Female characters have become more dominant in superhero features over the years. From heroines like Wonder Woman and Black Widow to villains such as Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, powerful women have not only shown their physicality and toughness, but also have intriguing backstories and complex personalities.

Mostly gone are the days in which women are supporting players primarily relied upon to accompany the male protagonist, or to be constantly saved from danger. There are still various relationships involving couples and/or siblings, but the DC and Marvel comic book films of the past couple of decades or so have heightened the possibilities when it comes to female empowerment.

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Jane Foster

Thor Love and Thunder Natalie Portman Jane Foster

During the course of the first two Thor films, Jane Foster is an astrophysicist who comes into contact with the God of Thunder in New Mexico. She develops a friendly and loving bond with him due to their interests in science and the cosmos. While Jane slowly turns into a complex love interest for Thor (due to their conflicting long-distance relationship), she is also an intelligent scientist with a sweet sense of humor. She cares deeply about her team (her assistant Darcy and mentor Dr. Erik Selvig) and is skilled in calculating real-world threats.

However, Thor: Love and Thunder further heightens Jane's characterization as she battles cancer, making her more emotionally vulnerable. Jane also becomes more powerful when she turns into the Mighty Thor, showing that she can be a superhero trying to overcome personal obstacles.

Gamora

Zoe-Saldana-as-Gamora

As a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora is not the easiest team player to get along with (primarily because she's a skilled assassin who doesn't trust people as easily compared to others). A fascinating aspect of Gamora is the conflicted father-daughter relationship she shares with Thanos (arguably the most threatening villain of the MCU thus far). Gamora was brainwashed by Thanos when he destroyed her family and home, and she is constantly at odds with her sister Nebula.

When Gamora joined the Guardians, she became more of a comrade, especially with her on-and-off banter and chemistry with Peter Quill. She is a skilled martial artist and combatant with knives and swords and can ride a spaceship. By saving the galaxy with a team she can call her newfound family, Gamora found redemption within herself after years of killing under Thanos' control and feeling guilty about past mistakes and crimes.

Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch

Elizabeth Olsen Scarlet Witch

The Scarlet Witch was initially considered a villain who worked with Ultron alongside her brother Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver to take down Earth's mightiest heroes in the second Avengers feature. However, she has evolved into one of the most complex female superheroes. Wanda's telekinetic skills are unmatched, ranking her among the best and most powerful of the Avengers. From losing her family in Sokovia and becoming an experimental subject with Pietro under Hydra, to losing her brother and getting her vengeance on Ultron, Wanda has gone through tremendous loss and trauma.

Wanda's greatest loss was Vision (who became the love of her life) due to the conflict surrounding Thanos, causing her to go into a deep depression in her own show, WandaVision. Despite all the painful and troubling moments in her life, she has always found a way to fight back and overcome adversity. She battles her enemies and learns how to use her unique and powerful abilities for good (even though her powers can sometimes hurt and/or negatively affect innocent bystanders).

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Black-Widow-in-The-Avengers

The Black Widow may not have superpowers or telekinesis like Scarlet Witch, but like Gamora, Natasha is an intensely well-trained physical fighter who is efficient in hand-to-hand combat. She uses various weapons such as guns, knives, batons, and gadgets with electricity to stun her opponents. Natasha is also an exceptional espionage agent due to her excruciating training as an assassin in the Red Room. Along with being an elite killer, she also has efficient methods of persuasion and the ability to lure her enemies to extract information (like her interrogation with Loki in The Avengers).

Natasha's vulnerability is at the core of her story, because she has always felt guilt over the crimes she committed as an assassin for Russia. Her transition to working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers in order to save the world shows Natasha's willingness to change and become more than a killer. Black Widow is also an admirable comrade who has built long-lasting friendships with other heroes like Hawkeye and Captain America. She also had a short-lived but affectionate romance with Bruce Banner/Hulk since they've dealt with similar ordeals (breaking the law, going on the run, being unable to start a family, etc.).

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Gal-Gadot-as-Wonder-Woman

The MCU may arguably have more heroines in their films, but DC features also contain a fair share of strong female characters like Lois Lane and Catwoman. However, Gal Gadot's portrayal of Wonder Woman in the 2017 DCEU film is likely the greatest female superhero feature ever made. It contains several great components such as war, love, heroism, female empowerment, and a tale involving gods and goddesses inspired by Greek mythology. Wonder Woman is an inspirational superhero (especially to other women and young girls) who always fights for what she believes in, and is as powerful as Superman and Black Adam.

Diana can take on any villain, from mortal criminals to evil gods like Ares. While she is a strong heroine, her origin story proved that she has a lot to learn about the world, specifically when coming to the realization that wars are more complicated than defeating one enemy. Diana's brief but meaningful bond with Steve Trevor shows how two people from different worlds can love and learn from each other (reminiscent of Clark Kent and Lois Lane's relationship). As a leading figure of the Justice League, Wonder Woman is a heroine with strength, class, and plenty of style.

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