Gender Representation in Female Superhero Movies

Abstract

The superhero film is one of the most popular movie genres in the entertainment world. Viewers have enthusiasm about the portrayal of key male and female characters. The way costumes, appearances, narrative, gestures, and languages are presented is also a matter of eagerness for spectaculars. The study has looked at how gender is represented in female superhero movies. It has been analyzed whether the female protagonist in these movies is portrayed according to the traditional gender roles. If any male gaze perspective or female gaze perspective has been found then it has been interpreted. Movies like Black Widow, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad have been selected through the purposive sampling technique. The study is conducted with the help of representation theory and feminist film theory. Content analysis and discourse analysis are used as research methodology. The study has found that the female protagonist has come out of the traditional gender role in the movie Black Widow and Birds of Prey. The male gaze perspective is almost absent in these movies except in The Suicide Squad. However, the main female character, Harley Quinn could not get out of the traditional gender role in the movie Suicide Squad.