45. The Women of the MCU

Big Reputations

In this episode we talk about female superheroes, focusing on the women of Marvel and most specifically, the women in the MCU. We cover some of the history of women in comics and discuss the ways in which women have been depicted in the different phases of the MCU. Then we consider some of the hot takes from different media outlets regarding some of these female superheroes. Spoiler alert, they’re not all positive! After that we look into the motivations behind the stories being told about women superheroes and why that might skew perception of these characters. And finally, we wrap up by looking at both the negative and positive impact women in the MCU have had on audiences, especially women and girls.

Includes spoilers for MCU films and shows through May 2023.

Trigger Warnings: PTSD and death

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Hosts: Kimberly Kunkle and Rebecca L. Salois

Logo Design: Samantha Marmolejo

Music: Shawn P. Russell

Sound Consultant and Mixing: Shawn P. Russell

Recording and Editing: Rebecca L. Salois

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Sources:

• "We Need to Talk about Marvel's Women Problem," by Maureen Lee Lenker
• Protectors of Wakanda: A History and Training Manual of the Dora Milaje by Karama Horne
  
• Superheroes Decoded: The Hypersexualization of Women in Comics
• "The MCU Keeps Doing Its Women Dirty," by Petrana Radulovic
• “SuperPowering Girls: Female Representation in the Sci/fi Superhero Genre” a study put out by Women’s Media Center
• “Who Watches the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Race, Sex, and the Audience for Onscreen Diversity,” by Bethany Lacina in Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, edited by Edited by Nicholas Carnes and Lilly J. Goren.