Valkyrie Might Be the One Exception to an Unsettling Female Superhero Trope
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a reputation for captivating viewers and audiences with its characters and cast, but, lately, some viewers have been a little upset. MCU fans have been recognizing some pretty notable changes in the adaptations of characters from comics to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). An MCU fan started a recent Reddit discussion asking other fans to list disappointing examples from popular MCU films and explore why this keeps happening. In the discussion, fans began to highlight a common problem they have noticed in terms of female characters in the MCU. Find out everything fans will want to know about the frustrations fans have been feeling, and which female character is the exception to the unfortunate association.
What characters have disappointed fans in their adaptations from comics to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Drax the Destroyer was one of the first to be mentioned in the thread. In connection to Drax, one fan wrote, “They turned him into some over the top comic relief. Honestly, I think it’s beyond recovery.” Many fans agree that Drax and other characters in the past have been spared in the effort of trying to incorporate poorly placed humor. Wasp and Hawkeye were both used as examples of characters who backslide when entering into the MCU. Viewers and fans came up with an astounding amount of disappointing instances where the characters in the MCU just didn’t quite hold up to their comic forms. Character adaptations and how they are executed in MCU movies seem to be a continuous topic of conversation for viewers and fans.
What problem do some fans have with the female characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Fans want to know why the adaptations of the characters from comics to films must always be so disheartening. A very unsettling observation came to light when the MCU fans began exploring the less than ideal MCU adaptations of characters. A few fans were eager to express their frustrations they have specifically with the female characters in the MCU. One fan jokingly pointed out that it seemed like Hope Pym’s characters might be different, but, unfortunately, her character followed suit. In regards to Hope the fan jokingly wrote, “But she got struck with Stick-in-the-mud-itis, a disease common amongst MCU women characters.” It seems to be an unfortunate and common theme for the female MCU characters.
Another fan tried to justify the trend and expressed that there might be hope for Hope’s character to turn around. The comment stated, “They could still potentially make Hope have a more vivacious personality going forward. They could easily explain her stick-in-the-mud-itis personality as a result of being angry at hank and being worried about her mom in Ant-man and the Wasp making her more serious, than normal.” Regardless of the reasoning, the fans all seem to agree on Hope’s lackluster transformation into the MCU.
Some fans are saying enough is enough. It is clear that fans are ready for a change in the MCU’s female characters, but it is unknown if they will ever actually see one. A frustrated user shared, “Seriously I am so over that trope. Let a woman be the goofy, irresponsible one for once.” Viewers and fans are tired of the female characters taking on a “too serious” demeanor. However, amongst the fans’ complaints, they were able to successfully identify one female character who is an exception to the troubling trope of superheroes. Find out which female in the MCU is giving fans hope for the female roles in the MCU moving forward.
Are there any exceptions in the unsettling female superhero trope that MCU fans have pointed out?
The conversation that fans began about the MCU character adaptations did lead to one discovery. Though fans did point out a perplexing pattern that MCU female characters seem incapable of escaping, they were able to identify at least one exception to the unpleasant observation. Of all the female characters that have entered the MCU, Valkyrie seems to be the one exception. In the thread, one user described her as “goofy.” The fans brought up an example from one of the films where Valkyrie is seen on her boat partying. She definitely seems like the outlier in the best possible way. Even though it is just one example, it still gives MCU fans hope for the female characters of the future.
