Why Women Superheroes are not common in Comics /Movies (Essay Sample)

Running Head: FEMALE SUPERHEROES ARE NOT COMMON IN MOVIES/COMICS Why Women Superheroes are not common in Comics /Movies Student Name Affiliation Date Female superheroes are rarely featured in big-budget movies and popular comic strips. Women usually have to overcome many obstacles before attaining their career goals. The film industry also has unique barriers that actresses must overcome. Accordingly, this essay explains why comic book and movie writers do not select women for superhero roles. First, women are greatly underrepresented in films and comic strips. According to Dandrea (2011), female characters take less prominent supporting roles. Stakeholders in the movie industry still believe that women are naturally shy. Thus, men assume the main roles that capture the imagination (Dandrea, 2011). Therefore, women often play the role of the love interest to the main hero. The gender imbalance in the number of senior movie executives also worsens the issue and limits the roles available to actresses. Ingalls (2012) argues that most movie executives and comic writers are men. These leaders insist that heroes should embody traditional masculine values, such as physical strength and fearlessness. However, they will permit women to assume forgettable secondary roles (Ingalls, 2012). Therefore, writers rarely produce a script featuring a leading female superhero. Third, actresses are primarily cast for their sex appeal. Johnson (2022) explains that female protagonists always wear racy outfits. Such costumes reveal the intimate parts of their bodies to the audience. Accordingly, the charm and beauty of an actress draw an audience (Johnson, 2022). Conversely, a superhero must display strength, authority, confidence, and charisma. Therefore, superheroes are typically dominant-looking men while actresses serve as their companions. Finally, entertainment industry executives perceive female actors as less talented. As a result, writers choose male characters for main roles in big-budget productions. According to Dandrea (2011), men attract a mixed-gender audience. By contrast, female movie stars mainly attract teenagers, making them ideal for roles that entertain a younger audience. Accordingly, popular titles will not feature female superheroes in a prominent role. In summary, female superheroes are a rarity in comic books and movies. Business factors and societal attitudes...