Back on August 1, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was asked how close he thought they were to getting a superhero movie out there with a female lead and he replied as follows:
“I think it comes down to timing, which is what I’ve sort of always said, and it comes down to us being able to tell the right story. I very much believe in doing it….I hope we do it sooner rather than later.”
Now with ten movies under their belt, and another eleven more on the horizon, it’s high time that Marvel open up the toy box of characters they have and throw some of their female characters onto the big screen in their own films and franchises. That in mind, we thought of eleven of the best female comic book characters from the vast pantheon of Marvel’s catalog that we think are ripe for a cinematic experience.
#1 WHITE TIGER
There have actually been two women to take on the role of White Tiger in the Marvel Universe, Angela Del Toro and Ava Ayala. Both characters used the Jade Tiger amulets, a group of powerful trinkets from K’un-Lun (the same place Iron Fist’s powers were forged) that give the wearer enhanced strength, speed, dexterity, reflexes, and better coordination with martial arts. Del Toro was at one point an FBI agent investigating Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, but later succeeded her Uncle in the role and took to the streets as the White Tiger for a number of years. Ayala, on the other hand, was the sister of the original White Tiger and current holder of the name in the comics, and entered the Avengers Academy as one of its members.
Not only does the White Tiger offer Marvel a chance to examine the world of a street level hero, but it gives them a chance to introduce a female hero that is also a minority. White Tiger has the connections to the larger Marvel U, and with “Daredevil” in production and “Iron Fist” in development, it’s not too early to start thinking bigger. Marvel’s most recent version of White Tiger also delves into somewhat supernatural territory with the spirit of the Jade Tiger speaking directly to Ayala. The deity and the “avatar,” as he calls her, have an agreement to let him control her body and “hunt” one day out of every month. This kind of story would allow Marvel to explore other corners of the spirit world that they’ll no doubt be setting up in Doctor Strange, but also gives them the chance to tell the story of a hero “not in control.”
Though the characters aren’t exactly connected, except for the naming pattern, with Black Panther in development as well, the White Tiger provides an interesting counter to the King of Wakanda.
Head to page 2 to see what supernatural hunter we want to see on the big screen!
