Every Female-Led MCU Movie & TV Show, Ranked

Summary

• Marvel Studios has a significant lack of female-led movies and TV shows, with
  Captain Marvel
  being the first, over a decade after the MCU began.
• More female-led MCU projects have been released in recent years, but not all have been as successful as others.
• Projects such as
  WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Jessica Jones,
  and
  Echo
  have been among the best female-led MCU projects.

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Only a handful of movies and TV shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been primarily led by female superheroes, and some have been far stronger than others. When Marvel Studios kicked off the MCU in 2008, the higher-ups at Disney and Marvel Entertainment worried that prominently featuring female heroes wouldn’t garner a wide audience. Unfortunately, this meant that the women of the MCU were sidelined for quite some time, but there has been a major shift in recent years, with more powerful female MCU heroes being introduced, with many leading their own projects.

Including 2019’s Captain Marvel, the MCU’s first female-led movie, there have only been ten projects focused on Marvel’s female superheroes. This is set to increase with the upcoming releases of Agatha All Along and Ironheart on Disney+, and there have thankfully been many more female heroes included in others’ solo movies and team-up projects, such as Hope van Dyne’s Wasp, Gamora, and Valkyrie, among others. Marvel Studios’ ten female-led movies and TV shows have released to varying levels of success, but have mostly been strong stories for these formidable women.

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10 Black Widow Didn’t Give Audiences What They Wanted

Black Widow Was Led By Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, A.K.A. Black Widow

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Despite being the longest-running female superhero in the MCU, Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow didn’t embark on a solo adventure until Phase 4. Black Widow released after Romanoff’s death in Avengers: Endgame, and initially gave audiences the grounded espionage thriller that many had wanted to see for Romanoff for several years. Unfortunately, this theme didn’t stick, as Black Widow eventually devolved into yet another CGI-filled superhero action movie, which meant it lost a lot of its personality and intimacy.

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Until the movie’s final battle, Black Widow was doing well to keep things subtle. Romanoff’s surrogate family history was explored beautifully, the introductions of Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov, and Melina Vostokoff were handled well, and the mythos of the Red Room was developed nicely. It’s a shame Black Widow didn’t keep this up throughout, however, particularly since this was set up as the final farewell for Scarlett Johansson’s popular Natasha Romanoff.

Black Widow
PG-13
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi

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Director Cate Shortland Release Date July 9, 2021 Runtime 134 minutes

9 The Marvels Is (Surprisingly) Marvel Studios’ Lowest-Grossing Movie

The Marvels Was Led By Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, & Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan, A.K.A. Ms. Marvel

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The sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, on paper, should have been a smash-hit for Marvel Studios. However, The Marvels became an unfortunate victim of major Hollywood strikes, huge changes at Marvel Studios, and an altered attitude towards superhero movies. There was a lot going for The Marvels: the movie’s fast pace kept the action going continuously, the development of the relationships between Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan was compelling, and the advancement of the MCU’s overall multiverse storyline was thrilling.

Nevertheless, The Marvels still became the MCU’s lowest-grossing movie since the franchise began, bringing in just over $206 million (via Box Office Mojo), faring even worse than 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. The Marvels’ box office failure might not make much sense, but this will ultimately leave the future of the MCU’s Captain Marvel franchise in jeopardy. Large sections of The Marvels also felt a bit rushed, and there was little connection to the movie’s prequel series, Secret Invasion, which altogether felt jarring.

The Marvels
PG-13
Adventure
Action
Superhero

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Director Nia DaCosta Release Date November 10, 2023 Runtime 105 Minutes

8 She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Was Entertaining Despite Its Problems

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Was Led By Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters, A.K.A. She-Hulk

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While Marvel Studios hasn’t been able to produce any solo projects featuring Bruce Banner’s Hulk since The Incredible Hulk, Jennifer Walters’ She-Hulk was thankfully available. As the MCU’s first legal-comedy series, 2022’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had the perfect format for TV, and did a good job of introducing Tatiana Maslany’s new superhero. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s storytelling techniques, including major MCU cameos, breaking the fourth wall, and a case of the week structure, worked perfectly for the series.

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Having said that, similarly to The Marvels, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law also became a victim of recent criticisms aimed at Marvel Studios. Most notably, the visual effects and CGI quality throughout the series left something to be desired. After years of seeing a high-quality Hulk in the MCU’s Infinity Saga, it was a shame that She-Hulk wasn’t depicted in the same way, but this was a sign of the greater mistreatment of visual effects workers at Marvel and Disney, who have since unionized.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Comedy
Action
Adventure

Release Date August 17, 2022 Streaming Service(s) Disney+ Showrunner Jessica Gao Seasons 1 Franchise(s) Hulk , Marvel Cinematic Universe Directors Kat Coiro

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7 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Struggled Without Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Was Led By Letitia Wright’s Shuri, A.K.A. The Black Panther

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Following the tragic and sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the original plan for Black Panther’s sequel was altered massively. Instead of developing the story of T’Challa, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever became a more solemn exploration of Wakanda’s grief over the loss of its King and protector, with a more intense focus on Letitia Wright’s Shuri, who became the MCU’s new Black Panther. Despite being a beautiful memorial for T’Challa and Boseman, Wakanda Forever still struggled without the franchise’s beloved star.

