Abstract
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the most influential and profitable media franchises in the world, producing over 20 films and grossing over $22.5 billion at the global box office. Even so, the stories and characters reflect a white, heterosexual patriarchal society by repeatedly pushing women and other marginalized identities to the periphery. This essay seeks to expose and analyze the hegemonic power that the MCU’s massive content repertoire imposes of its viewers by analyzing the misogynistic treatment of the character Black Widow in The Avengers series. Through the application of Laura Mulvey’s essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” and the concept of postfeminism one can see the consequences of the “male gaze” and capitalistic greed. As a part of a growing media conglomerate, the cultural influence of the MCU extends far beyond theatre walls and thus should be held accountable for the oppressive ideologies it perpetuates.
