Highbrow Magazine - marvel cinematic universe https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/marvel-cinematic-universe en The Legacy of Marvel Comics’ ‘What If,’ and Its Implications Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12592-legacy-marvel-comics-what-if-and-its-implications-within-marvel-cinematic-universe <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 09/24/2021 - 11:35</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1whatif.jpg?itok=E0qKRcHv"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1whatif.jpg?itok=E0qKRcHv" width="480" height="241" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">What if Tony Stark never escaped from The Ten Rings? What if Hela, the Goddess of Death, obtained the infinity stones before Thanos? What if The Winter Soldier killed Uncle Ben? The possibilities are infinite, and each drastically changing the outlook of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Any of these changes drastically reinvent the events and story arcs that emerge through the franchise. With the release of any Marvel project, fans fervently discuss the film often leading to the question, “But what if this happened instead?” The MCU’s newest show, <em>What If, </em>sheds light on such ideas.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The idea for <em>What If</em> stems from the comic line of the same name. Developed by Roy Thomas, the apprentice of Stan Lee, Thomas’s inspiration came from an exercise Lee practiced while writing. During the draft process, Lee would ask himself the question, “What if?” to determine the outcome of his storytelling and decide whether that was a satisfying outcome. Having been a staple writer for the Fantastic Four series of the 1970s, Thomas wished to blend the science-fiction nature of his writing, while also celebrating the legacy and history of Marvel comics. Yet, he was adamant in his desire to not interfere with other writer’s story arcs, rather to add a creative spin to the characters that fans would enjoy.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2whatif.jpg" style="height:338px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><a href="https://me.ign.com/en/tv-shows-1/172059/feature/marvels-what-if-will-tell-the-tales-that-never-happened-in-the-mcu">In 1977, Roy Thomas’s idea came to fruition.</a> Entitled <em>What If</em>, the comic series revisits iconic moments in Marvel’s comic history and introduces a point of divergence and its said consequences. The first issue followed an alternate reality of Spider-Man’s first solo comic series appearance. In <em>Spider-Man #1</em>, Peter Parker wishes to earn money by joining the Fantastic Four and is rejected. <em>What If #</em>1 tells the alternate history of Spider-Man joining the team and how his character arc diverges from there. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><a href="https://www.looper.com/319918/marvels-history-of-the-watcher-explained/">Uatu serves as the narrator of the story</a>. First appearing in <em>Fantastic Four #13</em>, Uatu is part of a species known as Watchers. <a href="https://www.looper.com/319918/marvels-history-of-the-watcher-explained/">The oldest beings in the universe</a>, Watchers observe the events of the universe, yet are forbidden from interfering. Ikor, leader of the Watchers enacted this policy of refraining after his own interference led to a genocidal nuclear war on the planet of Prosilicus. Ikor dispatches the Watchers across the universe and stations his son, Uatu, to planet Earth. Before leaving, Ikor warns his son that he must never interfere, even if it means ideally watching as the planet is destroyed. Thomas utilized the character of Uatu to both serve as a narrator of the comic series, as well as the historian of the Marvel comic universe. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>What If</em> is unique in its storytelling. Each issue has its own artistic style and a plethora of guest writers. This allowed different creators to storyboard ideas and gauge readers’ responses. Readers were not required to read the previous storylines, in theory making it accessible to new comic fans. Yet, its inventiveness and disconnection proved to be a detriment to the comics sales’ numbers. New readers were not invested in the history of Marvel comics; thus the premise of the comic series was of no interest. The series was canceled in 1984 after 47 issues. However, Marvel revisited the series in 1989, and since has released in total 13 series all under the anthology series, <em>What If</em>.    </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3whatif.jpg" style="height:560px; width:1239px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In April 2019, Marvel Studios announced the development of an animated television series <em>What If,</em> which shared the same premise as the anthology comic series. Jeffrey Wright was announced as voicing the role of Uatu who would serve as the narrator for the show. Actors from the MCU were announced to be signed on to reprise their characters in the series, including Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, Benicio del Toro as the Collector, Michael Rooker as Yondu, and posthumously Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa. In describing the series, showrunner A.C. Bradley and Kevin Feige stated that <em>What If</em> would serve as a celebration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while still impacting the overall storytelling. They did not elaborate on how this would be achieved. That is until the season finale of <em>Lok</em>i debuted on July 14, 2021.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The implications of the <em>Lok</em>i season finale cannot be understated. For a refresher, the episode, “For All Time. Always” introduced Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains, a variant of Kang the Conqueror. A 31st-century time-traveling scientist, He Who Remains prevented a multiversal war between the evil variants of himself that would destroy “everything and everyone” in every existing universe. <a href="https://nerdist.com/article/marvel-multiverse-explained-doctor-strange-wandavision-loki-mcu/">He Who Remains placed all the parallel worlds into one timeline known as The Sacred Timeline centered around Earth-19999</a> (which happens to be the timeline in which all MCU movies take place). Despite multiple realities existing in isolation, these realities all share one identical detail. Every reality in the Sacred Timeline results in the birth of He Who Remains in order to prevent the birth of his variants Kang the Conqueror. That was until his death at the hands of Slyvie, causing the Sacred Timeline to expand infinitely -- thus creating the multiverse.