Take Felicity Smoak from Arrow.
She has multiple degrees from MIT. She is a woman who can hack her way into anything. Felicity Smoak is a bright spot of hope on the typically dark Arrow. Felicity has constantly been an inspiration to not just her own teammates, but also the Flash and the Atom. Felicity Smoak is a woman who has experienced so much loss in her life, but keeps moving forward.
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But here’s the thing: one time I asked one of my male, Arrow-watching friends if he liked her character. This was his response: “Oh, yeah. She’s hot.”
See, I’ve kind of been noticing a trend when it comes to superhero television and movies. I won’t say it’s true of all male fans, but it seems to be pretty common. Here’s what I think: male fans are only interested in a female character for two reasons. Either she’s hot or she can fight. Or both, if you’re Lara Croft.
For me, it’s very rare to find a male fan who appreciates a female character for more than those two reasons. It’s rare to find guys who care more about Karen Page’s story arc in season 2 of Daredevil than how she looks in a minidress.
To be fair, though, my quibble isn’t only with the fans. It’s also with the writers. See, the trend I mentioned earlier? I call it “The Bond Girl Dichotomy.” There are three types of girls in James Bond movies: babes, badasses, or both. And they all blur together in my mind. Tell me, can you name five of those girls off the top of your head? Better yet, can you tell me what their motivations were?
That’s the type of female characterization you get in most action movies. There are the girls the hero fights with, and the girls he sleeps with (and, as I keep saying, girls who go in both categories). Even Black Widow in the MCU comes dangerously close to only being seen as a fighter. We don’t get to see a lot of her motivation, past, or internal struggle. In fact, these details usually only come into play when she’s interacting with men.
In The Avengers (masterpiece though it is), Natasha’s past is only brought up when she’s seemingly bargaining for Hawkeye’s life with Loki. In Age of Ultron, her training and sterilization only come up in an awkward, disjointed scene where Bruce Banner (her newly appointed love interest) is talking about how he’s a monster. Even in Civil War, she seems more like a background character, with little discussion over her decision to switch sides.
I’d say the best characterization comes in Captain America: Winter Soldier, when she serves as a partner and foil to Steve’s more old-fashioned values. She’s shown as more than just a fighter, but a woman doing her job to the absolute best of her ability, even if that means stepping on people’s toes. She’s also shown to be someone who’s had to constantly adapt to keep up with circumstances, even if that means burying her own past and emotions (which is really interesting). And even though she’s lived most of her life in lies and deception, Natasha ultimately makes the courageous choice to reveal herself to the general public, along with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.
That being said, I feel like we could stand to see more female characters who are treated three-dimensionally. Especially in the upcoming Wonder Woman movie, which I really hope is done properly. The DCEU still has a ways to go earning my trust after Suicide Squad, but if they stick the landing on this, it’ll be a big leap forward.
Here’s the thing about fictional female characters: I don’t think most guys like them to be very emotional. I mean, look what happened over the course of Arrow seasons 3 and 4. Fans got mad at Felicity for being upset, even though she had perfectly understandable reasons: her fiancé having a secret son he never told her about, her constantly being kept in the dark, her father only caring about her once he found out she was a hacker, etc. There is a multitude of fans that are angry at Felicity for having reactions to bad situations.
When a female character openly showcases her emotions, it makes a lot of guys uncomfortable. It’s like Kara said on Supergirl: “Girls are told to smile and keep it on the inside.”
While we’re on the subject, may I just say that Supergirl is amazing when it comes to female characterization.
You’ve got Cat Grant, a strong CEO who is also shown to have family that she deeply cares about and regrets not spending time with; Alex Danvers, who’s a strong DEO agent and older sister, but also has her own doubts and worries over coming out; Lena Luthor, another strong businesswoman, who’s trying to erase the mistakes her brother made and create a new legacy; and, of course, Kara Danvers, who’s trying to juggle being a superhero with learning to be a good reporter, at the same time trying to get out of her cousin’s shadow.
Supergirl (especially in its current season) is a prime example of how to give kickass female characters emotional storylines without making everything into a soap opera. And I think a lot of screenwriters could benefit from studying its formula (I’m looking at you, Marc Guggenheim and Steven Moffat).
This article originally started out as a defense of Felicity Smoak, but I’ve come to realize that there are so many other female characters who need saving, especially from bad writers. We live in the twenty-first century, you know? It’s time we portrayed female characters without the Bond Girl Dichotomy.
(Also, just a note: if you’re looking to see strong female villain done right, I’d recommend watching Marvel’s Luke Cage on Netflix. Alfre Woodard’s portrayal is amazing!)
