All too often, the men of the Marvel universe take center stage. It makes sense on the surface of things, given that most superheroes are men. In the past few decades, however, our superheroine sisters have all been busy making names for themselves and changing the landscape of comic-inspired cinema. The Marvel-verse couldn’t survive without the women behind it, and those heroines wouldn’t exist without the indomitable actors who brought them to life on the big screen.
Anna Paquin Embraced Rogue’s Struggle
Syfy Rogue is a central character in both the Marvel universe and the world of the X-Men. Throughout the first films in the original franchise, Rogue’s mutant abilities created an existential crisis for the character. While some critics and fans panned Anna Paquin’s performance as whiny and unsympathetic, there were moments when the audience connected with her vulnerability. Imagine never being able to safely touch someone with love or tenderness.
Lupita Nyong’o Rules the Screen as Nakia
gizmodo Black Panther created buzz long before its premiere. The entire cast is a revelation, but Nakia, played by the flawless Lupita Nyong’o, quickly emerged as one of the film’s most popular characters. She brings Nakia to life with her regal bearing and unwavering composure. On the screen, she says more with a gesture or a look than pages of dialogue.
Kat Dennings Is a Laugh Riot as Darcy Lewis
PS4WallPapers The world is used to seeing Kat Dennings in roles that highlight her hilarity or her ability to relay teenage angst—and then there was Thor. As Darcy Lewis, Dennings continued to make audiences laugh. In doing so, she also proved that comedic timing is its own superpower. It’s a shame we probably won’t see her again.
Halle Berry Brings the Storm
IndieWire Halle Berry is Storm. Hollywood can restart the X-Men franchise as often as they like, but no one will ever top Halle’s turn as Ororo Munroe. She has some cheesy lines to her credit (“Do you know what happens when a toad gets struck by lightning?”), but her deft skills at beating bad guys and controlling the weather make up for all of them.
Famke Janssen’s Jean Grey Is a Beautiful Terror
Science Fiction Jean Grey is still an enigma after all these years. We’re finally getting a peek at her origins, but they’re hardly necessary. In the original X-Men films, Famke Janssen made audiences fall in love with Jean. They sympathized with her love triangle and admired her respect for the Professor. The duality of the Phoenix rising in a fit of violent madness is why Famke owned this role.
Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow Is Deadly
Collider Fans never expected Scarlett Johansson to step up as a Marvel superheroine, but she handily proved that she’s not just about indie movies and rom-coms. Her turn of Black Widow keeps audiences thronging to theaters. Those who assume she’s just eye candy are quickly impressed by her bad-ass take-downs.
Emma Stone Made Gwen Stacy an Everyday Heroine
Alloy Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy played alongside Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man. Even though she’s not technically a superhero herself, you can’t deny that there’s something spectacular about her ability to charm audiences even more than Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane. Of course, she never quite matched the chemistry of that upside-down kiss.
Eva Mendes Eclipsed Nic Cage as Roxanne Simpson
Wallpapers4U It takes serious charisma to pull attention away from Nicolas Cage at the best of times. That’s particularly true when he’s playing a flaming skull man on a motorcycle. Roxanne Simpson’s self-awareness makes her more than a supporting character, and Eva Mendes did a stand-up job emoting her naivete. That’s more than we can say for Johnny Blaze, usually.
Cobie Smulders Creates a Smart Hero
YouTube Not every superhero, or heroine, has innate powers. Maria Hill isn’t a gimmicky Marvel character. She’s just an intelligent, pragmatic woman who knows how to get the job done. Cobie Smulders portrayed her with the perfect balance of iciness, arrogance, and confidence. Sometimes brains are more powerful than brawn.
Jessica Alba’s Invisible Woman Still Stands Out
Fanboy Flicks The Invisible Woman is a fan-favorite, and the films introduced a whole new demographic to Sue Storm. It doesn’t hurt that she’s depicted by Jessica Alba, but Sue’s more than just a sex symbol. Besides, it takes something special to stand out even when you’re invisible.
Liv Tyler’s Betty Ross Outshines the Hulk
Daily Super Heroes Sad to say, but the love interests of Marvel superheroes are sometimes just background noise. In the past, those characters haven’t always been fleshed out properly. That’s not the case with Betty Ross. Somehow, Liv Tyler takes center stage even next to a raging green monster. Is anyone else wondering when we’ll get a She-Hulk?
Ellen Page and Shadowcat Are Show-Stealers
Hello Giggles Ellen Page did not get enough screen time in the X-Men movies. The world demands more Kitty Pryde. She’s the hero we need, even if she’s not the hero we deserve. It would be lovely to see a more experienced Ellen reprise the role today. She’s as much as superheroine as Shadowcat.
Hayley Atwell Nails Peggy Carter’s Chutzpah
Marvel Movies Peggy Carter is a genius. She breaks codes, fights Nazis, and goes on about her life’s mission rather than crumbling like a damsel in distress after the disappearance of the man she loves. The world needs more heroines like Peggy Carter, and no one does her justice like Hayley Atwell.
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme / Mystique
YouTube Topping Rebecca Romijn’s take on Mystique is hard. She stole every scene in the original trilogy. Jennifer Lawrence, tasked with playing a young Raven Darkholme, brought the character to life. Seeing the events that turned her toward Magneto explains everything about the character’s motivations. Her behavior is actually brave.
January Jones Is Cool as Ice as Emma Frost
YouTube Emma Frost, strictly speaking, is a villain. However, if the X-Men universe teaches us nothing else, it’s that there’s a fine line between good and evil. Heroes and villains are just descriptors. Besides, January Jones turns villainy into an art form. Her sexiness has nothing on her savagery.