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">For those who are lost, don’t worry; it’s meant to be confusing. Dr. Strange says in the new <em>Spider-Man: No Way Home</em> trailer that "the Multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little." The introduction of time travel and multi-dimensional parallel universes are inherently overwhelming and requires further attention to the stories that are unfolding. Fans of the MCU may be asking themselves why Marvel Studios would want to focus heavily on the multiverse. which is so complex and often convoluted? Yet, <em>What If </em>serves as an excellent starting point to dive into the mysteries of the multiverse, and to showcase its drastic impact on the franchise.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4whatif.jpg" style="height:317px; width:602px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It is no coincidence that <em>What If </em>debuted less than a month after the season finale of <em>Loki</em>. <em>What If </em>is the first piece of media within the MCU that focuses solely on the multiverse. With the destruction of the Sacred Timeline, these infinite universes can now interact with each other, which means whatever happens in <em>What If</em> could potentially be crossed over with the characters on Earth-19999. Alternate variants can make their way into the main universe. For instance, in the first episode of <em>What If,</em> Peggy Carter takes the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, leading to her transformation into Captain Carter. <a href="https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/what-if-captain-carter-live-action-movie-tease-hayley-atwell/">Reprising her role as Peggy Carter, Hayley Atwell now has the possibility to see Captain Carter cross over into her own live-action movie</a>. Variants of the MCU’s film characters can now appear in the “main timeline,” which very well could explain why Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock is present in the <em>No Way Home</em> trailer, despite existing in the Sam Raimi <em>Spider-Man</em> films. The multiverse now makes it possible to explain that these films could exist within the multiverse and that Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man is merely a variant of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. While none of this is confirmed, do note that Sam Raimi is directing the 28th MCU film installment, <em>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.</em></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>What If </em>presents itself as a new testing ground for the MCU. Feige and creators are now able to utilize the format of the show to test some of their wilder concepts and see which ones prove popular with fans. If audiences respond well to a certain storyline, Feige can then utilize that element in an upcoming Marvel project. If audiences respond poorly to an event that happens in <em>What If,</em> Feige can simply choose to ignore it. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">However, the brilliance in this creative strategy means <em>What If</em> can feel unimportant. In a franchise that has now created infinite universes, focusing on one singular universe that is not taking place on Earth-19999 can feel insignificant. While it is a spectacle to see Captain Carter punch Nazis, witness Hank Pym kill the Avengers, or see all the heroes as zombified versions of themselves, ultimately, they are one-offs. Inherently, having one-offs can serve as a wonderful tool for creative innovation, yet the show struggles with the same pitfalls inherent to its comics series. Its anthology storytelling makes the series feel unnecessary. While well made, it never felt like a show I eagerly anticipated watching every week, rather a series that I enjoyed watching when time allowed… until Episode 4 debuted.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/1loki_0.jpg" style="height:312px; width:594px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The episode follows an alternate universe where, instead of Dr. Strange losing the usage of his hands in a car crash, his girlfriend, Dr. Christine Palmer, is killed. Grief-stricken he learns the mystic arts to manipulate time to prevent Christine’s death, despite warnings that doing so could destroy reality. Strange’s arrogance causes him to ignore the warnings and resurrect Palmer, resulting in the destruction of that universe and ending its timeline. The universe implodes into a small gem where Strange is left to grieve alone. Omnipresent for the destruction of the universe is The Watcher, and in a jaw-dropping sequence as Dr. Strange is trying to save the universe, he turns his head and speaks directly to The Watcher, begging him to save this universe. The Watcher refuses, telling Strange, “If I could fix this, if I could punish you instead, I would. But I can’t interfere… One life, one choice, one moment, can destroy the entire universe,” and the screen cuts to black.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The significance of this episode cannot be overstated. First, it marks the bleakest and darkest turn for the franchise to date. Strange, left sobbing as his universe is destroyed, is a shocking reality of the consequences of the multiverse. Without He Who Remains keeping the timelines in check, it leaves every universe vulnerable to destruction. Time manipulation can lead to the destruction of any and every universe within the multiverse and messing with time is kind of Dr. Strange’s gimmick. This episode displayed that Stephen Strange not only has the power to singlehandedly destroy a universe but also to communicate directly with The Watcher. Up until this point, there was no indication that the characters were aware of The Watcher’s presence, let alone could communicate with him. This further emphasizes Strange’s pivotal role in Phase 4 of the MCU and sets precedence for The Watcher’s role of being more than just an omnipresent narrator. Strange’s appearance in both his next solo outing and <em>Spider-Man: No Way Home</em> spells trouble for the multiverse.