An All-Female ‘Avengers’ Movie?
The times, they are a-changin’. The box office successes of Wonder Woman and Black Panther proved there’s a huge appetite for more diverse superhero movies. Marvel has yet to release a film centered on a solo female character, but that movie, Captain Marvel, is on the way. In the meantime, fans constantly discuss the “A-Force” idea, based on Marvel’s comic featuring an all-female Avengers. While that would need careful setup in order to not feel like a gimmick, Marvel’s best actresses are already up for the film.
What would this ensemble Marvel movie look like, and who should be part of the team? Let’s run through Marvel’s most powerful women, and cast an eye to the comics to see who could be introduced on film.
Captain Marvel
At the top of the list is, of course, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. In the comics, Carol Danvers leads A-Force, Marvel’s all-female team. Her big screen debut comes in 2019, but Marvel is confident she’ll be a hit. Captain Marvel is confirmed to appear in the as-yet-untitled Avengers 4, and there have been hints that she’ll be tied to the Quantum Realm. With set photos suggesting time travel may factor into Avengers 4, that link to the Quantum Realm may make her pretty important.
Whatever the case may be, Marvel is hoping Captain Marvel will be as successful as Wonder Woman, and she should certainly be part of this lineup.
Black Widow
These are good days for Scarlett Johansson. Marvel is finally working on a script for a solo Black Widow movie, and there are rumors Johansson is in talks for a whopping $25 million paycheck. That would make her the highest-paid actress in Hollywood.
Black Widow has always been popular with fans, starting with Johansson stealing every scene in Iron Man 2. She’s since been a recurring secondary character, playing a major role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and proving to be a compelling member of the Avengers. It’s exciting to imagine how she’d handle this new dynamic.
Gamora
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies must be represented here. It’s too soon to say which members of the Guardians will make it out of Infinity War and Avengers 4 alive. (Nebula’s odds seem low.) Still, the will-they-won’t-they relationship between Star-Lord and Gamora has been a major plot thread in the first two films, and it’s unlikely James Gunn would let Gamora be killed off before he resolved that. So Gamora is one of the few Guardians who seems safe for 2020’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
On the face of it, Gamora is a similar character to Black Widow. That’s actually what would make her a fun member of the team; how would these two warrior women interact?
Shuri
Letitia Wright’s Shuri owns every Black Panther scene she’s in, and Marvel surely wants to develop her further. The character would add an exciting dynamic to this team; she’d essentially play the Tony Stark role, giving other characters new tech. At the same time, as Black Panther demonstrated, Shuri isn’t one to run and hide when the action starts. She’s certain to improve on her “Kitten’s Claws” for her next MCU appearance, meaning Shuri is a scientist who is sure to become even more badass.
Valkyrie
Thor: Ragnarok introduced viewers to Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, a fierce and ferocious warrior who immediately won fans over. Hailing from Asgard, the lethal Valkyrie would work well alongside Gamora and Black Widow. At the same time, the hard-drinking, hard-hitting hero is just unprofessional enough to wind the other women the wrong way. That makes her a perfect member of the team.
She-Hulk
With Universal still owning distribution rights for the Hulk films, Marvel has relegated the Hulk to secondary or co-star roles in other blockbuster hits. That sadly means his own supporting cast seem to be off the table for now, including his cousin Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk. An all-female Avengers film would be the perfect opportunity to change all that, bringing the much-demanded She-Hulk into the MCU at last. In the comics, She-Hulk has been one of the most important recurring members of A-Force, so she’s a must for the film.
Singularity
If Marvel really does intend to make an all-female Avengers film, then they surely need to introduce Singularity. In the comics, Singularity is a strange and innocent being who wields vast power. She’s actually the one who persuaded the others to assemble the A-Force team, believing in their potential to change the world. Where all the other characters are powerhouses in their own right, Singularity is the heart of A-Force. Her naive innocence and unshakable faith in her friends inspire the characters to set their differences aside and work together.
A character like Singularity is a must in order to ensure this team doesn’t just have the same dynamic as the Avengers themselves. This group needs to actually bond together, to prove themselves to be capable allies regardless of their differences. The Avengers only assembled because of Coulson’s death; the all-female team needs to have a different motivation. Singularity would be perfect for that.