War on Gender Norms (Extra Credit)

In Marvel’s 2018 film, Avengers: Infinity War, the Avengers frantically try to stop the mad titan, Thanos, from collecting six infinity stones and wiping out half the universe’s population. The film was directed by the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The plethora of main characters consisted of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and many more. These five are part of the Original 6 Avengers. During its release, Infinity War was well received by the public because it was highly anticipated for years, so it’s no surprise that it was the #2 movie of 2018 and made a total of $2 billion. I read a review from Megan Schwindler called “‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and Feminism,” where she highlights the vast improvements in feminism in Marvel’s Infinity War. I found a very intriguing note where she states, “All of the female superheroes contribute to the plot in meaningful ways and are way more than side-pieces with witty-comebacks and perfect makeup” (Schwindler). This quote resonated with me because it’s a valid point I never realized because women have indeed always played a supporting role, rather than being included in the main plot.

Throughout Marvel’s history, their brand has been to push out superheroes, specifically male superheroes, though Avengers: Infinity War deviates from such branding and creates more gender equality. The film's female roles are strong and independent, where the main male hero doesn’t determine their roles. A prime example was demonstrated when Scarlett Witch gets knocked out by Proxima Midnight of the Black Order while Black Widow and Okoye come to the rescue of their ally (1:56:00).

Typically, we see men perform such acts where they appear out of nowhere to rescue a female, but here, it's women rescuing women. This promotes a sense of sisterhood, which is an element that Marvel has lacked in its universe. The women of the film are a representation for women because they showcase their true bravery and strength in an industry dominated by men, thus breaking many societal limitations on women. Infinity War is very similar to Rogue One and its lessons behind their heroine, Jyn. Both films projected qualities of power and combat, where women are actively winning fights on the battleground and being leaders on their teams.