The death of T’Challa perhaps would have been enough for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to focus on. However, director Ryan Coogler also included the introduction of the mutant Namor, the evolution of Shuri into the Black Panther, attacks on Wakanda, the death of Queen Ramonda, and the development of a wider-reaching political storyline. This meant that there was quite a lot going on in Wakanda Forever that sometimes overshadowed the emotional impact of the movie, but it still delivered a touching remembrance of Boseman.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
PG-13
Drama
Action
Adventure

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Release Date November 11, 2022 Director Ryan Coogler Runtime 2h 41m

6 Jessica Jones’ First Season Was Its Best

Jessica Jones Was Led By Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones

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Marvel Studios recently confirmed that Netflix’s Defenders Saga is canon to the MCU, meaning the Krysten Ritter-led Jessica Jones now takes place in the MCU’s official timeline. Out of the six Defenders Saga shows, Jessica Jones was one of the most popular, and one of two that ran for three seasons, alongside Daredevil. Ritter’s Jessica Jones was an incredibly complex antihero, and the series’ grounded, more mature, and darker themes reflected this brilliantly.

Defenders Saga Shows	Seasons	Premiere Date	Lead Actor
Daredevil	3	April 10, 2015	Charlie Cox
Jessica Jones	3	November 20, 2015	Krysten Ritter
Luke Cage	2	September 30, 2016	Mike Colter
Iron Fist	2	March 17, 2017	Finn Jones
The Defenders	1	August 18, 2017
The Punisher	2	November 17, 2017	Jon Bernthal

Jessica Jones was popular for its entire three-season run, but audience viewership did begin to wane after its premiere season. Season 1 pitted Jones against David Tennant’s sinister Kilgrave, while seasons 2 and 3 featured smaller villains, including Jones’ own mother, Trish Walker’s Hellcat, and serial killer Gregory Sallinger, contributing to slower-burn storylines. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones may return to the MCU, as recent speculation suggests, so hopefully she will achieve her previous level of popularity.

Marvel’s Jessica Jones
Superhero
Crime

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Release Date November 20, 2015 Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg Seasons 3 Network Netflix

5 Eternals Was One Of Phase 4’s Most Divisive (& Underrated) Movies

Eternals Was Led Primarily Be Gemma Chan’s Sersi

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Following its release in 2021, Chloé Zhao’s Eternals became one of the MCU’s most divisive projects ever. Many criticized the movie’s attempt to introduce ten powerful new superheroes in only a short space of time, which, granted, did make the storyline feel rushed and over-saturated at times. However, Eternals was an experimental movie for Marvel Studios, with innovative new cinematography (Zhao’s trademark), an acclaimed all-star cast, and an expansive storyline that explored the history of the MCU like no previous project.

In the years since, Eternals has achieved a new level of respect from audiences, with appreciation growing for the project’s ambition and scope. While the movie focused on a large group of heroes, it was Gemma Chan’s Sersi who led the charge, taking over as the Prime Eternal after Ajak’s demise. This was Chan’s second MCU role, but was a much stronger performance than her debut as Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel, so hopefully there are many more stories for Sersi and the Eternals in the MCU’s future.

Eternals
PG-13
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Fantasy

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Release Date November 5, 2021 Director Chloé Zhao Runtime 157 minutes

4 Captain Marvel Was The MCU’s First Female-Led Movie

Captain Marvel Was Led By Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel

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The MCU’s first female-led project is still one of the franchise’s strongest, despite unfounded criticism aimed at Captain Marvel’s lead star, Brie Larson. Larson did a fantastic job at bringing Carol Danvers into the MCU at the end of Phase 3, and managed to imbue the seriously overpowered hero with humanity and relatability, something that many other actors would have struggled with. Set in 1995, Captain Marvel also set the stage for some exciting stories in the MCU’s present day, including those featured in WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Secret Invasion, and the movie’s own sequel, The Marvels.

The fact that Brie Larson was so outspoken in her political views and her views on feminism, and the simple fact that Captain Marvel put a powerful woman front-and-center, spurred a campaign by a vocal minority to derail the movie, even before its release. Despite this ridiculous campaign, Captain Marvel still managed to gross over $1 billion at the global box office, marking a huge success for the MCU’s first female-centric movie. The success of Captain Marvel made the failure of its 2023 sequel even more unexpected and shocking.

