Stephen Colbert Calls For More Female Villains In Marvel Cinematic Universe

, Colbert brought up an issue that has pervaded the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, that being [...]

Stephen Colbert
(Photo: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert)

Stephen Colbert enjoyed Captain America: Civil War quite a bit, but did leave the theater wondering about one particular aspect of the film, and Marvel Studios movies in general.

On his show last night (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), Colbert brought up an issue that has pervaded the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, that being the lack of female villains, though it could be suggested that there is just a lack of females in their movies period.

Colbert pondered: "I could not help but notice, uh, when I watched it, sitting there in the theater, absolutely thrilled by the movie, um, so many of the characters seem to have something in common. Iron Man. Ant-Man. Spider-Man. Black Panther-Man. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is kind of a sausage-fest, and I gotta say all that spandex really showcases the sausage. And, it's no accident."

Colbert went on to discuss the recently revealed switcheroo of Iron Man 3's main villain. Shane Black has gone on record saying that the original pitch was for a woman to be the main antagonist, with Marvel issuing a memo afterwards saying "we've changed our minds because, after consulting, we've decided that toy won't sell as well if it's a female." Colbert added a gentle barb, saying "This is shocking, Iron Man 3 had a writer?"

He continued: "This is so disappointing. Back in the 80's we weren't so hung up on the gender of our Hollywood action figures. I collected Hannah and Her Sisters. I mean everyone had to have Meryl Streep from Sophie's Choice. I really struggled with whether to open that one and play with it or keep it in the box, it was a real...quandary."

He also gave a few examples of this happening in the past, saying: "But I don't want to single out Iron Man 3 because it's hardly the only film that was written with a female villain only to have it cynically gender swapped at the last minute. Take Darth Vader. He was first written as Darlene Vader, that's true. A talented powerful woman who struggled to balance her imperial ambitions with raising her rebellious twins."

I'm not the only one who would watch that right? I can't be. That sounds fantastic.

As for the lack of female villains, it is something I would like to see Marvel Studios address in their films, as their TV shows don't seem to have the same disparate ratio of women to men.

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