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5whatif.jpg" style="height:271px; width:604px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Ben Friedman is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/what-if" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">what if</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marvels-what-if" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marvel&#039;s what if</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marvel-cinematic-universe" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marvel cinematic universe</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/spiderman" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">spiderman</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/loki" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">loki</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dr-strange" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dr. strange</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/fantastic-four" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">fantastic four</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marvel-comics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marvel comics</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tv-shows" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tv shows</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Friedman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:35:21 +0000 tara 10645 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12592-legacy-marvel-comics-what-if-and-its-implications-within-marvel-cinematic-universe#comments ‘Black Widow’ Pays Homage to Female Empowerment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12389-black-widow-pays-homage-female-empowerment-marvel-cinematic-universe <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 07/09/2021 - 12:30</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1blackwidow.jpg?itok=qgmmCee6"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1blackwidow.jpg?itok=qgmmCee6" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Black Widow</em></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Directed by: Cate Shortland</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, O-T Fagbenle, Ray Winstone</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, some language and thematic material.</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Available: In theaters and with Premier Access on Disney+</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Although the push for a more inclusive movie industry should be both applauded and perpetuated, I am regularly frustrated by the way some media outlets blindly embrace the marketing wings of film studios. Readers likely remember the onslaught of stories about the representational importance of the 2019 blockbuster <em>Captain Marvel</em>. Not only did that movie break the glass ceiling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, some argued, but it was an important move forward for cinema in general. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The progressive ideas expressed in such reviews are well meaning because representation does matter, and <a href="https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inequality_1300_popular_films_09-08-2020.pdf" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">women are notoriously underrepresented on screens both big and small</a>. Even a cursory look at the movie and TV industry demonstrates that – at least in the mainstream wing of the business – women get fewer key roles, are often presented primarily as sexual objects, and struggle to land work behind the scenes. In fact, it’s sad that the scales are this uneven more than two decades into the 21<sup>st</sup> century. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2blackwidow.jpg" style="height:600px; width:405px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Because of that, it was a big deal when Marvel decided to throw a bone to women by allowing a female character to lead her own franchise. Trouble is that too many pundits decided that Marvel’s decision to simply deliver <em>Captain Marvel</em> was enough.  The creative forces behind the MCU were widely praised for the simple act of doing the right thing, and far too many failed to call <em>Captain Marvel</em> what it is: a subpar Marvel picture. In other words, when a female character was finally given the spotlight, she was forced to prove her worth with a script that was recklessly shoehorned into a cinematic universe that had been mostly assembled with meticulous care. While the intent may have been more than tokenism, the movie sure seemed like a haphazard stab at stemming legitimate accusations of sexism.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Now that a few years have passed, I suggest we rethink some of the glowing reviews for <em>Captain Marvel</em> and remember the film for what it was: a halfhearted step in the right direction. Fortunately, 2021 proves that <em>Captain Marvel</em> wasn’t a one-off attempt to silence critics. With <em>Black Widow</em>, the MCU and director Cate Shortland have delivered a movie that is both better than <em>Captain Marvel</em>, and more empowering. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Black Widow</em> is still far from perfect. It’s a comic book film and comes with all the flaws inherent to the genre. There are ridiculous moments, plot points that could be better developed and action sequences that are more about dropping jaws than exercising brains. But that’s the case with many films in the genre. Remember, for instance, that <em>Iron Man 3</em> and the second <em>Avengers</em> films were merely serviceable. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Black Widow</em> is a good, albeit not great, MCU film, yet it punches far above the class of <em>Captain Marvel </em>in several ways. First, the title character is not the only high-powered female on display. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The film, for those who have somehow avoided the hype, takes us back in time, filling in blanks surrounding Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) – aka Black Widow – the female Avenger whom we’ve watched fighting alongside Captain America and company in so many previous efforts. The movie primarily focuses on events that occurred right after those in <em>Captain America: Civil War. </em>That said, one needn’t go back and watch all the previous MCU films to enjoy this one. Knowing that Romanoff is a famous Avenger is preparation enough. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3blackwidow.jpg" style="height:400px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The plotting puts Romanoff in touch with her long-lost sister – Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). Viewers quickly learn that neither had an ideal childhood and that Natasha isn’t the only badass in the family. That means we have not one powerful female figure but two, and there are more as the film progresses. In fact, the only male figure in the film portrayed with as much import as the Natasha and Yelena is a Russian superhero dubbed Red Guardian (David Harbour), and he is largely used for comic relief. In other words, Natasha and her sis don’t need men to save them. Rather, it’s the men who get lessons in courage and determination.