Captain Marvel
PG-13
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi

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Release Date March 6, 2019 Director Anna Boden , Ryan Fleck

3 Echo Was A Solid Continuation Of Maya Lopez’s Storyline

Echo Was Led By Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, A.K.A. Echo

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Even though Echo, the MCU’s first Marvel Spotlight series, went through a tumultuous production period, and was deemed unnecessary by “fans” prior to release, the series still became a successful installment in Phase 5. Continuing Alaqua Cox’s story as Maya Lopez, who initially debuted in 2021’s Hawkeye, the five-episode Echo provided a deep dive into the history and culture of the Choctaw Nation, as well as expanding Lopez’s own relationship to her villainous father-figure, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin.

Echo’s reliance on its cultural exploration makes it a unique addition to the MCU. Produced in collaboration with the Choctaw Nation, Echo’s authenticity is beautiful to watch, and its representative storyline of not only Native American history, but also the deaf community, means it is a hugely significant MCU project. The ending of the series did feel rather rushed, a symptom of the series’ rocky production, but Echo continued Maya Lopez’s storyline wonderfully, and set the stage for an even bigger narrative for Kingpin in the MCU’s future.

Marvel’s Echo
Crime
Superhero
Action
Drama

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Release Date January 9, 2024 Seasons 1 Writers Amy Rardin , Marion Dayre Directors Sydney Freeland

2 Ms. Marvel Introduced The MCU’s First Mutant Superhero

Ms. Marvel Was Led By Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan, A.K.A. Ms. Marvel

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One of the most exciting recent introductions to the MCU has been Iman Vellani, who has played Kamala Khan in 2022’s Ms. Marvel and The Marvels. As an MCU superfan, Vellani’s love for the franchise, and the Marvel Comics source material, is evident in her portrayal of Kamala Khan. This passion makes every moment she’s on screen entertaining and exhilarating, particularly when she is showing off her abilities. Vellani also has the honor of being the MCU’s first on-screen mutant.

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Ms. Marvel’s blend of live-action and animated graphics emphasized the youthful nature of the titular hero, and not a second of the series’ six-episode run felt wasted. Spanning from Jersey City to Karachi, Ms. Marvel was a truly global series with a massive, dimension-crossing storyline that Vellani did a fantastic job at taking in her stride, which is even more impressive considering this was Vellani’s first on-screen acting role. Kamala Khan is set to be a huge part of the MCU’s future, as the suspected leader of Marvel Studios’ Young Avengers team, so hopefully this joyous temperament will continue.

Ms. Marvel
Adventure
Comedy
Action

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Release Date June 8, 2022 Seasons 1 Writers Bisha K. Ali , Adrian Alphona Showrunner Bisha K. Ali

1 WandaVision Was A Complete Experiment For The MCU’s Multiverse Saga

WandaVision Was Led By Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, A.K.A. The Scarlet Witch

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Marvel Studios’ most impressive female-led project was also one of the MCU’s most experimental and risky installments: WandaVision. The MCU’s first TV series developed for Disney+, WandaVision’s format saw each episode inspired by different decades of TV sitcoms, spanning from the I Love Lucy-style 1950s to the present day. Prior to WandaVision, Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff had been a promising supporting character in the MCU’s Avengers projects, but this really gave her a chance to showcase her sheer talent.

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WandaVision marked Wanda Maximoff’s full transformation into the Scarlet Witch, and explored a deeply emotional storyline of family, grief, and trauma. Olsen has done a brilliant job at demonstrating both the hilarity and more vulnerable and complex elements of Wanda, all of which were showcased throughout WandaVision. The fact that WandaVision was so successful set a high bar for subsequent Disney+ shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which may have contributed to the criticism aimed at some, but has also made the Scarlet Witch’s return even more hoped-for.

WandaVision
Adventure
Drama
Action
Superhero

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Release Date January 15, 2021 Seasons 1 Directors Matt Shakman Showrunner Jac Schaeffer

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

Created by Kevin Feige Upcoming Films Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts (2025) , Blade (2025) , The Fantastic Four (2025) , Avengers: The Kang Dynasty , Avengers: Secret Wars Upcoming TV Shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos , Ironheart , Daredevil: Born Again , Wakanda , Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , Marvel Zombies , Wonder Man , Vision Quest

Upcoming MCU Movies	Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine	July 26, 2024
Captain America: Brave New World	February 14, 2025
Thunderbolts*	May 5, 2025
The Fantastic Four	July 25, 2025
Blade	November 7, 2025
Avengers 5	May 1, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars	May 7, 2027

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Category: Entertainment