When these female characters don’t take a leading role in the specific story being told, they’re at risk of getting killed off for some dramatic twist. And, of the women who are prominently featured in these stories, many of them fall into the trap of “feminism for feminism’s sake” writing which leads to this representation being ridiculed by viewers as lazy writing, gender-shield exposition (most of the She-Hulk criticisms took this route), or poorly representing the character’s comic origins. Of the 12 streaming shows the MCU has put out, only 2 of them have been solely female-led projects, with 2 others showing female characters sharing the leading role with men. Of the 32 feature films the MCU has put out, only 3 of them have been female-led stories (and 2 of those were led by white women). The Marvel Cinematic Universe has always had a problem representing women, and women’s stories, on screen. As shocking as her death was, this killing isn’t an isolated incident. Maria Hill, a character who has played a role in just about every significant event whose consequences rippled throughout the rest of the MCU, got fridged so Old Man Fury could take the Skrull threat more seriously than he already was. Objectively speaking, it’s already begun. And then, the cinematic adaptations began. While comic books have historically never treated female characters with the same respect or merit given to male characters, it wasn’t until Gail Simone and her colleagues publicly shone a light on the blatant sexism in comics that things somewhat changed for the better. If a villain kills or kidnaps the hero’s girl, that villain has essentially taken what belongs to the hero – and only then is the hero allowed to seek justice. This method of storytelling strips women of any sense of personhood because they are treated as plot devices while the men operating opposite them are able (and allowed) to have agency. The idea behind this trope, and every one of its criticisms, is that women are made into victims in these stories specifically so men can face some sort of character development. 3 #54 where readers saw Kyle Rainer come home to find that a villain had killed his girlfriend, Alexis DeWitt, and stuffed her body in a refrigerator. The name “Women In Refrigerators” was coined by writer Gail Simone in response to the infamous Green Lantern vol. RELATED: Secret Invasion: Every Returning MCU Character in Episode 1 What is "fridging" in comics?įridging, also known as “Women In Refrigerators Syndrome”, is a literary trope prevalent in comic books and other comic book/sci-fi media where women are injured, sexually assaulted, or killed (if not all three) in order to move a male character’s story arc forward. After appearing in six movies and three series since her introduction, Maria Hill’s unceremonious send-off has led to a loud debate among fans with the main question being: why are we still fridging our female characters in 2023? Being Nick Fury’s right hand for most of the audience’s time with him, there is no doubt that Maria Hill’s contributions have been invaluable in guiding the MCU to what it is today. After eleven years as a beloved supporting character, Hill was finally getting her time to shine in Secret Invasion's first episode before facing the same fate as many other supporting female characters in comics history.įans who have stayed with the MCU since its early days have come to expect Hill’s involvement in the more significant, universe-altering plot points. She was a major player in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and even helped guide major plot points in the first two seasons of Agents of SHIELD. Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders) has been a steady force in the MCU after her debut in 2012’s The Avengers. Warning: The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion.The latest MCU project kicks off with a shocking twist: Secret Invasion kills Maria Hill in its first episode.
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