{"id":5145,"date":"2025-05-02T00:53:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T00:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/02\/does-thunderbolts-finally-solve-the-mcus-woman-problem\/"},"modified":"2025-05-02T00:53:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T00:53:37","slug":"does-thunderbolts-finally-solve-the-mcus-woman-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/02\/does-thunderbolts-finally-solve-the-mcus-woman-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Does \u2018Thunderbolts\u2019 Finally Solve the MCU\u2019s Woman Problem?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Florence Pugh as Yelena Belovain Thunderbolts<\/em>*. Courtesy of Marvel Studios<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For years, critics and fans have been denouncing the \u201cwoman problem\u201d in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From early on, the female characters have been ill-defined and sidelined by the more powerful male characters, despite efforts to fix that as the movies and TV series expanded with new characters and new storylines. The studio, helmed by Disney, released 21 movies before there was even one led by a female hero, 2019\u2019s Captain Marvel<\/i>, and that film was bludgeoned by negative, misogynistic reactions online. Many of the notable onscreen women, from Scarlett Johansson<\/a>\u2019s Black Widow to Zoe Salda\u00f1a\u2019s Gamora to Elizabeth Olsen<\/a>\u2019s Scarlet Witch, have been sacrificed to narrative conceits that allowed male characters to flourish. <\/span><\/p>\n

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As a fan and longtime viewer, it\u2019s been exhausting to witness. When Johansson was introduced in 2010\u2019s Iron Man 2<\/i>, it came with a lot of hair flips and skin-tight body suits. She was eye candy, clearly, despite the character having impressive skills of her own. Marvel attempted to rectify the portrayal in subsequent films, allowing Johansson to do more than just pose in The Avengers<\/i> and Captain America: Civil War<\/i>. But it wasn\u2019t until Cate Shortland\u2019s unfairly-maligned 2021 spin-off Black Widow<\/i> that Natasha Romanoff was treated as an equal onscreen character. It was also that film that introduced Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh<\/a>), the unabashed protagonist of Thunderbolts*<\/i>, in theaters this week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh in 2021\u2019s Black Widow\u2014<\/em>note the pulled-back hair. Courtesy of Marvel Studios<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was an audible sigh of relief from female viewers when both Natasha and Yelena were presented with their hair pulled back and their clothes functional in <\/span>Black Widow<\/span><\/i>\u2014a clear indication that someone behind the scene was actually thinking about how a woman might dress while fighting. It was a small aesthetic detail that spoke volumes, lending the Marvel Cinematic Universe the female perspective it often lacks. In the years since, Ryan Coogler\u2019s <\/span>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever<\/span><\/i> and Nia DaCosta\u2019s <\/span>The Marvels<\/span><\/i> also showcased female heroes who weren\u2019t just there to look pretty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, with <\/span>Thunderbolts*<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> we finally get a Marvel movie that doesn\u2019t make the gender of its characters an issue. Directed by Jake Schreier<\/a> and written by Eric Pearson<\/a> and Joanna Calo<\/a>, the film treats all of its characters equally, both in the narrative scope and in a visual sense. Pugh, now with her hair shorn, is an ideal leader as Belova, a complicated woman who quickly admits to be lonely and lost. She\u2019s been tasked by the villainous Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus<\/a>) to erase all evidence of wrongdoing, an assignment that leads her into a trap with several fellow anti-heroes. These include Wyatt Russell<\/a>\u2019s John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen<\/a>\u2019s Ghost and Lewis Pullman<\/a>\u2019s Bob, who turns out to be a far more complex character from the comics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Florence Pugh and David Harbour in Thunderbolts<\/em>*. Chuck Zlotnick\/Courtesy of Marvel Studios<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the film, everyone really goes through it, beaten and scarred and bruised. By the climax, Pugh is coated in a layer of dirt, covered in cuts and sporting a wild mop of hair that would never pass the test of the male gaze. It\u2019s delightful and deeply satisfying to watch. No one\u2019s costume is too tight, no one tries to look hot and there\u2019s a real human sense to these super-human characters, particularly as they grapple with mental health issues that include addiction and depression. One character meets an unfortunate early end, a choice that is slightly problematic because it makes her seem like a throwaway and disrespects the actress playing her, but largely Schreier gives us messy heroes who aren\u2019t defined by anything but their particular characteristics and circumstances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Marvel is promoting <\/span>Thunderbolts* <\/span><\/i>as an ensemble film, touting Pugh, Sebastian Stan<\/a> and David Harbour<\/a> as the leads. But this is Pugh\u2019s movie. She is an undeniable star, with the impressive ability to bring genuine, tangled emotional depth to a comic book figure. She makes you care about Yelena as a person and the story makes space for that\u2014something Marvel has previously mostly done for its brooding, conflicted male heroes. This movie could be called <\/span>Yelena<\/span><\/i>, but of course audiences wouldn\u2019t like that and it would also undercut how compelling it is to watch these particular characters team up in unexpected ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, there\u2019s no mistaking that this is a female-led Marvel movie disguised as something more palatable. Pugh is the new Robert Downey Jr. as far as <\/span>Thunderbolts* <\/span><\/i>is concerned and it\u2019s refreshing to see how easily she fills that role. The post-credit scene\u2014stay until the very end\u2014promise we\u2019ll get more, as does Pugh\u2019s casting in next year\u2019s <\/span>Avengers: Doomsday<\/span><\/i>. Let this become the new normal. Let the star of the movie be the talented, compelling actor regardless of gender, and let the protagonist be the most interesting character. It\u2019s a credit to both Marvel and those who conceived <\/span>Thunderbolts* <\/span><\/i>that we get this small step forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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