The superhero world sometimes looks like a never-ending parade of scowling men in spandex. And no offense to those musclebound mutants and masked vigilantes, but if you ask me, what the world needs right now is girl power. Lucky for us, we have plenty of female superheroes gracing the big and small screens, combining brains, strength and beauty — like all of us ladies do every single day.
Here are 10 female superheroes worth rooting for in any fight. They’re all examples of strength without the clichés. They’re in command of their talents, identities and bodies and definitely don’t take crap from anyone:
Wonder Woman
Fun fact: I wore Wonder Woman “underoos” as a child as normal outerwear. Even on Easter Sunday, I wore the printed tank top with my pink skirt to church. My mother was HORRIFIED but you can’t fight a determined 4-year-old. Afterall, the award for Best Accessories has to go to Diana Prince, AKA Wonder Woman. Armed with her tiara, bracelets and golden lasso, Wonder Woman took on all manner of bad guys to protect humankind. Revisit the classic TV series starring Lynda Carter and then settle in for a Gal Gadot double feature.
Both human and alien, Carol Danvers is an ex-U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and the inspiration for the Avengers. Brie Larson first brought the character to life in 2019, showing that behind every tough guy is an even tougher woman. I can’t wait to watch more of her adventures.
Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff is one spy I would not want to go up against. She’s suffered immense personal tragedy and yet is still trying to be one of the good guys. Scarlett Johansson has made several big screen appearances in the role, including 2021’s title feature, which finally gave us more of her backstory.
Catwoman
It’s not every day you fangirl out over a criminal. But Catwoman has been known to put her scheming burglar ways aside in the name of what’s right. Just ask Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer or Anne Hathaway. We can’t wait to see Zoë Kravitz step into that iconic leather bodysuit in The Batman … just don’t call her his sidekick.
Supergirl
Kara Zor-El/Kara Danvers may be related to Superman, but she’s a hero in her own right. Able to fly with incredible strength, she uses her powers for good whenever she can. Start your Supergirl binge session with Laura Vandervoort in Smallville and then watch Melissa Benoist don the iconic red cape in the more recent Supergirl series.
Gritty and in no way interested in the fame her superhuman talents could bring her, Krysten Ritter’s portrayal of Jessica Jones is super dark, but her heart is usually in the right place. Working as a private detective, she knows she can outfight anyone she comes up against and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her or how she does it.
Storm
A member of the X-Men, Avengers and Fantastic Four, Storm is an indispensable part of any all-star superhero lineup. Why? I mean, she can control the weather! Brought to life by both Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp, Storm is also the first major Black woman superhero – a distinction that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Gamora
Not all superheros start on the good team. But hey, we can all change, right? Gamora is a former assassin who switched sides to join the Guardians of the Galaxy, going up against her adoptive father, Thanos. Watching Zoe Saldana wield the green warrior’s aptly named sword The Godslayer made me want to take up fencing for a minute.
Marvel’s first LGBTQ superhero (played by Tessa Thompson) has faced off with some of the biggest (literally) male heroes out there, including Thor and the Hulk. Pilot, bounty hunter and swordswoman, she can tackle pretty much anything thrown her way with serious swagger.
Batgirl
I can’t say I saw Alicia Silverstone’s pivot from Beverly Hills princess Cher Horowitz to the crime-fighting Barbara Wilson/Batgirl coming, but color me impressed. She fought alongside Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) to take down Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) without having to be anyone’s love interest.
Who is your favorite female superhero? Which actress would you like to see reprise the role on TV or film? Share your picks in the comments.
