Misogynistic Marvel maniacs

Thursday Dec. 10 was a big day for fans of Marvel as it was Disney’s Investor Day. I, like many others, were eager for all the news to drop, specifically for Marvel Studios. That night, I raced over to Marvel Studio’s Instagram page to see 20 new posts about upcoming Disney Plus series and information about Phase 4 movies. However, my excitement soon turned bitter as I scrolled through hundreds of misogynistic comments. 

Variations of “why,” “no one asked for this,” and “no” were scattered among the comment sections of some of the posts. Of course not every post had these comments but it soon became very clear as to why; the new films and shows featuring strong, female leads are clearly unwanted by misogynistic Marvel fans.

The hypocrisy of the statements dumbfound me and confused me as to how insecure these people are that they complain about new content solely for the fact that they showcase strong, female characters. 

The disdain shown towards female-centered plots in comparison to the open-armed welcome to male lead stories is disgusting. No one asked for half of the new content that is being produced, but people only turn away from the features with main female characters. They say the upcoming series “Ironheart,” following the genius inventor, Riri Williams, of the most advanced tech after Tony Stark is apparently a “rip-off” and “unoriginal.” Yet “Armor Wars” which is about Stark’s tech falling in the wrong hands, is exciting and highly regarded. If you didn’t know, the plot of the latter series appears in “Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and even the first “Iron Man.”  

I sometimes forget how problematic people are especially when it comes to fandoms. Every franchise has its toxic group of maniacs embedded inside like a parasite, but it can be easy to overlook them unless they present themselves. 

Disney’s Investor Day is just one example of the misogyny that plagues Marvel fans. There was huge backlash about “Captain Marvel” not just because of the movie itself but because Brie Larson wasn’t smiling on the film poster, as if male superheroes smile on theirs. The misogynists didn’t even wait for the movie to come out to be sexist. However, DC’s “Wonder Woman” was receiving high praise before it came out; the difference being that Gal Gadot sported knee-high boots, a short skirt, and a strapless top which fed men’s sexual desires while Larson wore a fully covering suit.

There’s also, of course, blatant sexism and misogyny aimed towards female Marvel fans simply because we are girls. Boys and even grown men will try to undermine our love and knowledge of the franchise by stating we only watch for Tom Holland or Chris Evans, or they try to quiz us on random facts and details from the movies and comics. 

It’s quite tiring and I’ve run out of patience having to deal with childish boys who still believe women are inferior and sex objects for them to abuse. They will go out of their way to try and belittle us since they believe that superheroes are only for men to enjoy. My blood boils every time I encounter such people and that doesn’t even touch the racism and homophobia that festers in both comic and cinematic fanatics.

Superheroes are for everyone. Comics should be enjoyed by whoever wants to read them. Movies and shows about vigilantes, aliens, mutants, and super-powered beings are for whoever will watch them. Let these heroes portray what the real world looks like: a mix of all types of people, not just the white, heterosexual, straight man. If you have a problem with that then keep it to yourself and move along. Find another fandom to join because I’m fed up with the misogynistic Marvel maniacs.