What Other Leading Female Villains Could We See In The Future?
What we’re seeing with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a period of transition. Not only are we reaching the end of Phase Three, but we’re also seeing the films that have resulted from changes in the corporate structure of the company as a whole. The proof, then, of how these changes will really play out into the future, will be whether we see the studio take full advantage of the range of female villains available in the source material. Indeed, every hero has them.
Captain America has fought Black Mamba, Madame Hydra and Superia, for example. Black Widow has battled Russian assassin Iron Maiden and Asian assassin Black Lotus. Hawkeye has clashed with an explosives expert named Bombshell, and a projectiles expert named Javelynn. Spider-Man has had showdowns with Knockout and Scorpia. Iron Man has fought Justine Hammer as the Crimson Cowl, and robotics expert Madame Masque. Doctor Strange has deflected the energy manipulations of both Ecstasy and Umar. Hulk has smashed Harpy and Mercy. Black Panther has gone up against former Dora Milaje, Malice. Ant-Man has battled Blacklash, Bulldozer, and Frenzy. The Guardians Of The Galaxy team has faced off with Mindscan, and Rancor.
Of course, in terms of which characters are able to appear in the MCU, we have to consider the always contentious issue of rights. For example, while Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures came to an agreement that allowed for the production and distribution of Spider-Man: Homecoming, this does not mean all character rights within the sphere of the Spider-Man comic books are available for use in the MCU. However, Marvel does own the rights to characters within the sphere of the majority of the Avengers team – which provides many opportunities for the inclusion of more leading female villains.
It’s not yet clear whether they’ll be taking this opportunity, though. We know that the villain of Black Panther will be Erik Killmonger. The villain of Avengers: Infinity War will be Thanos. The upcoming Ant-Man And The Wasp will feature a character named Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen – and the character of Ghost in Marvel is a villainous one, so this may be the next example of female villainy in the MCU. All eyes then fall on Captain Marvel – which is written and co-directed by women, and is the first female-led movie in the franchise.
Although the titular hero has faced numerous female villains in the comic book source material – including Dr. Minerva, Thundra, Una-Rogg, and Namorita – it recently became apparent that actor Ben Mendelsohn was in talks to take the role of the villain in the Captain Marvel film. Presumably, he would play the leader of the Skrulls – possibly Emperor Dorrek. If this becomes a confirmed casting, then it seems that female villainy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – such as that in Thor: Ragnarok – will remain the exception, rather than the rule, for the foreseeable future. And that would certainly be a shame.