As time has passed and superheroes have become more mainstream, more characters have entered the public consciousness, now Captain Marvel and Harley Quinn are mentioned alongside Wonder Woman and Catwoman. Those early films are very different from Marvel and DC’s output today (for better or worse, but that’s a different conversation), but female-led films have changed the most.

Female Spin-offs

Fittingly one of the first female superhero films, Supergirl was supposed to be introduced in Superman III but this was vetoed by the studio. The film was intended to focus on her attempts to rescue her famous cousin, but Christopher Reeve pulled out early into production, forcing the film to change course. The film was criticised for its poor special effects, and inconsistent characters, as well as the script.

Making her film debut in Batman Returns, the positive reception to Catwoman inspired a spin-off with Michelle Pfeiffer reprising her role, it remained in development hell for years before emerging as something very different. The final film removes most of the elements people are familiar with, from both the comic and Pfeiffer incarnations. Halle Berry’s version focuses on the fashion and cosmetic industry, rather than heists. The character is often sexualised in media, but rather than the usual catsuit the film offers some impractical, almost fetish-like garb. Catwoman seems more occupied with how its star looks than anything else, as showcased in this weird basketball scene. It is however notable for being the highest-grossing superhero film with a female lead until Wonder Woman.

Like Catwoman, Elektra also was a spin-off, this time from Daredevil. While not as highly regarded as Batman Returns, Daredevil still proved profitable enough to consider further entries (although the Director’s Cut is an improvement). Elektra kept the same star and set itself as a sequel to Daredevil, while the man himself didn’t appear, his mentor Stick did. Although the character felt closer to the source material, the film itself is incredibly rushed, as Garner was only available during hiatus from the show Alias. Ike Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment (at the time) cited the film as an example that female superhero films weren’t profitable. Although he was eventually proven wrong, it would take more than a decade before another attempt…

Cinematic Universes

Beginning development way back in 1996, it’s odd to think that it took so long for arguably the most iconic female superhero to get her own live-action film. Ironically, Wonder Woman’s debut was in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, where she was a highlight to many. As a result, her film acted as a prequel, being set in World War One where many of the franchise connections were not present. Wonder Woman, showcases her first interactions with man, as well as her relationship with Themyscira and Amazon warriors, with several nods to the hero’s history. It was met with positive reviews, some considering it the best among the DCEU.

Although Wonder Woman was released first, it didn’t take long for the MCU to catch up. After Ant-Man and The Wasp gave both heroes an equal role, (with Wasp arguably more competent) Captain Marvel introduced a new hero who was set up to be one of the most powerful Avengers and received a lot of negative reviews from people before it was even released. The review bombing didn’t stop it from going on to gross over $1 billion though.

In 2020, DC took things one step further with Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Introducing a whole team of female heroes, as they each encounter Harley Quinn after her break up with Joker. Margot Robbie, reprising her role as Quinn from Suicide Squad, also worked as a producer, wanting it to have a feminist message, with moments like Black Mask’s misogyny and the hair tie aimed at women. Despite glowing reviews, it wasn’t as big a hit as Warner Brothers hoped, but it did make its money back.

Just this year, the long-awaited (and delayed) Black Widow landed in cinemas. After more than a decade of being a supporting player, she finally steps into the spotlight. While some of the film feels like a course correct or even apology to those unhappy with her treatment in Avengers: Endgame, it playfully pokes fun at some of the tropes of the character that have in her other appearances and lets Black Widow be her own character, rather than serving the Avengers’ story.

The Future

We’ve come a long way and female superheroes are finally getting their dues. With Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn bound to show up again, Captain Marvel getting a team in The Marvels. Florence Pugh’s Yelena looks to be carrying on Black Widow’s legacy, and Leslie Grace has recently been cast as Batgirl. It might have taken longer than we would have liked, but the girls are proving they can hold their own.

Also Read: The Journey of Black Widow

The post The Evolution of Female-Led Superhero Films appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Today, we will look at how DC’s actions feed into sex-negative attitudes in media. Why sex is such a huge issue and why other mediums are seen as more capable of discussing sex? But let’s first ask why DC wanted this scene cut?

Superheroes are for children

Three potential reasons explain DC’s decision. Firstly, many view Batman as a children’s superhero, therefore depicting sex is inappropriate. However, Harley Quinn is aimed at older audiences. It features swearing, violence, and mature themes. So why restrict sex?

Secondly, DC could see this as out of character. Superheroes are righteous therefore Batman wouldn’t have sex with Catwoman. Except for Batman, over his 80+ years existence, has been written as a morally questionable vigilante (the Burton and Nolan movies), a camp icon (Adam West’s era), a teen heartthrob (Gotham High), and more. Even Batman’s aversion to killing and guns has been challenged (Batman V Superman). So there is hardly a “definitive” Batman this action deviates from. 

Finally, DC wants to protect profits. Because ratings boards view oral sex with women unfavourably, including this scene might restrict the series potential audience with a higher age rating. But considering DC’s parent company owns their own streaming service a higher age restriction would hardly affect distribution. And DC has released Batman media showing him unheroically killing people (leaving them in crashing vehicles, blowing people up, or shooting them) as well as having sex with daughter figure Barbara Gordon (Batman: The Killing Joke). Not to mention numerous comics where Batman has sex (Son of the Demon and Batman Rebirth) or performs horrifically violent or abusive acts. This definitely puts DC’s pearl-clutching over Batman and Catwoman’s hanky-panky into perspective.

Art and Sex

So why is DC more concerned by Harley Quinn’s sex scene than sex in Batman comics? Well DC received substantial backlash over Batman’s sex scene in The Killing Joke animated movie. And because Harley Quinn has a large viewer base DC could simply be trying to please a broader audience. Meanwhile, comics are seen as niche and able to take risks. But The Killing Joke backlash was about more than simply showing intercourse. And many popular adult animated shows feature sex scenes, like South Park.

An alternative explanation is that the comic medium is now seen as more mature. Like animation, comics were once seen as children’s entertainment. But since the 1980s comic houses like DC have been exploring new avenues of storytelling and with this, came more discussion of sex. And it has mostly become the medium’s norm. Thanks to fans embracing it and the creator’s and publisher’s willingness to explore it. 

Let’s Talk About Sex

Truthfully, DC’s removal of the scene isn’t surprising. Sex and violence are often big concerns within media. However many see depictions of sex as a greater threat than depictions of violence. 

This is because most people in western democracies think violence is unlikely to affect them. Thus it seems inherently unrealistic. Meanwhile, sex is a fact of life and some argue that depicting sex without showing consequences (pregnancies and STI’s) encourages unsafe practices. 

Nevertheless, one of the most effective counters to unsafe sex is comprehensive education on the subject. But the unwillingness to discuss or depict sex makes it culturally taboo. It also hinders education and negatively affects people wanting to seek help or develop their identity. This is especially problematic when much of the entertainment which does focus on sex prioritises male pleasure over female pleasure and agency. Thus erasing scenes like this has a very negative cultural impact.

Conclusion

Despite their comics successfully exploring sexual themes, DC clearly views animation as incapable of dealing with this topic. DC’s decision to excise Batman and Catwoman’s sex scene is another example of media sex-negativity that denies the opportunity to discuss and encourage openness towards sex and to centre discussion of female pleasure. Ironically, showing superheroes like Batman caring about Catwoman’s pleasure would have been the most heroic thing to do.

Also Read: With The Batman Now Set In Earth-2 and Calls To #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, What Will Happen With The DCEU?

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