As a longtime fan of the X-Men comics, I’ve grown up with a deep appreciation for the rich and diverse cast of female characters. From Jean Grey’s complex psyche to Storm’s regal presence, these women have shaped the narrative in compelling ways. However, my experiences at the movies have been disappointing.
In the film “Dark Phoenix” from 2019, Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, reprimands Charles Xavier, portrayed by James McAvoy, for his errors following a perilous mission. As she voices her concerns, she adds, “By the way, the females are the ones saving the males in this team. You might want to consider renaming it X-Women.” Unfortunately, this line fails to shine even with Lawrence’s delivery.
An illustrative case of late 2010s blockbuster “Girlboss” is this: A female character in the film acknowledges gender inequality, but the movie itself fails to explore this theme further. The script is penned by a white male writer/director, and none of the key crew members are women. One line addressing sexism exists, making it seem like the movie is “feminist-based.” However, the rest of the film adheres to traditional gender norms in American blockbusters. Female directors such as Lizzie Borden, Dee Rees, and Karyn Kusama would likely express disbelief at this writing.
Regrettably, the “Dark Phoenix” incident reflects a common trend in the X-Men film series, where female mutant characters were sidelined. Before the term “X-Women” became popular, these movies failed to give due importance to women superheroes. This is surprising given that beloved X-Men comic book characters like Storm, Jubilee, and Kitty Pryde are among the ranks.
In the world of X-Men comics, Jean Grey, also known as Marvel Girl, was the sole female mutant on Professor Xavier’s team when they first appeared in “The X-Men” #1 in September 1963. Polaris became a part of the good guys before the 1960s ended. Magneto’s henchman, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, often accompanied him. Initially, there were only a few female mutants. However, with the release of “Giant-Size X-Men” #1 in May 1975, the X-Men team was rebooted and Ororo Munroe/Storm took the lead. Under Chris Claremont’s guidance, “Uncanny X-Men” introduced numerous new female characters who have become essential to X-Men history. Some of these include Jubilee, Wolfsbane, Kitty Pride, Psylocke, Rogue, Emma Frost, Mirage, and Mystique (alongside famous male mutants like Gambit and Sabretooth).
In May 2014, Chris Kaye of Refinery29 published an enlightening essay on Claremont’s focus on strong female characters in his X-Men comic book series. This aspect reportedly originated from the significant influence of women in Claremont’s personal life. As noted in the essay, “By the ’80s, Storm, a black woman with an edgy leather outfit and a mohawk, took over as team leader from Cyclops.” This decision was daring for its time but typical of Claremont’s groundbreaking approach to gender representation in X-Men. Scholarly works have extensively explored Claremont’s innovative portrayal of gender themes in the X-Men comics. Moreover, this theme carried over into the beloved 1990s animated series, X-Men: The Animated Series. Its 76-episode run started with a two-part premiere narrated from Jubilee’s perspective. Subsequently, the main team of mutants comprised Jubilee, along with Rogue, Jean Grey, and Storm.
In modern X-Men stories, it’s essential to highlight the experiences of women due to the metaphorical connection between mutants and marginalized communities. However, it’s important to acknowledge that this analogy isn’t perfect since most X-Men characters are white. This criticism doesn’t undermine the significance of X-Men stories, which powerfully explore the concept of being an outsider and forming a supportive family. Compared to other Marvel franchises with limited female representation, the abundance of strong female X-Men characters intensified these themes for viewers and readers who felt underrepresented in traditional superhero narratives.
In the beginning, the first X-Men film emerged, promising to carry on the series’ focus on women’s experiences. The story opened with Erik Lehnsherr, now Magneto, losing his parents at Auschwitz in a prologue. Following this tragic event, the narrative switched to Marie/Rogue (Anna Paquin), whose ability to absorb people’s life force proved lethal during a simple kissing moment with her boyfriend. With the implementation of the “Mutant Registration Act,” Rogue was forced to flee. This opening scene immerses viewers into Rogue’s mindset and continues the X-Men tradition of engaging, melodramatic plots for teenagers. The awkward make-out session mishap leading to the discovery of her powers is a relatable and effective way to introduce Rogue’s unique abilities. The idea of having such a vulnerable moment turned deadly would be every teenager’s fear!
