women have been waiting on for a long time. But is it enough to fix seven movies of half-zipped catsuits, over-sexualized fight sequences, and poorly executed romance?

From her first appearance in “Iron Man 2,” Marvel’s intentions for Romanoff were clear — a sexy sidekick tailor-made for the male gaze. While not surprising, it is disappointing. Action movies have long been dominated by men in every area: from directors, to actors, to fans, which has a huge impact on the way women are presented.

Other characters, like Tony Stark or Steve Rogers have had vastly different treatment compared to Romanoff despite all three being core members of the franchise and sticking around for roughly the same amount of time. Stark and Rogers were granted trilogies, years worth of complex character development, and leading roles in other movies they appeared in. Romanoff, on the other hand, served as eye candy for both of them in “Iron Man 2” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” respectively. Her complexity from the comics was effectively nuked to have her function as little more than a stereotype.

It wasn’t until they killed her off that Marvel realized it might be time to show some respect to one of their beloved original characters. And it’s no surprise that respect came in the form of female director, Cate Shortland. Johansson herself had a lot of input on her character, a privilege other actors were granted years ago. As a female fan, it was especially refreshing for me to see Romanoff presented in a realistic way. Having her suit fully zipped and hair out of the way should’ve been the norm from the very beginning; it’s only practical. 

Despite righting a fair amount of Marvel’s wrongs, “Black Widow” still manages to fall short. In many ways, it’s a reminder of how they let Romanoff down. Everything feels like it came too late. What’s the point in finally giving her a leading role and character development if she’s dead? At times, the film comes across as nothing more than a last ditch effort to make up for the last 10 years. As a prequel, the events are things that should’ve been presented years ago, but Marvel couldn’t be bothered to give Romanoff any more to work with then.

Romanoff isn’t the only character Marvel has let down. The introduction of Carol Danvers in 2019’s “Captain Marvel'' fell short for the opposite reason. The movie was widely unpopular amongst men for Danvers’ cold confidence. Reviewers found her to be  “arrogant and unheroic in almost every way possible” and “the single most unlikable character in the MCU.” While I have no problem with her character, I do take issue with the performative feminism of the film. Had it not read as a blatant attempt at pandering to women and righting past wrongs, the overall reception would have been much more positive. The whole thing felt like an act, rather than a natural portrayal of a strong woman. With Marvel’s past of sexualising its women, the sudden, aggressive turn to a feminist narrative came off as anything but genuine; it was little more than a thinly veiled plot to finally stop alienating female fans, and everyone knew it.

At the same time, Marvel has shown they are capable of portraying well. Shuri from “Black Panther” successfully embodies the energy Danvers was supposed to exude. Reiterations of already existing characters like Wanda Maximoff in “WandaVision” and Sharon Carter in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” have given women who were previously over-sexualized and underutilized exciting new opportunities. 

The future of women in Marvel is questionable at best. Despite the shortcomings of “Black Widow,” it was still a much needed step in the right direction, and I’m hopeful that the rocky road women have journeyed down in superhero movies only continues to improve.