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Phase 4 Can Finally Fix Marvel's Worst Female Character Insult

Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is beginning to take some big strides, introducing new villains and huge storylines, but Phase 4 also has an opportunity to fix Marvel's insult to one particular female character. Over nearly 15 years, the MCU has brought some iconic characters to the big screen. While these characters are now beloved, the male characters have always had priority over female characters, being more well-rounded and hero-like. Over the past few years, this rightfully began to change, and this could mean Marvel is working to fix a big mistake they made with one hero in particular: Jessica Alba's Sue Storm.

Before the release of Iron Man in 2008, which marked the start of the MCU, Marvel properties were still being made into films, but very scarce compared to what can be seen in theaters now; X-Men, Daredevil, and Blade (who made his MCU reboot appearance in Eternals), to name a few. These original movies, though, are not canon in the MCU as of yet, allowing room to reboot these heroes to better fit the MCU. One of these movies was Fantastic Four, released back in 2005.

Related: RDJ's Doctor Doom Would've Been Great, But Wouldn't Have Saved Fantastic Four

The super-group consists of Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm, and Sue Storm. After being exposed to cosmic radiation, they each develop individual superpowers. Reed can stretch his body, Johnny can generate flames, Ben develops stone-like skin and becomes incredibly strong, and Sue can become invisible. The film was a commercial success, but its sequel flopped at the box office, resulting in the Fantastic Four going untouched until the failed 2015 reboot by Fox. However, the MCU has finally decided to reintroduce the team, being helmed by Spider-Man director Jon Watts, and set for possible release in 2023. There is no cast announced as of yet, but this remake could be very important for the character of Sue Storm. In the 2005 film, Jessica Alba's Sue faced sexist writing, which unfortunately overshadowed how interesting she was as a character. Being the only woman on the team could have emphasized her talent and ability to hold her own (such as Black Widow in The Avengers), but she instead stood out for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully, the MCU has an opportunity to change that.

Sue's intellect and hero status was placed second to her attractiveness. Her invisibility superpower became a misogynistic crutch held against her, with tasteless jokes about her being nude. Recently, the MCU has found its footing with its female superheroes. Captain Marvel is possibly the strongest hero on-screen, as is Scarlet Witch. The latter, too, was the first MCU hero to have a spin-off show on Disney+, WandaVision, and it was one that deeply explored her immense grief. With this taken into account, Sue Storm was forced to grow up quickly at an early age, taking on the responsibility of care for her brother Johnny, and her emotional maturity paired with a keen determination made her the heart of the group in many ways. If the MCU can integrate these qualities into their Fantastic Four reboot but dispel the crass jokes concerning her femininity, her character could be incredibly compelling.

The Marvel films made before the MCU set the stage for the introduction of the characters so well-loved now. Jessica Alba's role was one of the few female superheroes on screen amidst a mass of male heroes. Though Sue Storm wasn't handled in a way that did the character full justice in the original Fantastic Four, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's reboot could finally fix that.

More: Why MCU Phase 4 Should (& Likely Will) End With Fantastic Four



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