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 So when Marvel Studios brought in another formidable woman
for summer action film "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Johansson, who
reprises her role as the feisty Black Widow, was happy to see "a
step in the right direction."
Out in U.S. theaters on May 1, the Walt Disney Co film reunites
Black Widow with 2012's "The Avengers" superhero ensemble of
Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk and Hawk-Eye as they
fight a villain bent on large-scale destruction.
Now comes Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen, one of the
most powerful Marvel comics characters, known for her
thought-altering magical powers, to join the male-dominated
superhero ranks. Three other women play key roles.
Boosting the female quotient makes sense as women fans could
help push "Age of Ultron" past its predecessor at the box office
and possibly make it the top-grossing film of summer 2015.
The film throws a larger spotlight on its female characters, led
by Johansson's Black Widow holding her own in complex fight
scenes and finding romance with Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
The evolution of female characters in Marvel's superhero movies
"has been slow," Johansson said, since she took the helm as
Black Widow in 2010's "Iron Man 2."
"We haven't really been able to explore the depth of the
character behind the superhero - that's what makes characters
interesting," she said. "It's nice to see the introduction to
Scarlet Witch, and I know that there will be more to come."
'SUCH BADASSES'
Ever since Marvel's cinematic franchises became box office hits,
starting with 2008's "Iron Man" starring Robert Downey Jr.,
superhero films have drawn criticism for not having enough women
amid star-studded casts.
"It's amazing to have two female characters on a poster for a
superhero movie," Olsen said. "Also we're both portrayed as such
badasses."
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For box office expert Paul Dergarabedian, ramping up the female
perspective is "vitally important" as female filmgoers make up a
bigger share of ticket sales.
"Action movies are not just for men anymore," said Dergarabedian,
senior media analyst at box office tracking firm Rentrak.
"The Avengers," the third-highest grossing movie of all time, opened
in 2012 with a record $207 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket
sales. Forty percent of the opening weekend audience was female,
according to a Disney survey at the time.
Disney promoted "Age of Ultron" to female audiences, sending cast
members to TV shows such as "Ellen" and "The View." It created a
line of women's wear inspired by the female stars that includes a
replica of Johansson's Black Widow jacket.
Johansson showed the power of female-led action films with her
non-Marvel flick "Lucy" that grossed more than $450 million
worldwide last year.
But there are no plans for a Black Widow standalone film in Marvel's
upcoming five-year plan. Fans will have to wait until 2018 to see
the studio's first movie led by a female superhero, "Captain
Marvel."
For Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed both "Avengers" films,
writing female characters wasn't "necessarily an agenda" for "Age of
Ultron."
"Everybody who is in the movie is usually the best version," said
Whedon. "Dr Cho (Claudia Kim) is the best doctor in the world, and
Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) is the best agent."
"They're that smart, they're that good - doesn't matter if they're a
man or a woman."
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Additional reporting by Lisa Richwine;
Editing by Mary Milliken, Bernard Orr)
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