Portrayals of the Shero: a critical discourse analysis on the representation of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel

Abstract

Superhero films are currently the most commercially successful action films. They long relied on classical gender role divisions, representing physically strong male heroes. However, especially films published in the second decade of the 21st century have also shown women in more active roles. Wonder Woman (2017) and Captain Marvel (2019) were the first superhero films in which superheroines saved the world as protagonists. In this paper, I apply critical discourse analysis to investigate the contemporary film representations of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. My results suggest that both films depict female empowerment and address their superheroines’ struggles in rejecting women’s social roles and focusing on the pursuit of activities traditionally perceived as masculine. Both films also emphasize their superheroines’ womanhood; however, they represent these characters differently. Wonder Woman strongly emphasizes its superheroine’s feminine traits and shows her engaging in a heterosexual romantic relationship. Conversely, Captain Marvel depicts an obstinate woman whose psychological strength derives from her perseverance and support from a close female friend. I discuss my results with reference to the contemporary feminist movements postfeminism, neoliberal feminism and popular feminism.