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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always trying to find ways to be more inclusive. In its next phase of films, it’s looking to highlight more people of color. It’s also looking to get more women involved in more prominent roles.

One woman who’s already a part of the universe expressed interest in an all-female Avengers team-up movie. While this would no doubt be a big hit at the box office, there are fans who think it may not be the right move. Here’s why some are a bit skeptical of the idea. 

Women in the MCU thus far

Brie Larson
Brie Larson | Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET

There have been plenty of women featured in the MCU, but the Avengers lineups have skewed heavily male. Take a look at the original lineup of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the MCU: 

  • Thor
  • Iron Man
  • Captain America
  • Hawkeye
  • Black Widow 

The Infinity saga saw even more women gain entry into the team, but up until now there’s only been one official non-male member. There’s significant reason to think that will end fairly soon, however. 

The emerging presence of women superheroes in the MCU

The MCU has been something of a boy’s club up until this point. That’s set to change in a big way. A key sequence in Avengers: Endgame saw many of the film’s women heroes handing the Infinity Gauntlet to each other. It seemed like something of a passing of the torch. As Marvel moves into its next phase, women are set to play an even bigger role in the series. 

Black Widow, set to come out next year, will be the first Marvel film in which a woman is the sole headliner. Thor: Love and Thunder will see Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster assume the mantle of Thor. When Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away earlier this year, many fans clamored for Shuri to assume the role of Black Panther. And Wandavision on Disney+ is set to feature a woman in one of the two lead roles. 

Simply put, the future of the MCU is decidedly female. But how far will that go? Will there be an all-female team-up movie? Some fans aren’t so sure it would work. 

Why some fans are skeptical of an all-female Avengers film

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MCU fans took to Reddit to talk about Letitia Wright’s comments that she wanted to fight alongside Captain Marvel in an all-female Avengers movie. They were conflicted about this sentiment. On one hand, they love the characters who would inevitably be featured in an all-female Avengers. On the other hand, it would seem somewhat patronizing. One fan put it best: 

“As long as there’s an organic reason for there to be an all-female group. I don’t want all these female heroes to be shoehorned into a movie, just for the sake of feminism.”

If the sole reason for putting these characters in a movie is that they’re all women, it won’t make much narrative sense. There has to be a compelling reason for why these characters are working together. There are other alternatives to this, however. 

What if the Avengers simply reverse their gender ratio? For the first Avengers’ films, there was only one woman Avenger: Black Widow. There’s no reason that the team can’t be predominantly women with a man or two thrown in. This all depends on the makeup of the team going forward, of course. But who wouldn’t want to be first in line to see Captain Marvel, Shuri, and others team up with Spider-Man? 

An all-female Avengers may or may not happen. But if it does, fans are hoping it happens in a way that works from a narrative standpoint. 

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