Abstract

The product of an entertainment industry reflects its society’s attitudes. More specifically, within the history of film, women have largely been represented based on the customs and values of the times. This paper examines the evolving relationship between the sexualization of female characters within the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe (The ‘MCU’) and the view of women in a society impacted by the recent #MeToo movement. For our purpose, the MCU is defined as comprising twenty-eight movies and four television series beginning with the first MCU film in 2008, Iron Man, through the 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Additionally, the collective perspective examined is from that of western culture.

Through detailed media analysis, the female characters of the defined MCU are examined in the context of Character, Costume, Special Power, and Villainy. All twenty-eight movies and four of the MCU TV series were screened and images collected and organized by release date. Additionally, multiple related books and academic studies were examined for historical context and external views and opinions.

The #MeToo movement had a corrective impact on our culture by reframing, and in some cases redefining, social ‘norms’. Similarly, the influence of the #MeToo movement can be seen in the depiction of women in recent installments of the MCU, as evidenced by observable improvements over the historically negative treatment and stereotyping of women in film.

Advisor

Lee, Sina

Department

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Publication Date

2023

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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