Over the years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced several powerful women who have the ability to take on the worst villains and save the world. Heroes are people who step up against evil and fight to do good, even if the fight seems impossible, even when they don’t have to. When the MCU debuted in 2008, it would have been easy for the women to do what was expected of them, to sit back and let the men do the heavy lifting. But they didn’t.
Like women of the real world, these ladies have had to work harder, smarter, and longer in order to reach the status of their male counterparts, and in doing so, they were able to make their own identities, not just follow the path the men had made. Most importantly, these women have brought their stories to the big screen and set a precedent of power for women everywhere.
Commander Hill
Maybe there aren’t many little girls dressing up as Maria Hill for Halloween, but she plays an instrumental role in this universe. Without the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve, Natasha, and Sam would never have been able to take down HYDRA. The people of Sokovia might have been trapped on their floating country as it was blown to dust.
Hers is more of a behind-the-scenes job but important nonetheless. The movies may have never given her the spotlight, but women have been fighting from the sidelines for ages. In a way, Hill represents them all.
Agent Carter
We may not have seen her in fighting shape since the ’40s, but Peggy will always be the First Lady of the MCU. These movies have seen plenty of fierce women, and even a couple who were introduced before she was, but Peggy lived in a time that, more than any other time we have seen in these movies, was particularly unkind to women who wanted to do something more with their lives than marry and have children.
In the 21st century, the 1940s seems to us like an era where women were deprived of choices, but Captain America: The First Avenger introduces Peggy, who, perhaps more than anyone in this fantastical world, teaches us that anything is possible.
Aunt May
The MCU can introduce as many super-powered beings as they want, but an unlimited production budget and all the time in the world won’t bring them to life. Ultimately, these movies are made for real people, and Aunt May is about as much of a “real woman” as a fictional character can be. She’s fun and quirky, a nurturing mother figure with a personality of her own.
Without superpowers, elite training, or high-tech suits, she provides a support system for Peter and “larbs” him from the very beginning, without which he may never have become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and never would have helped save the world.
Gamora
When Gamora was introduced as the deadliest woman in the galaxy, she made her gender the last thing on anyone’s mind. She was even given the opportunity to be established as a character — not a just a warrior or a female character — before her relationship with Peter took a turn toward the romantic.
It was to her benefit that Guardians of the Galaxy’s world was still fresh to the franchise when she was introduced. Gamora never had to prove herself as a female fighter the way most of the female superheroes on Earth had, and she was, in fact, instrumental in setting up the galaxy.
Scarlet Witch
It would be impossible to talk about the MCU’s most empowering women without mentioning one of its most powerful beings. Wanda incapacitates all the Avengers in Age of Ultron, but the full extent of her power is not revealed until she almost defeats Thanos herself while destroying the Mind Stone in Infinity War.
In too many works of fiction, a woman is killed so a man who was close to her can use her death to fuel his own revenge plot. The case of Wanda and her brother Pietro was a unique twist on the cliché, and Wanda helped defeat Ultron to “avenge” her brother’s death and, eventually, become an Avenger.
Hela
Not only is she more powerful than both Thor and Loki, but Hela is also the only woman to be a main villain in an MCU movie. The daughter of Odin, the Goddess of Death is historically one of the most powerful characters in the world of Asgard, who was cast out by her father when her powers became too strong for him to contain.
Even though she was in opposition with the heroes of Thor: Ragnarok, she is one of the Marvel villains who had understandable reasons behind their actions.
Black Widow
As the only woman among the original Avengers, Natasha was subject to feminine stereotypes, bitter one-liners, and skin-tight bodysuits in her earlier MCU films. However, as time went on, she became the complex character fans will remember even in her death. Her personality and several talents are brought to light, and she begins to feel less like a supporting character and more like the protagonist she was designed to be.
This will be even more evident in May of 2020 when she becomes the lead in the MCU’s second solo female-led film, Black Widow.
Valkyrie
Admittedly, the Thor trilogy got off to a rough start when it came to their female characters. For a while there, it had been damsel in distress after pining admirer after second-string monarch. That all changes in Thor: Ragnarok, which earns a second spot on this list with the Valkyrie.
She has a tragic backstory being the only surviving Valkyrie after Hela’s first escape, but she also has her own story of overcoming her guilt and joining the team that defeats Hela in the end. It’s her competence and bravery in this battle and in the final Avengers: Endgame battle that make Thor confident in his decision to name her King of New Asgard.
Captain Marvel
Another one of the universe’s most powerful beings in existence, Captain Marvel is also the first woman in the MCU to have a solo movie. She has Space Stone-related powers, but her real power comes much earlier in her story.
We glimpse her persevering through the doubt of her male Air Force coworkers to finally finding her place in Project PEGASUS, setting her on a path toward her adventures in space. Captain Marvel reveals how her time with Fury in the ’90s was crucial to the formation of the Avengers Initiative. Later, she participates in the final Endgame battle against Thanos, helping to land the team a victory.
Okoye
Black Panther was a monumental film in many respects, but one of its best decisions and greatest accomplishments was introducing Okoye to the MCU. As the general of the Wakandan army, she is undoubtedly a leader, a commander. Her authority rings clear as a bell in every scene in which she is featured.
Although she is brought in later in the Infinity Saga, she fights in major battles, like the battle for the Wakandan throne, Infinity War’s Battle of Wakanda, and the final battle against Thanos at the Avengers compound.
