Marvel has long presented characters that have pushed the boundaries of all creation, suffered the indignity of discrimination, and fought for their rights on every battle field available, side-by-side, a mighty conglomerate front for change. Now, outside the pages of our beloved comic books, avatars for equality are rallying together. Gender inequality in Hollywood is still a real, live entity, and thankfully (speaking as a woman in the industry, myself) these issues are continuously being brought into the light to be discussed publicly.
Monday, at the Women in Technology luncheon provided by the Hollywood Professional Association’s Women in Post and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Marvel Productions’ Executive Vice President of Physical Production, Victoria Alonso, spoke about Marvel’s role in influencing Hollywood towards gender equality.
“We have had gender inequality for some time. It wasn’t always talked about …. In the past year, it bubbled up and it’s no longer acceptable to women and some men. …Change is needed and hopefully we can make a balanced Hollywood for the next generation.”
With the recent, strong showing of female presence in the Marvel projects of late including the efforts of its Netflix show, Jessica Jones, which will feature an all women line up of directors for its second season, and Captain Marvel, the first Marvel film to feature a female lead, it seems gender equality is becoming reality sooner than later.
Other studios, such as Warner Bros. are also answering the call to action in Wonder Woman, due out June 2nd, 2017 as well as Justice League due out November 17, 2017.
“I don’t want to be the only [woman] in the room,” Alonso added. “Our rooms should be 50/50. If any of you — men or women — can lift [women] up, we’ll all be better for it.”
Alonso was also careful to mention the men who were in attendance at the luncheon:
“You are important change makers. When you wonderful men say ‘balance is necessary.’ …You open that door and the product is going to be better [with varied perspectives].”
With continuing discussions revolving around the need for gender equality in the movie industry receiving much deserved attention, and the efforts of Marvel being so warmly received with the many successes of its heroines behind and before the cameras, I’m anticipating the kind of change that will lend an abundance of success for us all to share.
SOURCE: THR
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