Unfortunately, Rogue has a limited role in the storyline that follows. Her main function in Act 3 is to find herself in distress and requiring rescue by other mutants. Jean Grey and Storm lack notable character traits during this portion of the film. However, Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) steals the show with her captivating action sequences.
The Last Stand, has been accused of homophobic and abusive behavior during production by Elliot Page and Jessica Alba (Romijn). However, Romijn did not provide more information about her specific issues with Ratner on set.
The accusations against Singer and Ratner reveal a disturbing pattern of viewing people as mere tools for their own advantage. These anecdotes show a disregard for the humanity of those they work with. Unsurprisingly, this attitude is reflected in how they portray women in their films. It seems that respecting their colleagues as individuals is not a priority for Singer and Ratner. If they fail to value real people, it’s questionable whether they would treat the characters they create with dignity.
After the groundbreaking original X-Men trilogy, there was the disappointing follow-up film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. One notable issue with this movie was the underdeveloped character of Kayla Silverfox, portrayed by Lynn Collins. Her main function was to inspire Wolverine’s motivation first by dying and then revealing a shocking alliance with the villains. However, her role came with an additional problem: Hollywood whitewashing. In the source material, Silverfox is an indigenous character from the Blackfoot tribe. The decision to cast a white actress in the role perpetuated a concerning trend in the X-Men movies, where women of color had minimal or no representation. Most glaringly, Halle Berry’s portrayal of Storm in the original trilogy lacked depth and character development.
In the film “X-Men: First Class,” directed by Matthew Vaughn, an impressive number of female characters played significant roles. The presence of numerous women in the storyline resulted in this achievement. Moira McTaggart, portrayed by Rose Byrne, became Charles Xavier’s love interest (James McAvoy). Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, was a key character dealing with her loyalty dilemma. Angel, acted by Zoe Kravitz, joined the new generation of mutants. January Jones embodied Emma Frost, one of the primary antagonists in the Hellfire Club. Despite having more females on board, “First Class” continued to grapple with certain gender-related concerns within the X-Men franchise.
Vaughn added a playful sexual atmosphere throughout the film, with the young X-Men characters often showing hormonal behavior against the backdrop of the 1960s. For example, Charles and Erik (Michael Fassbender) flirtatiously introduced themselves and their abilities to Angel, who was working as a stripper, by proposing a trade: “We’ll show you ours if you’ll show us yours.” In keeping with this suggestive tone, the movie features numerous provocative scenes of McTaggart and Frost in scant clothing.
In simpler terms, having scantily clad ladies in “First Class” doesn’t make the movie unfeminist or anything contradictory. However, the way Vaughn portrayed these women seemed out of place for the time period. The excessive focus on their bodies reminded me of how Michael Bay films women in the first three “Transformers” movies. A more consistent visual approach, such as Bunny Yeagar’s photography of Bettie Page or how Bond girls were portrayed in the 1960s, would have enhanced the movie’s period piece feel. Instead, the modern male gaze filming of women detracted from “First Class”‘ enjoyable vintage atmosphere.
James Mangold, known for his “dad movies,” surprisingly brought gender balance to the X-Men film series. In an interview with Vulture in 2013, he emphasized that the women in The Wolverine had depth beyond their connections to the male lead. The film introduced four significant female characters: Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), a villain, and Yukio (Rila Fukushima), Wolverine’s bodyguard.
