The MCU Just Responded To Dumbest Female Superhero Review

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In What if …? Episode 3, Marvel proved that female heroes are not physically inferior with an implicit comparison between Black Widow and Captain America.

WARNING: Spoilers for What if …? Episode 3, “What if … the world loses its mightiest heroes?”

In episode 3 of What if …? The MCU has categorically responded to the dumbest criticisms from anyone who has ever been skeptical of the abilities of its female superheroes. The episode, which focuses on super-spy Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, follows more of a mysterious thriller narrative than just superhero action. However, by the time the episode is over, it’s clear that the MCU is determined to take stock of the physical prowess of its female team members.

During the episode, Romanoff and Nick Fury set out to solve the mystery behind a wave of superhero deaths. Taking place throughout a pivotal week in the original MCU, the episode traces the arrival of Thor and the Hulk, as well as recreating a key scene from Iron Man 2. However, in this version of events, all three protagonists From The Crucial Phase 1 movies are systematically murdered by a version of Hank Pym as the villainous Yellowjacket whose grief over losing his daughter has turned him into villainy. Thanks to Romanoff’s efforts, Pym is exposed and ultimately brought to justice.

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Episode 3 of What If …? Does a great job of showcasing the spy skills of Romanoff and Nick Fury. This refutes one of the oldest and most unfounded criticisms of female characters in the MCU, which is that they are somehow less physically capable than their male counterparts. In a scene from episode 3, What if …? puts that notion to bed once and for all when Natasha single-handedly defeats an entire convoy vehicle of armed SHIELD agents.

After his arrest for the death of Tony Stark, Romanoff is handcuffed and packed into a transport with a team of armed security personnel led by Brock Rumlow. In a scene that mirrors Captain America’s iconic elevator fight, she successfully breaks free from her handcuffs and completely defeats the supposed crack squad with her bare hands. As she hits his men, Rumlow confides in his colleague that he doesn’t understand Fury’s faith in Romanoff, commenting, “Sure, she can punch, but only because people don’t get it. This moment perfectly sums up the sexist attitude that some have long expressed towards the character while also highlighting how unfounded the criticism is – in fact, echoing the famous fight scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, What If …? Private Steve Rogers.

Of course, the What if …? isn’t the first time that Black Widow’s combat skills have been fully on display. In fact, the blockbuster Black Widow devotes a great deal of its running time to showing its workout to its full potential. However, by making an explicit comparison between Black Widow and Captain America in this episode, What if …? directly refutes one of the most persistent and unfounded criticisms of her and other female superheroes. While she might not have the traditional superpowers associated with many other MCU heroes, any suggestion that she isn’t strong enough is clearly wrong. As this scene shows, Natasha Romanoff and other female heroes belong to the center of the scene.

More: The MCU Just Confirmed The Right Order To Watch Phase 1

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Release date: Sep 03, 2021 Eternals (2021) Release date: Nov 05, 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Release date: Dec 17, 2021 2021 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) Release date: March 25, 2022 Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) Release date: May 06, 2022 The Marvels / Captain Marvel 2 (2022) Release date: November 11, 2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever / Black Panther 2 (2022) Release date: July 08, 2022 Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) Release date: February 17, 2023 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) Release date: May 05, 2023

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About the author Thomas Lethbridge (26 published articles)

After an eclectic career combining scuba diving, chef and teaching, Tommy finally found his calling as a writer. From a very early focus on food, he now specializes in all aspects of entertainment. Although he’s obsessively Lord of the Rings and aliens, his real passion is for truly terrible movies. He likes anything rated 0% Rotten Tomatoes and rarely misses a chance to watch The Room. Tommy is based in London and joined the Screen Rant team in 2021.

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