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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LMU chapter.

There are so many things I am looking forward to in the year 2020, but I am most excited for 4 films in particular. I like to call these my “4 main HERo films”, as they are all female-led hero films directed by women. 

When Captain Marvel was released in March 2019, I was even more eager for the release of films centered on female heroes. The first major breakthrough in female hero films started with the release of Wonder Woman back in 2017.  However, I feel that the release of Captain Marvel really spurred the film industry’s sudden embrace of female hero storylines. 

With 2020 looming closer, I couldn’t be more excited. Read on to find out which 4 films I am anticipating the most! 

 

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Release date: February 7, 2020

Starring: Margot Robbie

 

Many would argue that Harley Quinn is anything but a hero, an antihero maybe, but nevertheless I am super excited for the release of this film. While I have never seen Suicide Squad (due to its poor ratings), I was rather interested in Harley Quinn’s character. From personality to fashion, Harley Quinn is truly an intriguing character from start to finish and I hope this film can do her justice. 

Birds of Prey is set to explore Harley Quinn’s life after her split with the Joker.  Harley Quinn teams up with other superheroes, such as Black Canary and Huntress, to save a young girl from the wraiths of an evil crime lord. 

Based on the trailer and the short synopsis of the film, I feel that this movie will finally explore Harley Quinn as an independent individual. She is too often seen as a side character in comparison to the Joker. I hope this film will finally show that Harley Quinn is her own person and that she doesn’t need the Joker to make a name for herself.

Mulan

Release Date: March 27, 2020

Starring: Liu Yifei

I was raised on the animated version of Mulan and I never thought I would see a live-action version of it.  When the teaser trailer was released earlier this year, my jaw dropped. I had so many questions like, “Where’s Mushu?”, “Will it have the iconic songs?”, “What does Shang Li look like?”.  It wasn’t until a few minutes later that I realized this version of Mulan might very well be the traditional storyline. 

If this is the case—portraying Mulan in a traditional light—I think it might be the right choice. Based on just the teaser trailer, the film seems to be following a war-like theme and focusing on Mulan’s growth. It doesn’t seem to have all the light humor that can be seen in the animated version. This version seems to be more in tune with China’s original telling of Mulan, or the plot that Disney previously diversified. 

While Mulan may not be a “superhero”, she is still a hero beloved by many.  She set the stage for being an unconventional princess. In other words, who inspired Mulan to save China was not Shang Li, but instead was her people. Mulan also redefined traditional gender roles by joining the army. She showed that, despite being a woman, she could accomplish just as much as a man. 

I find Mulan’s character to be extremely inspiring and I hope to admire her, even more, when the movie is released next year! 

 

Black Widow

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Starring: Scarlett Johansson

The amount of time I’ve waited for this one is unbelievable! I’ve been a Marvel fan for as long as I can remember. For years and years, fans have been begging for a Black Widow solo movie. I still cannot believe it’s finally happening!

While I do find it quite odd that it’s being released now – as the character was introduced back in 2010 – I am still so excited for this film…maybe even more so than for all of the others mentioned here in this article.  Black Widow’s character has come a long way from director to director, as seen through her overall prevalence and importance in each Marvel movie. With her own film, it seems as if she has reached a point where she can finally embrace herself and fully realize that she can be own person. 

I feel that Black Widow’s character has always been sidelined…whether it be for romantic purposes or simply because the movie needed a female. However, her role has definitely evolved into something more than that with each passing film. Now, she will finally have her own solo film, and this is definitely the only thing I ever wanted for Black Widow’s character. 

Marvel Studios has not released much information about this film, nor have they released a trailer. Despite this, I am still more than excited than ever for this movie…I only have been waiting a decade after all! 

Wonder Woman 1984

Release Date: June 5, 2020

Starring: Gal Gadot

In my eyes, Wonder Woman has always been one of the most iconic female superheroes out there. Her first solo film was a major win for the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) and I found it to be very inspiring. Wonder Woman was the first female-led superhero movie released in over a decade. This breakthrough truly paved the way for future female-led superhero films. I’m excited to see what the sequel to her film has to offer. 

There is not currently much information out there about this film; only the movie poster and some official stills have been released. However, just based on the title I can infer that the film will most likely take place in 1984. And the 80’s was a very colorful time, a fact that can also be seen in the released movie poster. 

Wonder Woman 1984 will definitely be on my “must-see”  list next summer!

Vivian is a junior majoring in journalism. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In her free time, you will often find her watching sitcoms, crocheting, reading, or scrolling through Twitter for the best memes.
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