In other words, The Wolverine may not transform into Portrait of a Lady on Fire or The Watermelon Woman despite the added complexities. Viper fails to leave a lasting impression as an antagonist with minimal depth. Mariko (Tao Okamoto) is still kidnapped in the third act to propel Wolverine’s actions. However, enhancements are improvements, even if they don’t reach new heights compared to The Wolverine. Mangold continued this trend in Logan by introducing X-23 (Dafne Keen), a more raw and ethically ambiguous female mutant than previous X-Men characters.
I’ve been a devoted fan of the X-Men franchise for years, and I must admit that the last three main installments: Days of Future Past, Apocalypse, and Dark Phoenix, sadly reflected persistent gender issues not only within this series but in American cinema as a whole. Instead of having dynamic roles, women were frequently relegated to the sidelines. And when they did appear, they often ended up playing the straight-man to outrageously over-the-top male characters. It’s disheartening that even talented actresses like Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) weren’t given their due screen time. In Days of Future Past, she had an essential part in the comic book version of the storyline. Regrettably, her character was left out in the movie adaptation, once again overshadowed by Wolverine’s presence. The X-Men movies seem to prioritize male characters, leaving less opportunities for female representation.
I’m a big fan of how Quicksilver’s powers are showcased in “Future Past” and “Apocalypse.” However, poor Jubilee is barely present in “Apocalypse,” her screen time being limited to just a few minutes. And let me tell you, Jessica Chastain as the villainous alien Vuk in “Dark Phoenix” was a major disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, she’s an amazing actress, but her portrayal of Vuk was lackluster and rigid. She missed the mark by a mile.
As a devoted fan, I’ve unfortunately come to notice a disappointing trend in the X-Men movie franchise, including these three titles. The way women are portrayed leaves much to be desired, reflecting narrow perspectives that limit female characters to being stern or maternal figures. They’re seldom allowed to be flawed, funny, or even ridiculous without compromising the sexual attraction for cis-het male viewers.
In the X-Men comic books, women were portrayed as having limitless possibilities. They could possess unique mutant abilities, like having a small dragon sidekick or controlling the weather. Women in these comics could even be princesses while using their powers! However, the X-Men films have presented more confined perspectives of what women can do. The Deadpool movies, which are known for their chaos and unpredictability, still fell into the pattern of writing off female characters. For instance, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), the love interest of Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in Deadpool 2, was killed off in the film, only to be revived later in a mid-credit scene. In the comics, Vanessa has mutant powers and goes by the name Copycat! It’s fascinating how Deadpool 2 chose to eliminate her character instead of utilizing her abilities to further Wilson’s journey.
It’s interesting that the initial X-Men film series ended with The New Mutants. Dani Moonstar, portrayed by Blu Hunt, marked the first female lead and the first protagonist of color in the X-Men universe. Unfortunately, Dani faced racist taunts from fellow mutant Illyana Rasputin, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. While it’s commendable that four out of six major characters are women, representation alone doesn’t ensure quality storytelling. The disrespectful portrayal of Dani and the poorly thought-out character development in this film remain significant issues.
Enjoying the X-Men films doesn’t equate to being misogynistic. The portrayal of gender issues in these movies is not unique to this series. Gender representation challenges are prevalent in various universes such as Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, and more. This issue extends to marginalized communities like women, people of color, disabled individuals, LGBTQIA+, and intersections thereof. These struggles arise due to the capitalist nature of society that prioritizes cis-het men in art. However, the rich history of powerful female mutant characters in X-Men comics makes the two decades of X-Men films even more disappointing. There’s a proven blueprint for compelling storytelling with lady mutants! Sadly, these films consistently deviate from this formula.
As an avid fan, I can’t help but feel disappointed when it comes to the representation of X-Men women in films. The arrival of Dazzler, who could have brought so much excitement and campy flair, feels like a stark reminder of the lack of imagination applied to these characters. In the underwhelming portrayal of Dazzler in Dark Phoenix (played by Halston Sage), we saw a muted version of her iconic white outfit, leaving her looking more like a high school fan film creation than the powerful heroine she was meant to be.
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2024-07-21 19:15