How the 1984 Supergirl film set back female-led superhero movies for two decades
By
Caroline Siede
Summary
Caroline Siede's article examines the legacy of 1984's Supergirl film, which was so poorly received that it stalled female-led superhero movies for two decades and led to the comic book character being killed off for 20 years. The piece is part of a series analyzing women-driven action movies and how depictions of female action heroes have evolved over time, using Supergirl as a case study of how a failed film can have outsized cultural consequences.
Source
The A.V. ClubHow the 1984 Supergirl film set back female-led superhero movies for two decadesavclub.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledThere have been plenty of bad superhero movies, but it's rare that one is so poorly received that it not only staves off more female-led superhero movies for two decades, it also kills off an iconic comic book character for 20 years.
Fairly or not, that's the legacy of 1984's Supergirl, the first and for a long time only big-budget female-led superhero movie.
With Women Of Action, Caroline Siede digs into the history of women-driven action movies to explore what these stories say about gender and how depictions of female action heroes have evolved over time.
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