Female superheroes ready to take the fight to the big screen
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Your support makes all the difference.Joss Whedon, the director of ‘Avengers Assemble’ has said that there is a lack of female role models in superhero films. Below are four potential examples of female characters that could lead a film.
Wonder Woman
While her DC Comics stable-mates Batman and Superman have had more screen incarnations than you can shake a stick at, Wonder Woman, or Diana of Themyscira , has been left out in the cold. While Lynda Carter is famous for portraying the role on the small screen in the 1970s, the Amazonian heroine, with her ability to fly, super speed and her Lasso of Truth is set to hit the silver screen. While attempts have been made in the past, arguments against the idea have included the character being too complex to translate to the screen or that her story is not interesting enough.
She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
Having been wounded and needing a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner, lawyer Jennifer Walters, through the radioactive blood she was given, was transformed into She-Hulk. While she was initially as savage as the Hulk in that form, she eventually came to be as intelligent as in her human form. As a lawyer, she has represented several other superheroes in legal cases.
Supergirl
The cousin of Superman, the teenager Kara Zor-el possesses all his abilities. The character has had a number of incarnations and has been seen across many platforms, including the popular television programme Smallville. A film with Supergirl as the lead bombed with both critics and the public when it was released in 1984. Helen Slater starred as the heroine, with Faye Dunaway and Peter O’Toole being nominated for Golden Raspberry Awards for the their performances in the film. Perhaps it is time for an update.
Birds of Prey
With the success of Joss Whedon’s ensemble hit Avengers Assemble, another group could prove to be a hit. The Birds of Prey are a group of female superheroes who take on special missions around the world. The computer expert Oracle and the martial artist Black Canary created the group, with the membership having greatly expanded over the years. Originally based in the Clock Tower in Gotham City, the group, which first appeared in 1995, are funded by Batman, which could make for an interesting cross-over.
One that did not fare very well…
Elektra
Elektra Natchios, or Electra, who first appeared in comics in 1981, is an assassin for hire and trained martial arts expert. A film version, starring Jennifer Garner, and released in 2005, garnered generally negative reviews from critics. The film was said to cost an estimated $43 million dollars to make, and grossed approximately $56 million worldwide, it has been reported.
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