Gender Stereotyping and Equality in the MCU

As we know,  there is still a lot of sexism everywhere, and not only because it is something wanted, just because people are still kind of “stuck in the tradition” due to society's beliefs, so for them it is something “usual”. Today, we are going to focus on movies in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). So Spoiler alert :) 

I don’t know if you ever noticed how sometimes it can have A LOT of gender stereotyped scenes/sexist scenes or else in those movies?? Because I did, and I was just like “why. It brings nothing to the script, it’s totally unnecessary…” 

How could I not start my open letter without talking of Natasha Romanoff known as Black Widow, the woman who literally gets the most misogynous stuff in the MCU in my opinion. In Iron Man 2, in her first appearance, she is the “new secretary” of Tony Stark; of course, all the stereotypes of the “big boss’s sexy secretary” with the high heels, and the low-cut neckline, … Do I have to talk about the fact that in her first scene when Tony shows her “profile” ? (I don’t know if I can call it like this) to Pepper he looks at Natasha's photo where she is half-naked. Yeah, congrats! She has boobs and she is pretty. We already all know it. Plus he implying that he clearly wants her in her bed, TO BE POLITE……….. 

Another scene where she needs to get dressed in her spy’s outfit in a car (driven by a man). While she gets changed and the man IS LOOKING at her. It drives me crazy, puts your fucking eyes AWAY.

Also in many fights, I have noticed that you can almost always see  a moment where Natasha has her tights between the man’s head. (Civil War, The Avengers…)  You never see a man doing this…? Or anyone else by the way. 

My point is: Women are sexualised so much, for nothing. It is their bodies. They can’t control it, and they do not want men to look at them as if they were a meal. In Everything, Everywhere, they are still sexualised today. “You should not wear this, it is too short, or you should cover your shoulders and your chest only because men are not capable of keeping it in their pants. It is not about “protect your daughter” but “educate your son”. 

Another stereotype you probably know is “a woman is not able to defend herself physically”. Like women always need a man to save them because they are in danger, they can’t fight for themselves or their life. (In fights where there is a woman and a man you can often hear a line “I don’t want to hurt you”.Let me tell you this is bullshit! but of course, women are breakable…they always need a man by their side… sounds like a joke to me but we can find in movies; first Spider-Man where Mary-Jane have the “representation” of the destroyed woman by her father, who is not seen as a smart woman, and in the shadow of her “smart, and strong boyfriend”. 

SORRY I talk too much! I promise, no more negativity! There are many negative points but there are also positive points :) The mentalities are in progress! (we say trust the process? same. trust the process.) 

For our own good women are finally heroes/anti-heroes/villains of their movies!!! Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow, Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision/ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk! Finally happy to see it’s not always about men, their manliness and their will to rule the world. The Era of “I want the control of the world, I want revenge, I want to destroy all of you” and then, follows a fight of muscle and “I’m strong” “‘Maybe, but i’m stronger than you!” blabla. (annoying).  

Finally we got, reality, pain, not wanting revenge but a will to be with your loved ones (Wanda), a will to see as the woman you are really inside and not a big monster everyone is looking at, and absolutely not wanting to be compared to your closed ones (She-Hulk). She is even stronger than her cousin, and since the beginning, since she had to be She-Hulk, she is not getting stronger because she worked for it, because she already is! 

Plus, I was talking about Mary-Jane and Spider-Man, but in the “new version” of Spider-Man with Tom Holland and Zendaya, we can see Michelle Jones' personality, helping Spider-Man sometimes and not being “the princess saved by her charming prince” !! 

Women start getting their own shows, their own stories without a man. Marvel really started showing that women can be independent, make their own choices, which is good! 

They try to bring up independant characters, with different stories, even different sexualities, needs and all, they put in the effort to involve women. Of course, there is still a long journey to follow. People will not stop tomorrow from acting like trash to women, but with models, showing that everyone can be different, that they deserve a real place in society, and if maybe if we keep going this way, one day women will have all the respect and acknowledgement they deserve. 

And, I still do not know how to end my articles. never. Hope you enjoyed reading this, and if you did not know what women were going through, it opened your eyes! 

Thank youuu for reading! Have a great day! :D