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The plot also seems perfect in the #MeToo era because Natasha learns that many young, Russian women are being manipulated into becoming elite assassins with a powerful mind-control device. This is an obvious metaphor for the fact that women are too-often treated as property or means to an end, especially when the prime villain, Dreykov (Ray Winstone), makes a point of stating that his army was built from the one resource the world has an overabundance of: women. This isn’t a subtle moment, but it is meaningful, in that too many in the world seem to agree with Dreykov. None of the thematic elements in <em>Captain Marvel</em> were this progressive or thoughtful. Rather, that film was heralded as a standout simply because Brie Larson was given a costume and the majority of lines. Shortland guides <em>Black Widow</em> with an adept hand and makes certain that this picture walks the talk. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">As with most films in the MCU, there are plenty of moments requiring high-level suspension of disbelief. For instance, Natasha is ridiculously hard to kill for someone with no actual super powers. But she is a superhero, so you have to give her that, right? The plot could be smarter … or more inventive, in that “Black Widow” is a straightforward action movie. We learn about Natasha’s background, she learns about a great evil, and we follow her and her sister as they try to take it down. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The story doesn’t revolve around potential Armageddon (refreshing since most comic book movies have world-ending stakes these days), and we don’t get cameos from other Avengers. We also don’t get the immense creativity seen in the recent MCU TV series <em>WandaVision</em>, which – by the way – was also a better nod to female empowerment than <em>Captain Marvel</em>. But we do get an enjoyable picture that moves like lightning, packs a load of impressive action sequences, and punctuates the journey with characters who are likable and funny. In short, this is an MCU film that feels like it belongs in the MCU.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4balckwidow.jpg" style="height:338px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">There is no obvious tokenism, and although Johansson and Pugh are quite beautiful, they aren’t (at least from my perspective) overly sexualized. As a man, making such a statement is dangerous … so I present it with humility. Perhaps, my perceptions have been adversely colored by decades of viewing the world through male eyes, and I apologize if so. But I think most would agree, this is a step up from the skimpy costuming of Wonder Woman and the ever-present onslaught of films where women are shown primarily as bikini models. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Natasha and Yelena wear well-designed costumes that do hug their bodies but also seem believable as combat apparel, in that they aren’t showing off as much skin as possible. Rather the outfits offer protection against a constant onslaught of shrapnel, yet seem flexible enough to allow the sisters to perform stunning feats of athleticism. This is a welcome choice because it encourages viewers to see these characters as more than eye candy, while also requiring a less-dramatic suspension of disbelief. I mean who hasn’t questioned why Wonder Woman would go into combat wearing the equivalent of a one-piece bathing suit, impenetrable skin notwithstanding? </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">As with all MCU films, you want to stick around for a post-credits sequence. It’s a good one that presumably plants seeds for future movies, while also sticking to the theme of female empowerment.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Perhaps the most striking thing about <em>Black Widow</em> is that it’s good enough that a sequel is an appealing concept. The architects of the MCU made that possibility more difficult than one would hope in the last Avengers movie, but I’ll hold out hope. These characters inhabit a comic book world, and movie producers have a way of milking them for as much as they can. If <em>Black Widow</em> is the hit I suspect it to be, I’m sure cinematic life will find a way.   </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em><strong>Forrest Hartman, a </strong></em><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong><em><strong> contributor, is a longtime entertainment journalist who teaches at the Department of </strong></em><a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/jour/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank"><em><strong>Journalism &amp; Public Relations at California State University, Chico</strong></em></a><em><strong>.</strong></em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/black-widow" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">black widow</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/captain-marvel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">captain marvel</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marvel-cinematic-universe" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marvel cinematic universe</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/scarlett-johansson" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">scarlett johansson</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/comic-book-films" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">comic book films</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/avengers-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">avengers</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marvel-comics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marvel comics</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/female-superheroes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">female superheroes</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/superheroes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">superheroes</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 09 Jul 2021 16:30:04 +0000 tara 10497 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/12389-black-widow-pays-homage-female-empowerment-marvel-cinematic-universe#comments